You might think that I am going to talk philosophically about a bee, but my title is meant to be taken literally. If you click on the photo, you can actually see reflections of the sky and bushes on the shiny surface of the abdomen end of this bee.
I am pretty sure that this is a carpenter bee for two main reasons. First, the abdomen area is shiny and hairless, unlike a bumblebee who is more hairy. Secondly, the bee is sucking nectar out of the side of the flower rather than going in from the front, a process sometimes referred to as “nectar robbing.” Carpenter bees are notorious for circumventing pollination in certain plants by slitting open the side of the flower.
Perhaps others can see more reflections on the bee. It’s like looking at clouds and trying to see shapes—it’s a lot of fun and everyone sees something different. Life is like that sometimes.
Click the photo to see more details
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Cool image!
Wonderful shot, Mike. Love the reflections!
I agree with your reasoning regarding the identification…likely a large carpenter bee (genus Xylocopa). Very different from the small carpenter bees (Ceratina).
Thanks for your help on identification. I’m learning more and more but I still have lots of difficulties identifying my subjects. (I think I’m correct about 50% of the time!)