1978 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Lower Arnold 2 Hastings Reservation 13 May 1110. Flushed a bird from here, but none in any holes. 14 May 815. Something up here: bird in the '76-77 nest hole. 18 May 955. None in the holes here. 8122 seen at A3 (see A3 notes). 21 May 1000. None seen here in passing. 22 May 1820. On a hunch I walked down here and stuck the net over the hole, and out came the unbanded ♀! (It's cold this evening and lots of birds were roosting already). She had what could be a brood patch, so the hole should be checked soon. In any case, I banded her as #439 and released her before dusk. 25 May 1345. ! Flushing a ♂ out of the hole, I opened it up to find 6-count them - 6! - eggs - including 1 runt! Time to have a serious watch here. 26 May 810. Watching. Bird in hole. 850. ♂♀b preening here. Yes indeed-there do appear to be 2 ♀♀ here! 900. ♂♀b here again, displacing 2 Starlings. 2nd ♀ in the hole. 903. ♀ in hole flushed out. 930. A banded ♀ intruder here briefly; [illegible] by a ♂. 952. ♂♀w/m #126 again here to deal with an intruder: ? red-billed Red from Road 3 - the 3rd R3 bird I've seen up on the Arnold in the past several weeks! ♀b here again now. 1040. ♂b just left hole; ♂126 here, too, leaving for now. ♂b howking here. 1115. Returned and, successfully employing my junior again, confirmed the set total of 6 eggs. 28 May 1005. Watching. [go to p.6]