1976 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus School Hill Hastings Reservation 10 May 1700. Looks like I'm to be left with the mystery unresolved: 5 Eggs. 16 May 1015. Checked nest: still the same 5 eggs. The 4 small ones appear near hatching; the 1st one, the giant, is not opaque like the others and I suspect is probably infertile. I wish I knew whether or not this indicates that it may have been laid by a different bird! I also counted stores: Tree 2: 560 ? 831 Tree 1: 271 19 May 1415. Checked the nest, expecting hatching to have occurred, but instead all 5 eggs were still there. 20 May 840. Went up to nest, and heard one set of very young squeales coming from inside. Hatching has begun; today is the day. 21 May 1400. Measured the babies, who are now 1 day old. As suspected, #1 egg (the gigantic one) has not hatched and probably won't. (It's not clear whether development took place in it or not; I think it did, and may hatch yet, perhaps. Otherwise I'll remove it next time I'm up). 23 May 1230. Measured the kids, who were unattended at the time. In fact, I didn't hear any birds anywhere, even up around S.Hill "B" area. The giant egg, which never did hatch, was removed. 25 May 1600. Measured the kids. They were hungry! The heaviest has feather tracts not coalesced yet; no eyes have opened. 27 May 1330. Measured the kids; set up a net trap and at 1350 I'm watching from the hide. 1405. Several birds back in storage area. 1♀ Red/Wh#191 among them. Also a 3" with a beafeul of gouties.