I thought I had taken a picture of a Bumblebee (first photo). Fortunately I did a little research on them before doing this guest post. It seems that this individual is really a Carpenter Bee. The smooth black abdomen is the identifying characteristic. I went back into the field and got a photo of a real Bumblebee (second photo) with its furry black and yellow abdomen and yellow patch on the head. I apparently have been mistakenly lumping them together all my life. Oops. They are both docile bees and excellent pollinators. Carpenter Bees are solitary and bore a nest in wood. Bumblebees form small colonies and nest in the ground. Neither is aggressive unless you threaten them or their nest.
Birds in My Viewfinder 