1977 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Lambert Hastings Reservation (15 June) However, there is a very interesting thing here: looking out of one of the various holes in the Valley Oak up along the fenceline is a small Gopher snake, with his head ≈ 2" out of the hole entrance. Now, I daresay I've never seen any bird at this particular hole (much less a woodpecker) but this certainly proves to me that these beasts can get up to some of these holes and could be a source of nest loss for hole-nesting birds including Acorn Woodpeckers. This hole, by the way, is in the main trunk about 22 feet up directly above the base. 17 June 1720. 2 birds flushed from the area, but still noone in a hole, as far as I could tell. 18 June 1730. Came back to look at the hole with the Gopher Snake in it again. The tree is a Valley Oak, 86.7 cm DBH. Height of hole aboveground: 6.65m Diameter of hole: 4.5cm Depth of hole: .50m Hole was rather large inside. Bottom was full of wood-chips, rat droppings and several twigs with oak-buds at the tips of the branchlets. 22 June 2100. Possibly 4 birds here at dusk; ≥2 roosted in the hole I cut open in the Valley Oak up from the old nest tree. 30 June 2005. Nobody seen in any holes. 3 July 700. Watching from hide. 825. None at all coming to main area. I'm going to walk around. 835. Just across the swale were 3 birds in the trees; two were identified as IP-WA(M)#283 and Or-Da/Or#284. 12 July 1000. Walked up to discover that the old holy nest limb in the Valley Oak right along the fence has broken and fallen [illegible] 13 July 1977 could have been a striped bacer (Marticoccus latifrons) In fact I now think that the latter is more likely.