1997 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Chonge Hastings Reservation 26 January 1600. Counted stores: 820; and removed a sample of 40 acorns. 18 February 930. Watching. 1030. To nobody's surprise, things are 100% quiet down here. I did hear some calls up and over on Red Hill at one point, however, and I saw one bird flying around across the gulch. I do see 2 AtW sitting in one of the tall trees over on the side of Buckeye Hill over toward the bend in Matrone Canyon. 22 February Watched roosting way over at the tree with the 2 holes over on Buckeye, where at least 3 birds came to roost. 16 March 1100. Counted stores: 620. No birds seen in the area. 21 April 1415. Walked over noting: 1) stores do remain, yet in the granary 2) a bird was in a new hole in the sycamore, just below where I trapped them all in December '75; 3) there were several birds over in the area around the roost hole up on Buckeye Hill, including 1 bird sitting just below the main hole when I first looked, but none was in the hole when I walked over and checked. Returned at dusk, when apparently 1) nobody roosted over on Buckeye Hill 2) most of the group roosted in the main storage tree and 3) very possibly 1 bird roosted over in the sycamore, lending some credence to the possibility of there being a nest there. 22 April 1030. Now there is a bird in both holes in the sycamore; best I can tell a ♀ in the lower and a ♂ in the upper. Lower hole was opened (from the back side) and had 5 fresh, good eggs.