SPALENKA EYE

During June through August in Santa Fe, New Mexico a beautiful nightshade plant called Datura creates large fragrant trump like blossoms. They bloom at dusk and through the night, then wilt the next day. Supposedly it is poisonous with hallucinogenic properties.

What is truly astounding is watching bees and hummingbird moths compete between each other in a frenzied attempt to gather the Datura's nectar and pollen. I think it makes them high, because they dive into the flowers with a reckless abandon. It is not uncommon to see two hummingbird moths one on top of the other attempting to get to the aromatic nector, or eight bees in one flower lost in an orgiastic feast. I made a little video of the party.

The video quality has a lot of grain in it due to the low light at dusk. All footage was taken with the iPhone and iPad. Most of it is in slow-mo so you can appreciate the fast moving wings of these creatures. The only sounds you will hear are the beating of the moth's and bee's wings as well as slowed down crickets and birds in the background. Enjoy.