1977 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Finch Hastings Reservation. (28 January) ③♀M / DBLue-LP #232 and ④♂ub. 1110. Leaving. Will try again later. Even the captive wasn't enough to get them excited this morning. 2 February 1310. Watching. Several flushed as I arrived. 1320. ①♂DP/LB #66 working stores in Main granary. 1326. ②♂WN/DB #278 here. ③♂63 also. 1412. ④♂ LP-Yel? / Darkish-Lght #67 working stores. 1425. Leaving. I'm beginning to get the impression that a lot of birds have disappeared from here in the last several months. 1500. Way up on the ridge of Poison Oak Hill far above Finch (R3 almost as far south as R3) are several birds, including ④♀Yel/DA-Yel, apparently #232. 10 February 1500. Watching. Captive up in Valley Oak granary. 1525. ①♂DP/LP #66 finally returned to the granary. No interest in captive as yet. 1600. That's it. ⑥66 still sitting detachedly in granary, others nowhere to be seen. 14 February 1405. ①♂66 here as usual. 1425. ③♂63 flashed in, got a stored acorn, then flew off to eat it. 1445. Somebody new at least: ③♀ LG-Bm/LQ #280. 1505. ④♂ub and ③♂WN/M #278. Getting there, at least. These birds are showing a lot of interest in the holes up in the nest sycamore already, landing at them and sitting at their edges several times in the hour I watched. 15 February 900. Birds in perch tree up on the bluff and beyond. ⑥66 there. 930. Several briefly joined ⑥66, inc. ②♂ M/Red-Tam Tan-Rel/T-R #282, ③♂WN/DB #278. 935. ④♂ub, eating acorn.