When Lia, Mira, and I returned home from Church today, we encountered a swarm of bees buzzing about the Courtyard of our complex.  I've had a hive of bees in the trunk of a tree outside my kitchen window for several months now.  The bees come and go without bothering anyone, so I haven't bothered to report it to the city.

From what I've read about bee behavior, I believe a new Queen has entered the scene, and the bees swarmed about for a few hours before all settling down on a new little tree 30 yards from the other hive.  The old hive still has plenty of worker bees coming and going, so it hasn't been abandoned entirely.

 I grabbed my camera and began snapping pics.  While perhaps not the wisest way to spend my afternoon, I knew this type of opportunity was rare, and it's just a matter of time before the other tenants call the city workers to have the hive taken away.  I emerged relatively unscathed -- just a minor earlobe sting by a camera shy fellow who was getting tired of my flash.

View the full gallery here .