Yellow Faced Bumble Bee pays a visit

At last, another visit from a Yellow-Faced Bumble Bee Bombus vosnesenskii !

Ever since I read that this bee is now considered endangered, I've been diligently checking our garden every afternoon, when the temperature tends to be warmer, hoping to see one of these bees.

Up until this year, these were the first bees I would see in the spring. And they would visit throughout the day.

Early this spring I did notice one very large Yellow-Faced Bumble Bee flying high above the backyard, checking out the blackberry vines.

But after that. there have only been California Bumble Bees constantly collecting nectar from the Ray Hartman ceanothus shrub.

What a welcome sight!