Where are the bees?

Chaenomeles japonica 'Cameo' bursting with pollen

This past Saturday I took a few photos in my yard to document all of the woody trees and shrubs that are blooming - oddly enough - simultaneously.  Most years we have a succession of flowers from mid-March through early May, and now I can see forsythia, serviceberry, quince, crabapples, mahonia and lilacs all in view of my own home, not to mention the magnolias, redbuds, flowering almonds, peaches and pears I've spotted around town. 

Mahonia aquifolium and Syringa vulgaris

 It's a wild and crazy mash-up of colors for sure, but also a bit disappointing that the spring flower show will be a flash dance rather than a parade.

Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance'

 Unfortunately, despite the huge floral surge of late, I have not seen any bees.  One of my favorite springtime pleasures is to sit under my apricot tree when it is in full bloom and listen to hundreds of bees going about their work. 

Prunus armeniaca in late March 2012

 This year I saw less than a handful of bees.  What gives?

Cameo quince