יומן של Finger Lakes Bee Survey

The warm weather is here and the bees are out! Time to start documenting.

When you see a bee – or an insect you think might be a bee – snap some photos and upload it to Your Observations. Here's a few things to keep in mind when uploading:

• List the species of your observation as "Bees (Epifamily Anthophila). Be as specific as you can (for example, Hylaeus mesillae ssp. cressoni), but at the very least list your observation as a "Bee"; it will automatically be included in the survey. Even if you're unsure of what you saw or the insect turns out not to be a bee, no worries! The community here will help identify it and make sure only bees are included in the survey.
• List the location of your observation. Make sure you include as specific location as possible; if your observation falls within the ten counties of this survey, it will automatically be included. You can always "Obscure" your location when uploading the observation to make sure the general public cannot see it. At the very least, list the county where you made the observation.
• You can also specifically add your observation to this project under the Projects drop-down menu.

What makes a good photo? Check out the next News posting.

• Sharply-focused, close up, high-resolution color photos.
• Show the features used in bee identification:
• a top view showing wing veins and abdomen details
• a front shot of the face
• a full side shot of the bee
• Take several photos from all different angles, then pick the best.
• iPhones can take really good photos, but zoom in on bees by getting as close as you can (not by using the digital zoom on the screen). And no filters; just raw photos.

With all that being said, don't let perfection get in the way of making a good observation. Just start shooting! If you're new to this, you'll get better as time goes on.

If you have any questions or are looking for tips, feel free to message me.

And please share any tips and tricks for taking great bee photos in the comments below!