The bee's knees are covered in pollen

The first destination of my southward migration was Santa Barbara, CA, where I spent a very full week.  Although I was kept busy working all day each day, I did manage to set out first thing one morning in search of flowers.  Despite it being December, there were blooming plants nearly everywhere I looked.  The most impressive displays were the towering inflorescences of the foxtail agave (Agave attenuata).  These curved spikes could be eight or more feet long and were densely packed with light green flowers.

Flowers of a foxtail agave (Agave attenuata) in Santa Barbara, CA.

The foxtail agaves were very attractive to honey bees as well.  Even though it was only a few minutes after sunrise, honey bee foragers had already collected large amounts of pollen in the "pollen baskets" on their hind legs.

A honey bee (Apis mellifera) forager collecting pollen from the agave flowers.

The agaves benefit if the bees transport their pollen to other flowers, fertilizing seeds.  However, the honey bee foragers have a different objective: to feed the protein-rich pollen to their developing sisters back in the hive.  Nevertheless, the bees I saw were getting so coated in pollen that they may have been doing some pollinating as well.

A honey bee (Apis mellifera) forager covered in agave pollen.