Carpenter bee in flight
Xylocopa virginica
Eastern Carpenter Bee · Brooklyn Botanic Garden · 12 July 2025
A carpenter bee caught airborne on the approach to a mallow flower in the July border, still dusted in pollen from whatever it visited last. It is the big black bee of eastern gardens, nesting in bare wood and working the summer borders from dawn.
The shiny black abdomen distinguishes it from a bumblebee even mid-flight, if the wingbeat wasn't already the giveaway. Carpenter bees are the ones that hover in front of your face on a porch in spring: those are males, guarding a nest, and they have no sting at all.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
Every photograph comes with notes on what it is.
Selected
Favourite shots. Filter by subject, or .
Places
Everything, by where it was taken.
Species
Larger catalogue of photos organized by species of animal or plant.
Catalogue
Every photograph, newest first. Narrow it by period, place or species; the three work together.
Updates
Coming soon. Sign up at the bottom of the page for updates.