{"id":94403,"date":"2021-09-03T05:52:32","date_gmt":"2021-09-03T11:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=94403"},"modified":"2026-03-16T10:02:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T15:02:11","slug":"western-honey-bee-and-common-mullein-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/09\/03\/western-honey-bee-and-common-mullein-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"Western Honey Bee And Common Mullein Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WesternWestern Honey Bee gathering pollen from a Common Mullein \u2013 Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Both Common Mullein and the Western Honey Bee are introduced, non-native species yet I can’t resist photographing them when given the opportunity. Last week while looking for birds in the Wasatch Mountains I had Western Honey Bees and Common Mulleins in my viewfinder for a few moments.<\/p>\n

The Common Mulleins provide pollen for our native bees as well as the introduced Western Honey Bees<\/span><\/a> plus other birds and insects consume the seeds after the flowers are done blooming and other birds eat the insects that are found on the flower stalks and leaves. Common Mulleins aren’t all<\/em> bad even though they aren’t native to North America.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong> Common Mullein is called Great Mullein in the UK.<\/p>\n

\"WesternWestern Honey Bee at a Common Mullein \u2013 Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I guess the same could be said for the non-native Western Honey Bees, they aren’t all<\/em> bad either. They pollinate native plants and produce honey that provides nourishment for other animals and insects.<\/p>\n

But… As an invasive species, feral Western Honey Bees can be an environmental problem in some areas. Imported bees may displace native bees and birds, and may also promote reproduction of invasive plants ignored by native pollinators so they aren’t all<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

\"CommonCommon Mullein and a Western Honey Bee \u2013 Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I still photograph the mulleins and the honey bees because they are a part of the environment that I live and photograph in.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my insect and spider photos. Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my flower, shrub and tree photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Both Common Mullein and the Western Honey Bee are introduced, non-native species yet I can’t resist photographing them when given the opportunity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":172058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2548,4594,26,773,5347],"tags":[12235,2464,6513,6627,6098,3940,6655,12237,4052,6518,4122,686,4069,6177,11712,462,6853,6512,5906,2315,12236],"class_list":["post-94403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-honey-bees","category-morgan-county","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","category-wildflowers","tag-apis-mellifera","tag-bee","tag-bees","tag-bloom","tag-blooming","tag-canyon","tag-common-mullein","tag-european-honeybee","tag-flight","tag-flowering","tag-flying","tag-introduced","tag-mountains","tag-mullein","tag-mulleins","tag-non-native","tag-nonnative","tag-pollen","tag-riparian-zone","tag-summer-3","tag-western-honeybee"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/western-honeybee-mullein-mia-mcpherson-6423.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-oyD","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":104474,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/07\/24\/request-for-grasshopper-identification\/","url_meta":{"origin":94403,"position":0},"title":"Request For Grasshopper Identification","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I have struggled for the past four days trying to identify a bright green grasshopper nymph that I found on a Common Mullein up in the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Summit County"","block_context":{"text":"Summit County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/summit-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bright green grasshopper nymph on Common Mullein, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Spur-throated-Grasshopper-mia-mcpherson-6917.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Spur-throated-Grasshopper-mia-mcpherson-6917.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Spur-throated-Grasshopper-mia-mcpherson-6917.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Spur-throated-Grasshopper-mia-mcpherson-6917.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":92845,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/08\/02\/blooming-common-mullein-images\/","url_meta":{"origin":94403,"position":1},"title":"Blooming Common Mullein Images","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 2, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Two days ago in between taking Willow Flycatcher photos\u00a0 in the Wasatch Mountains I took blooming Common Mullein images because they were nearby.","rel":"","context":"In "Hunt's Bumble Bees"","block_context":{"text":"Hunt's Bumble Bees","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/hunts-bumble-bees\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Common Mullein and two bumble bees, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/common-mullein-bumble-bees-and-ant-mia-mcpherson-1689.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/common-mullein-bumble-bees-and-ant-mia-mcpherson-1689.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/common-mullein-bumble-bees-and-ant-mia-mcpherson-1689.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/common-mullein-bumble-bees-and-ant-mia-mcpherson-1689.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":53198,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/07\/23\/blooming-common-mullein-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","url_meta":{"origin":94403,"position":2},"title":"Blooming Common Mullein In The Wasatch Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 23, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"As a child I remember plucking the leaves of Common Mullein just to touch them because the leaves were as soft as well worn flannel, their yellow flowers didn't interest me much but the soft leaves sure did.","rel":"","context":"In "Common Mullein"","block_context":{"text":"Common Mullein","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/trees-shrubs-and-flowers\/wildflowers\/common-mullein\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Blooming Common Mullein, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/common-mullein-blooming-mia-mcpherson-2354.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/common-mullein-blooming-mia-mcpherson-2354.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/common-mullein-blooming-mia-mcpherson-2354.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":94136,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/08\/28\/black-capped-chickadee-photos-foraging-in-common-mulleins\/","url_meta":{"origin":94403,"position":3},"title":"Black-capped Chickadee Photos – Foraging in Common Mulleins","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 28, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Two days ago I was able to spend a few minutes taking Black-capped Chickadee photos as small flock of them foraged in Common Mulleins.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-capped Chickadee and Common Mulleins, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-mullein-mia-mcpherson-6519.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-mullein-mia-mcpherson-6519.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-mullein-mia-mcpherson-6519.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-mullein-mia-mcpherson-6519.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":90551,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/06\/18\/male-mountain-bluebird-perched-on-mullein\/","url_meta":{"origin":94403,"position":4},"title":"Male Mountain Bluebird Perched On Mullein","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 18, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I haven't had many bluebirds in my viewfinder this spring so when this adult male Mountain Bluebird perched on mullein showed up last week I was happy to photograph it.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Mountain Bluebird perched on mullein, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-male-on-mullein-mia-mcpherson-5870.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-male-on-mullein-mia-mcpherson-5870.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-male-on-mullein-mia-mcpherson-5870.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-male-on-mullein-mia-mcpherson-5870.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":106518,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/09\/25\/roadside-western-honey-bee-and-rubber-rabbitbrush\/","url_meta":{"origin":94403,"position":5},"title":"Roadside Western Honey Bee and Rubber Rabbitbrush","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 25, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I wanted to share this photo of a roadside Western Honey Bee in a Rubber Rabbitbrush this morning because when I look at it I think of fall.","rel":"","context":"In "Davis County"","block_context":{"text":"Davis County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/davis-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Honey Bee and Rubber Rabbitbrush, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/western-honey-bee-rubber-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-6932.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/western-honey-bee-rubber-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-6932.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/western-honey-bee-rubber-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-6932.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/western-honey-bee-rubber-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-6932.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94403"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94403\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/172058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}