1976 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Plague Hastings Reservation 8 March 1115. ♀ LB-W/4el seen in tree 2, flying over to upper barn area. 9 March 1035. Some unusual activity was evident when I came to the saddle house, so I walked over to discover at least 6 birds here, some being chased. I first saw 2 of them up in the sycamore by the creek, they then flew to the 2° storage tree, where soon there were 56 birds at least. Only ♀LB-W/yel #157 (Plague) and ♂ub6 (intruder) were seen, though several other unbanded birds seemed to constitute the intruders. They then all disappeared uphill, returning at 1040. The intruding group is apparently noone I know. 1042. ♀ yel/m #245 eating acorn alone in 2° tree. 10 March Purge: #156, (juv♀), last seen on 22 January (caught roosting alone in '75 nest hole), gone by 16 February: Disappeared about 3 February 1976 +/- 1 week 15 March 1500. Counted stores: Plague: 478 Total: 485 2° tree: 7 Saw ♀157 over by the upper barns in the process. 1655. Both ♀♀ (157 and 245) sitting together up in the top of the sycamore at the creek; a 3rd was up in Plague, where the ♀♀ eventually flew to. 17 March 1630. All 3 birds (♀whlW#245, [illegible], ♀157, and ♂ub6) were up in the Plague tree doing some wake displaying while working stores. 22 March 840. ♀245 plus 3 others in 2° tree; I was being chased by the A♀.