I like your idea of thinning the clump and replanting some later in the year.

Or - you could be Outrageous, and plant them NOW, while the squirrels are busy on other affairs. It might just persuade them that there's nothing interesting or tasty in the area. ;-)

Another possibility is to topdress the remainder of the patch with some good and aged compost, plus a generous handful of general-purpose fertiliser mixed through.

Also - is the patch likely to be competing for moisture with tree roots? Some shrubs, such as Stachyurus, have such a wad of surface dwelling roots that very few other plants can thrive around them. If thirty years has also seen the growth of shrubs/trees (particularly evergreens) the failure to open might be for lacks in moisture and/or sufficient sunshine.

Thanks for your advice -- I think I'll take the outrageous road and try replanting that old bunch now with the leaves still intact and see what next year brings:)

I am just wondering have they bloomed before? If not they may not get enough sun. Or like you said it may just need to be divided. I would replant them now.

When you replant your bulbs could you try putting some kind of small fence around the newly planted area?

just so you know, the squirrels where i live dig up EVERYTHING!!!! my irises, and they targeted one rosebush all summer, they kept pulling it out and tossing it around! they attacked my bleeding heart too. so rest assured they just like being little buggers. it seems that wherever i disturbed the mulch around my house they dug it all up to see what was there! my best advice is water them in (i know one of the last things you want to do with bulbs) and then maybe cover the area with grass clippings, or even better, replant them on a rainy day so they can't tell. i think they watch sometimes...... i know i think the squirrels all have this conspiracy to make me mad! it's only because they do it so well....

With an old bed the solution is almost always to divide them, especially when you see blooms around the edges but not in the middle. As for the squirrels, you might try the old chicken wire trick. After re-planting your bulbs, lay some chicken wire over the top and cover with an inch or two of soil. Moth balls scattered in the area sometimes also help.