1977 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus 1800 Hastings Reservation. 4 January 1025. Lots of noise up here; at least 4 birds in main tree when I arrived to watch. Some chasing also. ☺♀m/red#P91 (School Hill) here. 1037. Possibly ☺♀wn/DB #260 here!(?) Yes! 1043. ☺♂LB/Wn#43. 1048. ☺♀m/Lpink #193 (School Hill). ♂43 complacently eating an acorn at the moment. 1155. Somebody is still getting displaced right and left. Apparently it is ☺193 (DB-LP/DB) who is also giving begging calls constantly. 1058. One bird just took off directly for 1500 (♀260?) 1059. ♀260 still here, and is in fact the bird so vigorously displacing ☺193, who continues to display submissively. 1104. ♀260 also wake displaying conspicuously to #43, obviously trying to impress him. 1106. Hard to tell how many birds are here, but 4 seems possibly low. 1113. Looks like these are the only 4 birds here at the moment. Brief comments: 1) It's interesting that ♀260 seems to be differentially chasing ☺193 and not ☺191. 2) Why is ♀260 here in the first place? Who is at 1500? 3) ♀196 is most likely gone, as expected would happen sooner or later but before the breeding season. 4) It will be neat indeed if the School Hill ☺♀ move in here after the ☺♂ have just recently settled at 1500. 1118. ♀260 continues to harass ☺193, while at least on one occasion landing peacefully next to ☺191 and pretty much leaving her out of it entirely. ☺43 ignoring all, but is frequently displayed to, as expected.