Bombus voz

Photo of a mostly black bumblebee flying towards a purple sage flower. The bee has a thin yellow stripe on their butt, yellow shoulders, and a furry yellow head.

Identifying my yard bumblebees continues with these very fast-moving and hard to photograph garden friends. I think this is Bombus vosnesenkii, the yellow-faced bumblebee.

The usual joke about bumblebees is that they meander slowly and bump into things. You know, bumble it up. But these seem to be what a peak performing bee physique looks like. Fast, precise, extensive pollination going on in my sage plant.