I carefully turned my hand to get a good look at him (how was I to know what sex the bee was? I decoded he was a boy!) He was small with pale golden stripes on his abdomen. Beautiful, delicate fur positively glowed in the sunshine; I was in danger of falling in love!
The bus rumbled on & the little bee sat happily on my hand grooming himself. Tiny back legs rubbed over his abdomen, front legs brushed his antennae. Then he rubbed his back legs together & turned slowly on my hand. The sun shone & I kept very still so as not to disturb him.
He settled down & I felt the slightest brush of abdomen fur against my hand. We moved on towards Oxford & I hoped that he'd sit quietly until we arrived so that I could release him.
As we approached my stop he began to move again. I thought at one point he was heading up my sleeve but at the last moment he turned & headed for my wrist again. Relief! I didn't want to have to divest myself of my top to release a bee in the heart of Oxford!
I carefully got off the bus & the bee flew off immediately, almost as if he knew we had reached journey's end. I was both happy & sad to see him go but I understand that bees don't make good pets so I couldn't have kept him!
Well done for not being scared of bees. I expect it was a worker bee and therefore a she. The males are drones.
ReplyDeleteWhichever it was it probably made a bee-line for some flowers or for home.
Sue