1976 Walter D. Koenig 6 Melanerpes formicivorus Finch Hastings Reservation (1 May) Planning on nesting! As I drove by 5 minutes later or so, 5-7 birds went zooming across the road in front of me headed, apparently, for the sycamore nest tree. 2 May 850. 9231 seen; she and ≥5 others are over here. None in holes in the sycamore storage tree, however. 7 May 1930. 9231 plus one other bird in sycamore nest tree. Several others up in Live Oak area on side of BisonOak Hill. 8 May 1915. Things look grim: 0" in '75 nest hole in sycamore tree, possibly incubating. And I'm going to be foolhardy enough to go up there, I know it! 9 May 1240. Nobody in any holes. Maybe there's still hope yet (or incubation merely hasn't started yet). 10 May 1530. Looks definite. Bird in hole in sycamore again. 11 May 1400. Bird in hole again: incubation has no doubt begun. Counted stores: Sycamore: 82 Total 1246 Valley Oak: 1164 12 May 1700. Came by, considering going up to nest, but nobody was in the hole, and after toy ing with the idea for awhile I pretty much decided that this was a climb I only wanted to make once, or at most twice. 14 May 1800. Birds in 2 holes in that stupid sycamore: the same one as before and the one below it. 19 May 1145. Bird in upper hole in sycamore nest tree. 20 May 1100. Astounding myself with my own death wish, I went up and opened the nest. The kids have hatched, as it turns out; their eyes weren't open yet, however, and their back 760 TO P.8