1976 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes fumicivorus Pump Hastings Reservation (17 February) The was over an area of cleared wood for a minute as if she were looking for insects, then after slipping on the wood flew up to the stored acorns. 1643. Once again a bird moved his leg and the entire leg refused to cling to the barkless wood. I should perhaps make a point of roughing the wood up whenever/whenever possible. 1645. A 2nd is now in evidence, possibly having just flown over from Blouquist side. A is eating an acorn in the storage area while a is eating an acorn half on a small limb on the far side of the tree. 1650. Again a bird slipped as she was probing into one of the grab holes laid bare by the debarking of the tree. About time for me to do some more drilling. Birds flushed to Blouquist Knoll. I added another 100 acorns, enlarging most of the holes used but adding no net gain of holes. This makes a total of 200 acorns put in the tree. I also put up strings for a net to be used tomorrow to catch some of these birds. I finished at 1750, in time to see if I could find any body roosting here (presumably this would be at the telephone pole). 1805. No one has reappeared as yet so I've opted to go return chez moi. 18 February 910. No birds here when I came to set up the net in the storage tree. 1130. Returned; again nobody in the tree (or net). I added another 50 acorns, again with no real net increase in the number of holes, thus bringing the number put in the tree to 250. Though I haven't seen any birds here today yet, several of the acorns that I put in yesterday evening had been eaten; thus apparently there were either visitors early this morning or in between my visits.