hummers yet either.
Your bird problem is those trees. They appear to like trees, nesting in them. One could cut the trees down, but in reality, the birds wouldn't like that.
My yard is - was - a great wildlife habitat until my neighbor cut two trees down. Changed the birding of the area considerably.
However, when I put in two chickens in the back yard the bird action picked up. Must be all that scratch that the chickens (fat little girls) don't eat right away.

I don't think the Pope approves of Condo's for Birds..

............ this year . It's like setting up a hunting preserve for the 50 or so cats that people think it's OK to let loose in the neighborhood .

Reddog

Must be a female cat .

Reddog

I saw a hummingbird in McCall yesterday, May 10.

With some snow still on the ground, night temps below freezing and few flowers blooming yet around McCall, I expect that these little guys really need feeders for the next few weeks to make it in the mountains.

Worked for us, especially in the condos. We've got a dozen single dwelling houses and 2, two story 12 hole condos w/ lofts that are filling up fast. The Sparrows took one condo and the Tree swallows the other. Finches are in the evergreens, Blackbirds in the Kestral boxes, Grosbeaks in the sage brush, Kingbirds in the eves of the barn and the Barn swallows in the barn and horse stalls. No idea where the Juncos and Towhees went but they're gone. The Hummers are here and going from the front of the house to the back all day to their feeders. Every year we tie the Christmas tree to one of the condo posts and there is always a nest or 2 in it.

a very destructive bird. They've pecked through the siding on my pumphouse, torn out the insulation, and pecked through the interior sheetrock. They've also ruined three of my gable vents. I've seen them pecking (and ruining) stucco. And you should hear the sound they make on the woodstove pipe. Not supposed to shoot them though, they're a "protected" species. I've got ten acres of my land in the Habitat Improvement Program with Fish and Game. Lots of quail nesting now, pheasants, etc. But the damn magpies get half the eggs before they hatch. Can't shoot them either. Same deal. I live down towards Marsing, and finally saw the first hummer yesterday, so I'm putting out my feeders today.

I will simply confess I enjoy the flickers with my hummers..

A few hummers at our feeder here in Emmett. Lots of different birds at the wild bird feeder. Hey Zimo,keep the nectar fresh in that hummer feeder.

if you can't get birds to nest in your yard,the problem could be squirrels.When was the last time you went through n.Boise and saw any songbirds other than at feeders?Most people don't realize that birds and squirrels are in direct competition for habitat and squirrels actually prey on birds.Robins and magpies(native to this area) are mortal enemies of the squirrel(non native).Get rid of the rodents and you'll have birds nesting,I can almost guaranty it.

For more info on squirrels go to deadsquirrel.com

Don't use bird feeders, they are disease havens. Congregating wildlife around a food/water source amplifies disease related mortalities. Occasional winter feeding while constantly cleaning a feeder is probably OK, but at this point in the year there are plenty of food sources for the little guys. Nest boxes are a good idea, but as the author has found out it is hard to convince a bird to use it. Keep changing locations each fall until you get a resident, once one bird uses the box it will probably be successful for years to come.

Hummers have been here about a week, just the Rufus so far, waiting for the black chin and Calliope. We half fill the sugar water feeders the first few times so they will empty it before it goes stale.

Have had good luck with the bird houses for the tree swallows, built them out of old boards, the only cost was a few screws. Nest hole size is important (we use a bluebird design and mount them 10 feet in the air on old pipes.)

The ground feeding birds love hanging around the horses and chicken coop for the grain our animals waste. Only put black oil sunflower seed in the feeders (when bears are not around.) We recycled an big old satellite dish into a bird feeding station (it looks like a gazebo.)

Our attempts to improve habitat for the quail and cedar waxwings is not going well, the elk keep eating the bushes and aspens!

Just saw a Yellow Rumped Audubon's Warbler...

why did you pay so much for housing for the birds when you SHOULD know that they love the trees around your yard??????

foreig. Farless could take some funny lessons from you.