THE BUMBLIN’ BEE

This photo was taken in The Maxton Plains, a rare biome known as an Alvar. Located on Drummond Island, Michigan, Alvar is a Swedish term used to describe dry grasslands found on limestone pavements. The last glacier receded over 10,000 years ago, leaving virtually no soil over the perfectly flat limestone bedrock. Areas of pavement alvar are found in central Maxton. On the pavement, the plants grow only in the bedrock joints where soil and sediment collect.

This also happens to be where Jurassic sized flying bugs like to congregate! I was being attacked as I took this photo. The flower is called a Red Columbine. It grows mainly in North America in colder climates, and attracts hummingbirds and bees. I was lucky to capture this photo, because of the combination of camera settings and the Macro lens I was using, the focal length was VERY tight!