1978 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Finch Hastings Reservation 1 January Birds from here were watched over in Robertson Canyon, just on the other side of the ridge, picking acorns, sitting around, and chasing other birds, probably mostly from Road 1. See general M.formicivorus notes. 4 February Collected a sample of 50 acorns out of the Valley Oak. 15 February 1135. Watching. 1145. ①♂ la-ta (???) #386 atop the nest tree. 1155. ②♂ la-LB/M #67. ③♀ M/Da-la #232. ④[illegible] #238. 1205. ①♂ la-BL/la-Bk #63. ②♂ Ub. ③♂ M/Red-Tan #282. 1212. ③♂ Or/Blue-Wn #66. Birds are eating acorns here, but could be off sap-sucking elsewhere as well. 1240. Now ①♂ C/M #278. 1350. Leaving. ♀ are definitely scarce here- I saw #232 several times, but there were no traces of either of the others, both of whom (#280,#385) I suspect are gone. 19 February Counted stores: Sycamore: 408? Valley Oak: 1191 {L6/3 Other: 14} This group is doing fine and has lost no major parts of their storage space. 24 February Purge: ②♀280,♀385. Both last seen 29 Oct.77; gone by 15 Feb.78 → Disappeared about 22 Dec.77 ± 1 month. 17 April 1125. Fair amount of activity here: ①♂ DP/LP #66 in the sycamore granary; ②♂ M/Red-Tan #282 plus others in the nest tree (2♀? maybe?) 1135. ! There are 2 ♀♀ here, and one is ♀ YellW #354! (from R1) What the...? She is apparently not being chased