Orientation flights on a windy day = a ton of fun to watch

[KeyLargoBees]

25-30 out of the east south east today....one of the larger backyard hives had a major orientation this afternoon and watching that cloud of bees get blown around and bounce off the hive, the ground, and each other has been a blast....not so much fun for them I assume but its been a great way to get through a boring conference call :-)

[Dallasbeek]

Basic flight school seemed a bit like that for me, too

You have to remeber these girls haven't even flown with an instructor before, so they're learning the way our grandparents did.

[BeeMaster2]

I am surprised they were flying in that wind. Mine normally do not. Even the scouts won't fly. I didn't either when I was taking flight lessons and it was windy. 
Jim

[KeyLargoBees]

It was gusting and swirling around the house so not constant but when those gusts hit the entire cloud would shift and shimmy....we are in a serious flow and they are rolling rain or shine...they are starting pre dawn as it just starts to get light and still rolling out for "one more run" 30 minutes after sunset....mow I kn ow where "busy as bees" saying comes from. 

[KPF]

Question from a newbie:

Is it easy to tell orientation flights from robbing? I videotaped some activity once and fellow club members were telling me it was robbing but I thought it was orientation flights, as I saw no fighting on the landing board.

[BeeMaster2]

Question from a newbie:

Is it easy to tell orientation flights from robbing? I videotaped some activity once and fellow club members were telling me it was robbing but I thought it was orientation flights, as I saw no fighting on the landing board.

Orientation flights are calm, Robbing is hectic. Look at what the bees are doing.
Orientation bees are taking off looking at the hive entrance, memorizing it and moving out further and further studying what it looks like. It usually happens a couple of hours before sundown.
Robbing bees are coming in looking for a way to get in. They quite often try to enter into little gaps in the hive and do this in large numbers. As you mentioned, you will see bees fighting on the landing board and below it. They are often very aggressive towards you when they normally very calm.
Jim