Day 232: August 19th - Pollinators

Partly sunny, low 80s, calm winds

       While many plants rely on the wind to help pollination and some are actually self-pollinating, the vast majority relies on other organisms such as bees, butterflies, bats and hummingbirds to distribute pollen from one plant to another.

       Hummingbirds may visit up to 3000 flowering plants a day to get enough nectar to fuel their tiny bodies.  In the process, when a hummingbird sticks its long beak down into a flower to get to the nectar, some of the tiny sticky pollen grains will adhere to the sides of the bill.  When it moves on to the next flower, some of the grains may be transferred over to that plant.  It the plant is of the same species, then pollination may occur.  This little Ruby-throated hummingbird visited our butterfly garden this afternoon and availed itself of the nectar we provided in the feeder, but also visited several of the flowers we grow in the garden.

       In the same butterfly garden, we had a number of different species of butterflies visiting as well.  One of the butterflies we had feeding on our butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) was the spectacular Giant swallowtail.  It is not at all common for whatever reason for us to see this butterfly in our garden, so today was a special treat.

       Along with the Giant swallowtail, we had the much more common Silver-spotted skipper, White cabbage, and a not as common Painted lady.

Painted lady

       All of these are pollinating the plants as they feed by sticking their proboscis down into the flower to find the nutritious nectar.  In doing so, they collect pollen on their legs and body.  Butterflies can cover a great deal of territory, so they are capable of disseminating the pollen over long distances and over wide areas.

       The most popular pollinator in the Northeast has to be the bumblebee like this one photographed today at Iona Island in Bear Mountain. With legs much shorter than those of most butterflies, the pollen is gathered all over the body of the bee.  The bee therefore carries much more pollen with it than most other insects and hummingbirds.  Nonetheless, all of our featured pollinators today do their fair share in ensuring the continued growth and distribution of our native flowering plants.