Acorn woodpecker species accounts, v4452

Koenig, Walter D., 1950-
Unknown
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley
Original Source
Source Material:
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Acorn woodpecker Acorn woodpecker--Behavior--California Hastings Natural History Reservation (Calif.)

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This notebook contains important data for a project conducted over the course of many years. If found, please contact: Janis L. Dickinson Hastings Natural History Reserve 38601 E. Carmel Valley Road Carmel Valley, CA 93924 408-659-2684 REWARD!
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2001 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Birds roosting in Nets (summary) Gate (exp Nest) 3 Apr] 82773 for sure + 93180 + 93182 4 Apr] 8? + 93182. 5 Apr] 82773 + 93(82 (we think) Sch Hill West (exp Nest) 10 Apr] 8311B for sure (alone) 12 Apr] 83113 " " (alone) Note that this was already (apparently) a 2nd set of eggs! See my notes MacRoberts (exp nest) 13 Apr] 82973 for sure (alone) 14 Apr] 62973 " " ("") 1800 (exp nest) 8 Apr] 82898 + 2 unid 99 9 Apr] 82898 + 8.? + 9? Lonesome Dove (exp nest) 12 Apr] 83199 by himself (Jen) Los Arbolitas (exp nest) 17 Apr] 82095 by himself 18 Apr] 82095 + 8'3017 together Strombug (exp nest) 22 Apr] 82762 by himself 23 Apr] 82762 " "
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2001 Walberd Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Next Roosters Gate (renest) [Jen 4/- Lance watched twice, but apparently, generated nothing definitive] 27 April) 82773 + [93182 I think; see my notes] WDK + lance 25 May 82773 (fairly sure) by himself - (WDK) LARB2 3217 Los Arbolitas? (renest) LARB2 1 May [illegible] + 8 [illegible] by himself (I think) (wdk) [illegible] 4 May 83217 by himself (but possibly 83216; see notes) MacRoberts (Renest) 5 May 82973 by himself for sure. [On 3 May I missed him] but he came at the same time] WDK 24 May 82973 (Joey) Plaque (1st nest) 6 May 82056 + 83244, the latter a helper (WDK) 7 May 82428 (!) + 83244; not 82056 (WDK) expect if # it! School Hill West (3rd nest!) 5 May 83113 (Lance) 8 May 83113 by himself for sure (WDK) LARB2 (Renest) 18 May 83216 by himself for sure (WDK) (No sign of 63217 28 May 83216 " " " (" ) this time!) LARB (Renest) 18 May 82095 by himself for sure (Joey) (failed)
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2001 Walked Koenig Melanerpes fuscicollis Nest Roosters Plague (renest) [see below] 22 May 82428 by himself 4 June 82056 + 83245 (a helper) together (WDK) (I think) 180D (renest) 15 May 82680 (Jen) 4 June 82680 (Jen) Lonesome Dove (Renest) 22 May 83198 (Jen) 3 June 83198 (Jen) School Hill West (Renest) Plague (renest) 12 June 82056 by himself for sure [WDK] 6 June 83247 [Jen] Stromburg (renest) 19 June 82913 by himself [WDK] 22 June 82095 by himself for sure.
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2001 Jennifer Wang HNHR Roosting Watches M.fomicivous Plague 6/6, 1930-2000 : (#3247), ♂; black/m enters. Lonesome Dove 4/12, 1830-1910, ♂ #3199 5/22, 1910-1940, ♂ #3198 6/3, 1915-1950, ♂ #3198 1800 4/8, 1815-1900, (#2898), ♂: m/ enters. 2 more enter - ♀: white and ♀: white/m 4/9, 1830-1900, 1♀, 2♂ enter. one ♂ with m/ (#2898). 4/11, 1830-1900, 2♂ enter. one ♂ with m/ (#2898). 5/15, 1830-1920, ♂: black/m (#2680) 6/4, 1930-2000, ♂: dk blue/m (#2880) July 14 7/14 → 2680 + 3498 (3rd nest)
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9:00 pm Wed., 5/23 Walt, Lower Haystack birds didn't come to hole or even the granary - need to set up a blind there permanently? Dipsy - only a pain there. Also didn't go to hole while I watched. same w/ Fanny Arnold, even when watched from next slope. 2 new O's there - maybe they abandoned the first? ? ♂: m/white-H.blue orange/black → H.blue-white/m H.blue-black/dk green 2684 UA2 - same story. Maybe put the Arnold I blind there - I did the 3rd feeding watch today. Roosting: 1800 - #2680 on 5/15. black/m → LODO - # [illegible], on 5/22. H.blue-orange/pange-white 3198 Nothing urgent is left for the weekend except 3rd feeding watch at Gate. Could Lance pick this up? -Jen
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7/14/01 Walt, field list update: all 4 birds at LARB seen on 7/14: 3051, 2761, 2095, and 3017. ?#2095 may have lost his orange band on right leg - don't see it anymore. as of 7/14, Keep Out has a new f: black-red/red-black m/black-red #3236 and [illegible] an unlisted juvie appeared there too: ±3471 m/ black-white/black-white The other birds seen there today were 3074, 2647, 2684, and 3252. I'll check in again tomorrow or Mon. morning. -Jen P.S. 1800 roosting: #2680 and #3498 entered tonight.
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M /ORANGE 3223 M L BLUE-YELLOW/L BLUE-DGREEN H 03/19/2001 L BLUE-DGREEN/M 3479 U M /BLACK -WHITE H 06/01/2001 MAUVE -YELLOW/MAUVE 3480 U RED -WHT (N)/M H 06/01/2001 RED -WHT (N)/D BLUE 3481 U D BLUE /ORANGE H 06/01/2001 M /D BLUE 3482 U D BLUE-YEL (N)/ORANGE H 06/01/2001 D BLUE-YEL (N)/M
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2002 Walkin' Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Roosting Summary HNMR Knoll (1st nest - Exp) 12 Apr 7 93401 (a helper) roosted [? Probably not - bands close to 2749] 13 Apr 1 82749 roosted, for sure (WDK) 14 Apr 1 82749 " " " . ("") MPHF (1st nest - Exp) 16 Apr 1 81962 roosted for sure (WDK) 17 Apr 1 81962 roosted " " ("") Bianca North (1st nest Exp) 23 Apr 7 Zilch. Bird stayed in hole. 24 Apr 7 Not 83213 (or 8NOBA -> 83651) <- 25 Apr 7 8NOBA caught in non-nest ambush (am) MacRoberts (1st nest exp) 2 May 82999 for sure. (WDK) 3 May 82973 for sure (! WDK) 5 May 82973 [illegible] I think, may have been 82999; could have been either (WDK-) Stromberg (1st nest) 7 May 82913 my best guess, followed by 82802. See notes. Could even have been 82762...
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2002 Walt D Koening Melanerpes formicivorus Roosting Summary Keep Out (1st nest) 8 May At least 3 birds. 8'2647 for sure. Also (I Think); 8'2684 and one of the helper 88. Quite a party in there. Knoll (2nd renest) 10 May 8'2563 definitely; possibly also 8'2750 or 2749. 11 May 8'2563 or someone else; can't be sure which, 14 May 8'2563 or 8'2749; can't be sure which. MPHF (2nd nest) 17 May 8'3027 for sure. (WDL). 22 May 8'3027 for sure (" ) Plaque (1st nest) 24 May 8'2056 for sure (WDL) 26 May 8'2428 almost for sure (could have been 8'3525) No sign of 8'2056! (WDL) MacRoberts (2nd renest) (see also) 29 May 8'2973 + 2nd bird, not sure who but not 8'2999 (see notes) 31 May 8'2973 by himself for sure (WDL) 6 June 8'2999 (Tel-DB) + 2nd bird (unknown) (Joey)
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2002 Walter Koenig Melanopes formicivorus Roosting Summary Kup Out (2nd nest) 29 May 82647 + 8H3252 + 8H3594 [illegible] (Joey) (almost indistinguishable from 8H3073) MacRoberts (2nd renest) (cont) 8 June 83327, 82973, +(prob? 82999); 1 left. 2 stayed (both breeders?) (Joey) Plague 2nd (renest) 17 June 83245 (a helper) definitely. Also (probably) a 2nd bird, who was either a 8? or 83635 (a 2Y bird from Cabin). (W DK)
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2003 2004 Waltford Parakeet Melanerpes formicivorus Roosting Summary 1500 (1st nest) 10Apr7 8'3225 for sure. MacRoberts (1st nest) 17Apr7 8'3715 (helper), 8'3327 (helper) + 3rd unknown bird. 18Apr7 8'3715 ("), 8'3327 ("") + (probably, at least by inference) 8'2973. I know that 8'2999 did not roost in the nest; hence, by elimination, 8'2973 presumably did. 1500 (renest) 30May 8'3225 for sure. MacRoberts (renest) 15June 8'2973 and 8'3327 (a helper) for sure. Dipsey (renest) 24June 8'3587 for sure. [illegible] 2004 MacRoberts (2nd nest) 14June (Joey) 8'2999 for sure (!) [see Joey's notes] 15June 8'2973 for sure. 16June 8'2973 (indirect, but not 8'2999)
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2000 2001 Walter D Koening Melanerpes formicivorus Chango HNHE 20 April No sign of stores or birds here. 21 July Ditto. 2001 8 April 1200. Stores here! There is a group here! 26 May 1730. Watched for an hour+ here from the Chango side, but saw zilch. Really zilch. Despite the fact that there are a couple of nice holes and a fair number of stored acorns remaining. But at least there's nothing really obvious going on. 28 June We've still failed to come up with anything here, even though they have a fairly full granary and we've come by regularly and watched several times. Surely they have a nest somewhere, I fear. 19 July 1530. At long last I found a hole, over in the sycamore where I bet they nested. It's not obvious how to get to it, but it's an obvious hole and I have no idea how I missed it. A Cooper's Hawk flew by and a nice bird - with a dark eye - hence an old fledgling I believe - zipped into it for a minute. An ambush would seem warranted, although, being in a dead limb, I fear I'll need a ladder.
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2002 2003 2004 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Chongo HNNR 23 April 945. Lots of stores here and at least 2 birds flying around. Also a nice new hole in the granary, but no sign of a nest yet. 1 June Still stores, and birds in the canyon, but no sign of a nest anywhere. 23 August There are still acorns stored here! Time to get these guys. 2003 25 April Definitely stores and birds here. Found a likely- looking new hole in the granary. But none in anything. 5 June 1330. Kids! In a new hole in the granary! Came back, opened the hole, & banded them- ready to fledge they were. Hole tagged #5810. Acorns? You bet. 7 July 430. Ambushed the nest hole: empty. (5801) 2004 3 May 1100. Put the door back on last year's nest hole (tag #5801). (It had fallen off at some point over the winter). No stored acorns, by the way. 21 May Went to put the door back again, only to discover a Flicker nest w/ babies! Guess I'll have to put it back on later. (Tag 5810) 23 Aug Finally put the hole cut back together. Still no sign of anyone up here, though.
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2000 Walker D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Buckeye HNHR 20 April 930. Plenty of stores, even though the granary continues to disintegrate. Flushed 3 birds from the trees over to the SW of the granary; otherwise none in any holes. 940. None over at Buckeye Annex. 21 July Still plenty of stores. 1 December Ambushed here this morning (lower hole in the Valley Dale up the hill) nabbing 5 birds: 8'3065, 92826, j8'3242, and 2 NOBAs, one an adult & and the other a juv molting to a &. Sheesh! So what's up? Here's the scoop: 8'3065 moved here back in late 1999 after having been caught at Chongo (where he was roosting but not necessarily a resident). There were a couple of censuses, but nothing all that successful or extensive. Then, last spring, Greg only saw 8'3065 and 91968 at the nest. But Teresa immediately saw the 8 NOBA on 26 August. So, here's my guess: the A8 NOBA (3325) is a brother or relative of 8'3065 and joined the group this last summer. About that time or in early fall they had a 2nd nest, from which j8'3326 fledged. 91968 is presumably still there - but perhaps I'll wait and talk to Lauryn to find out for sure... Turns out Lauryn hasn't seen 91968 either so I don't really know what's up. However, for the time being, I'll assume she's still here.
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2001 Walter Koenig 2002 Melanerpes formicivorus Buckeye HNHR 30 April Bird in new hole up in the same Valley Oak they've been nesting in. 1 May 1530. Opened the hole (now tagged #1309): 6 eggs, 1-2 days incubated. Measured then: ① 23.9 x 18.8 ② 24.0 x 18.9 ③ 24.4 x 18.6 ④ 24.1 x 18.5 ⑤ 23.7 x 18.8 ⑥ 24.2 x 18.5. Also set an ambush, since there's still apparently a NOBA (? ) here. 12 May 1645. 4 babies, ~5 do + 1 unhatched egg, Band ~ 27 May. Ambusher ready, 31 July 0500. Ambushed the nest hole, getting 5 birds, including (yes!) The 8 NOBA! 16 October Ambushed this morning, getting 4 birds in the old (low) nest hole, but no NOBA (there is apparently still 1 more 8 NOBA here). One of the birds I got was 82828, a 1997 nesting NSAB!! 21 Nov. 0700. Another ambush up at the nest tree yielded 5 birds (the low hole they didn't use this year), including 83433, 83432, 83627, plus 2 (count them! 2) NOBA 88s, both AHY, and thus presumably from that missed nest in 2000 unless 83065 isn't there anymore. In any case, hopefully this is the lot of them! 2002 23 April Plenty of stores here. 6 May Still stores, but none in a hole
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2002 2003 2004 Walden Koenig Melanerpes formicarius Buckeye HNHR 8 May 1510. Bird in a hole in the (gulp) granary. We're talking the 40' ladder, I fear. 13 May 1035. Bird in same hole. Assuming eggs were fairly new on the 8th, this puts hatching on or about 18 May and banding ~9 June. 23 May 900. Opened the new hole in the granary: 4 babies, ~10 do. Band ~2 June! lots of stores here. 29 May 930. Banded the 4 kids (#3699-3702). All in good shape 23 August Still stores - a fair number, in fact. 2003 25 April 1200. Birds & stores here. None in a hole, but birds hanging out by the granary. 26 May 1345. Lots of stores, but still no sign of a nest. 28 Sept 820. Still stores here, presumably from last year. 2004 5 March 1440. A few acorns left, but (literally only a handful). Checked holes. 3 May 1140. Still a very few acorns, but none in any holes. 10 May 1130. Bird in old hole up the side canyon (tag #1309). 1300. Checked hole: empty but in good shape. 14 May 1500. Bird in hole 1309 again: still empty. 22 May 900. Bird in hole 1309: 5 fresh eggs. (1) 23.6 x 18.4 (2) 23.8 x 18.8 (3) 24.0 x 19.0 (4) 24.0 x 17.9 (5) 23.7 x 18.5
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2002 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Buckeye Anney HNNR 6 May 1030. Found a nice hole in a blue oak. 100m or so beyond the traditional tree (Where woone ever is anymore) that has feathers caught on the bark so is clearly active. Three birds (all NOBAs, best I could tell) were in the vicinity. Almost surely a good bet for a nest; not sure I should still call it Buckeye Anney, but I probably will.
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2001 2002 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicarius Plaque Anny HNDR 19 July 1500. 2 fledglings (at least one unbanded) in the nice new hole I discovered up here a month ago or so. It occurs to me: are these the Cabin birds?? Time to ambush. 20 July 0500. Ambushed, nabbing 5 birds: a 9NOBA, 83018 (a 1998 ARB bird!), 2 recent fledglings, plus one bird who I'm fairly confident (but not absolutely positive) is an older juvenile from an earlier spring nest; best I could tell she was just beginning her crown molt to a ♀. So: Plaque Anny did exist (and still does), and apparently had 2 successful nests, one fledgling recently. I think, but can't be positive, I got everyone here, at least. 2002 23 April 820. None in the hole. 23 May Bird flushed from the other (unopened) hole! 1030. Opened the hole (now tagged #5561): 5 eggs, incubated! ① 27.2 x 21.0 ② 26.6 x 19.8 ③ 27.9 x 20.9 ④ 27.7 x 20.7 ⑤ 27.7 x 26.5 (calipers checked). Group here after all! 30 May 1200. 3 babies, a good 4-5 do, + 2 unhatched eggs (1 looks undeveloped; 1 developed). Band ~ 15 June. 7 June 1600. Still 3 kids looking fine. 10 June 1430. Banded the 3 kids as #3718-3720.
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2003 GbolterD Koening Melanerpes formicivorus Plague Anney HNHR 25Apr7 1140. Birds in (new) hole is the old Plague next tree. 1300. Opened hole: 2 fresh eggs. Numbered and measured: ① 29.0 × 20.4 ② 30.3 × 22.0 (!) Huge! 30Apr7 1345. Nest empty! Doch schade. Michelle/Lindsay watched here last weekend and saw nothing; apparently it had failed by then. 6May 1515. The limb with the earlier failed nest has fallen! Right at the hole, although I doubt my cut had much to do with it. Guess they wouldn't have made it there anyway! 16May 1300. In last year's hole (#5561): 2 kids, ~2 so, +1 unhatched and undeveloped egg (30.3 × 20.6 mm!). Band ~4 June. 2June 1700. Banded + bled the 2 kids.
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2001 2002 2003 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Cabin HWHR 8 December 0700. Ambushed the nice hole Jen found in a Blue Oak over by the watertanks (see Map on back-). This is my first real lead on this group, which I I totally spaced out last spring even though they clearly existed. No doubt they nested here at least one. In any case, I hailed 4 birds: 3 NOBA Fy's (9299, 18) + 93523, a kid from Plague. So! Unless I'm wrong and one of those 9's was an adult, the B? is still probably unbandied here, but most likely I have everyone else, since The B88' are Plague birds. 2002 30 March 530. Ambushed the roost hole up over from the watertanks, nailing 1 bird (93636), one of the Fy's I caught in December. 17 June 93635 seen roosting (or at least entering the nest) at Plague. 2003 30 April 1400. Bird in hole up canyon over from Watertanks: 4 eggs, 2-3 do. ① 24.4 x 18.7 ② 24.8 x 18.3 ③ 24.7 x 18.7 ④ 25.4 x 19.0. Hatch ~ 8 May. This is actually Upper Barn! 11 May 1600. 2 kids, ~4 do. Band ~ 28 May. Hole tagged #100. [This is Upper Barn!] 27 May Meanwhile, it looks like the 3 kids we banded yesterday at "Plague" are really
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2003 Walfrid Koenig 2004 Melanerpes formicivorus Calin (27 May) Calin's! I'm setting an ambush tonight and we'll see who we get. 2004 3 May 1030. Bird in hole up here (used by Upper Barn last year). Checked it: in good shape but empty. (Cavity tag #100.) 21 May 1800. Bird in hole (tag #100): 4 freshush eggs! Wonder who this is? ① 23.9 × 18.7 ② 23.4 × 17.8 ③ 24.2 × 19.5 ④ 25.2 × 19.0. 30 May 1230. After Justyn reported some feather sticking out of the hole were I came and investigated. The hole did indeed have the remains of a bird: a ♂, with Mawe/1142-19663 on one leg—presumably [illegible]—a helper at Plaque. He was well carved over by the ants, who totally infested this tree. Beneath him was 1 egg, so I guess they never hatched. If ever a bird may have been overcome by ants (while roosting?) this would be the place! SHI need to know who the ♂ is here.
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2002 2003 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Upper Barn HNHR 23 Oct 3 helper 88 have budded from Plaque and set up over here with 2 NOBA $, 1 of which I caught this morning. I have no idea Where they're storing, but a new group it is! Caught- 18" (3525) and the $ in a (new) hole just below Plaque's old nest hole over here 2003 1 May Apparently, these birds are nesting over in the cabin tree! Nothing has been going on here. 11 May See Cabin notes. - 2 kids on 11 May. 23 May 1800. Set to get the $ NOBA. 1045. Mother; Then banded the 2 kids,
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2000 Waltor D Koening 2001 Mclanerpes formicivarnus Plague HNHR 3 May 1100. New hole in VO by the upper barn, now #1149. 5 eggs, (1 a runt). Measured one: 25.5 x 19.0. Fresh. EHD ~12 May. 15 May 1330. 4 kids, 1-2 do. Band ~ 3 June. 2 June 1100. Banded the 4 kids. Stores: Yes, 19 July 1500. Checked nest #2 (same hole): 3 kids, large, but eyes not yet open, ~8 do. Band ~ 1 August. 31 July 1600. Banded the 3 kids: the last of the year. Plenty of stores left. [illegible] 3 April 1215. Checked how old twix (#364): 4 eggs (I just peeped it so I'm not sure how old they are but they look newish.) 2001 4 May 1330. Finally: in a new, dead limb up in the Plague tree (now tagged #1313): 4 eggs, fresh. One a runt (!). Measured one: 25.1 x 19.9. [note: all measured on 8 May] 6 May 1930. Watched roosting. First, ?bikyrs-blu #3244 (a helper) went in, followed a bit later by ? M - #2056. When 2056 came he tussled a bit with 3244, but best I could tell both stayed for the night. 7 May 1930. Roosting tonight was something of a zoo, with 82702, 82056, 82428, and 83244 all showing up. 82056 83244 went in early like last night and probably stayed. After that several birds
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2001 Walther Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Plague HNHR (7 May) came and 82056 would no doubt would have stayed but there were already birds in so he left. A bit later, [illegible] red/ light-bk #2428 came and entered, so the only birds I'm confident roosted in the nest were 82428 (a switch!) and the renegade 83244. 8 May 845. Took the 6 eggs (LED 6 May). Measured them all and put them in the incubator (EHD 17 May): ① 25.1 × 20.0 ② 25.1 × 19.0 ③ 25.2 × 20.0 ④ 25.5 × 19.0 ⑤ 25.7 × 19.5 ⑥ 19.1 × 15.4 (the runt). 21 May 1530. 6 eggs, fairly fresh, in the 2000 nest hole. Measured 4: ① 25.8 × 19.1 ② 25.8 × 19.4 ③ 26.6 × 19.7 ④ 27.0 × 19.2. 22 May 1945. Watched roosting: [illegible] M/Lt-bk #2428 by himself for sure. 30 May 1300. 3 hatchlings + 3 eggs, only 1 of which is developed and likely to hatch. Band ~6/20. 4 June 1945. Watched roosting: 2 birds: [illegible] M#3245 and ③ Bk/Bk probably 2056 roosted, apparently together. 12 June 2000. Watched roosting: [illegible] Lb/Lb #2056 for sure. 14 June 1100. Banded the 4 kids. 8 Dec. 700. j93523 caught with 3 (Cabin) NOBAs in the Blue Oak over from the Water tanks.
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2002 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Plague HNHR 15 April 1600. Bird in hole over by upper barn (1149). Opened it: empty but in good shape. 23 May 1000. Bird in 1149: 6 eggs, fresh (1 a runt): ① 19.2×15.8 ② 23.8×19.8 ③ 23.9×18.7 ④ 24.5×20.0 ⑤ 24.3×19.5 ⑥ 23.8×19.5 (calipers checked). Hatch ~ 1 June. Finally! 24 May 1945. At roosting, 8 [B/LB] #2056 was in; then ? M/DK #2428 came, but left and apparently roosted elsewhere in the tree. 82056 stayed and roosted. 26 May Tonight ? W/N/- #2935 came +left. 8 Near the end ? Maawe (M #3525 entered, followed by ? M/LB-Dk #2428; one bird then left (presumably, but not definitively, 83525), leaving 82428 for the count. No sign of 82056! 27 May Joey took the eggs for the 7th & last exp. for the year. We can only hope these guys will re-nest! 14 June 1300. New nest! Same hole. 4 eggs, pretty fresh. Sizes: ① 24.0×19.8 ② 24.2×20.6 ③ 24.2×20.0 ④ 24.3×19.2 (calipers checked.) EHD ~ 23 June. 17 June 2010. At roosting tonight, 8 [H] 3245 definitely roosted (!) along with (quite possibly) a 2nd bird. Also entering at one point (and possibly
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2002 2003 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus 2 Plague HNHR (17 June) The 2nd bird roosting ) was ? NY/DA who is #3635, one of the 2001 Cabin kids. The bird definitely entered The hole quite late in The game, but 1 bird subsequently left and it could have been her. This was before 83245 came. 23 Oct. Birds roosting in the old nest area are apparently for a new group with 2 NOBA #4 and 3 helper 80 from Plague. It shall be known as "Upper Barn". 2003 26 May 1530. Coming back from Chongo I noticed a bird in a tree over above the Upper Barn and finally went to investigate, finding a nice new hole with babies looking out! Woodpecker emergency! (Cdain) I got Joey and we went back and, after blocking the hole, opened it (tag#5807) and captured the 3 kids. They were quite old, and one refused to stay, flying out (pretty well!) as we left, even after blocking the hole for a few extra minutes. So it's even possible that we missed one, but hopefully not. Close! Plenty of stores left here. 27 May No! Looks like this nest is (was) Cabin's! 29 May 900. Bird in new low hole in 20 tree (facing garage): I incubated eggs! (25.3 x 19.8), Tagged 5809, Boy Is this weird - another 1-egg clutch?!??
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2003 2004 Walter D. Poenig Melanerpes formicivorus Plague HNNR 5 June 1230. Still 1 egg. Surely it's dead and abandoned. What is going on here? 9 June 1000. Still The 1 egg; it's not "obviously" dead yet but I think it's clearly abandoned: There never seems to be anyone in the hole. 28 Sept. Lots of stones still here - presumably from last year still. 9 Dec. Charles & Erin collected acorns from the gravaray. All seem old (i.e. from 2002) but they aren't as bad as I would have predicted. See back for summary! 2004 3 May 1000. Bird flushed from old hole in 20 tree: 5 eggs, incubated. ① 25.6 x 19.6 ② 24.7 x 19.5 ③ 23.4 x 19.0 ④ 25.6 x 20.0 ⑤ 24.3 x 19.2. 10 May 1400. Checked hole. #2702 on nest; put her back after finding 3 babies (~3 do) + 1 unhatched egg. Band ~ 28 May. 15 May Checked nest (open house). Still 3 babies + 1 unhatched egg. 24 May 1130. Set up to catch bird(s) for stable (so tape) 1145. Got #2056. Re-banded him. 1245. Got #2702. Then banded The 3 kids. 23 August Still stand acorns here (from fell 2008!)
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Acorns taken from granaries, 9 Dec. 2003 Plaque lobata Intact 15 50.0% Moldy 3 10.0% Minor damage (<1/2) 2 6.7% Major damage (>1/2) 13 43.3% TOTAL 30 Plaque douglasii Intact 4 40.0% Moldy 2 20.0% Minor damage (<1/2) 0 0.0% Major damage (>1/2) 6 60.0% TOTAL 10 Plaque agrifolia Intact 5 50.0% Moldy 2 20.0% Minor damage (<1/2) 0 0.0% Major damage (>1/2) 5 50.0% TOTAL 10 Plaque All Intact 24 48.0% Moldy 7 14.0% Minor damage (<1/2) 2 4.0% Major damage (>1/2) 24 48.0% TOTAL 50
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2000 2001 Walter Poering Melanerpes formicivorus Cavity HNNR 30 May 1230. Checked the old low ¨ hole, where a bird flew out for the 2nd time. 1 egg (!), fresh, marked #1, Size: 24.0 x 20.5 mm. 31 May 1030. 2 eggs. #2: 25.4 x 20.7 mm. 6 June 915. 4 eggs. EHD ~ 13 June. 14 June 1215. 3 babies, 1-2 do, plus 1 unhatched and apparently undeveloped egg. 3 July Banded the 3 kids. Storks: Yes, but I can only find a few. There could be lots under the bark of the locusts, through. 2001 28 March 1245. Opened the new hole they've been working on The lower, large limb: empty but close. 3 April 1500. Bird in the new hole again still empty. 1215. Checked low old hole (#264): 4 eggs. I peeped it so I'm not sure how old they are. 16 April 915. 2 babies, 2 eggs - 1 infertile, other might still hatch, I guess. © 23.7 x 20.5 © 24.6 x 21.3. Kids are 1-2 do. Band ~ 5 May. 5 May 900. Banded the 2 kids as #337-2-3373 11 May 1500. Based on a tip from Jen, who watched here today, I checked the new hole (see 28 March) and found 4 fresh eggs (EHD 22 May). Measured 1: 24.6 x 20.2. Note: this may be the 1st definitive case I've had of a group starting a second nest before the 1st fledged. Note that the 2 kids are an est. 26 days old today.
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2001 Waltird Koenig 2002 2003 Melanerpes formicivorus Cavity HNHR (11 May) Thus, assuming the (1st) egg was laid on 8 May, it was laid when the kids were 23 days old. 23 May 1200. 3 babies, ~2 to +1 unhatched egg (24.6×20.1). Band ~11 June. Be careful opening this hole! 11 June 1315. Banded the 2 kids in the 2nd nest. Maybe they'll go for a third...? 25 June 1830. Bird in (1st) nesthole again: 2 hatchlings +2 unhatched eggs: ① 24.7×20.6 (developed; prob. will hatch) and ② 23.3×20.6 (undeveloped). A first! 3 nests in one season! Band ~14 July. 15 July 1630. Banded the 2 kids in the (unprecedented) 3rd successful nest here this spring! 2002 22 Apr 1315. Bird in new hole: 3 babies, ~2-3 do! Band 5/10. Hole tagged 5553. 10 May 1330. Banded the 3 kids (3663-3665). 14 June Checked the (1st) nesthole: zilch. No 2nd nest at all, apparently. 2003 7 Apr 1110. Bird in hole. 8 Apr 800. Checked The (high) hole and peeped 2 others: zilch 23 Apr 845. Checked the hole again: still empty, even Though birds have definitely been going in here. 6 May 1400. Birds in the hole again, but STILL empty! Egg tossing? What's up here?
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2003 2004 Walt D Koer Melanerpes formicivorus Cavity HNNR 11 May 1400. Finally: 9 eggs, fresh (hole #5553). 298 for sure. Should hatch ~ 21 May. 13 May 1445. Checked hole with peeper: 3+11 9 eggs. 27 May 1000. 5 kids, ~7 do, + 1 unhatched (but developed) eggs. Band ~ 10 June. 6 June 1000. Banded and biled the 5 kids. Stores! Yes. 9 Dec. See Plague notes regarding acorns collected from the grandany; again, all were, I believe, from fall 2002, not last fall. See back for summary. 2004 21 April Stores pretty much gone here. Also - old door fill out - needs to be fixed! 11 May 1300. 8 incubated eggs in a new hole about 1' down from #298. Hole tagged (today) #5974 Measured 3 of the eggs (all of which were normal): ① 23.6 x 19.9 ② 23.8 x 18.2 ③ 24.0 x 19.1 New hole tagged #5974. Bring a screwdriver! 18 May 1100. 5 babies, ~3 do, + 1 unhatched egg. Band ~ 5 June. 4 June 1230. Banded the 4 kids here, starting with bird #4000!
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Acorns taken from granaries, Dec. 2003 Cavity lobata Intact 14 51.9% Moldy 2 7.4% Minor damage (<1/2) 3 11.1% Major damage (>1/2) 11 40.7% TOTAL 27 Cavity douglasii Intact 2 28.6% Moldy 0 0.0% Minor damage (<1/2) 2 28.6% Major damage (>1/2) 3 42.9% TOTAL 7 Cavity agrifolia Intact 10 66.7% Moldy 4 26.7% Minor damage (<1/2) 3 20.0% Major damage (>1/2) 1 6.7% TOTAL 15 Cavity All Intact 26 53.1% Moldy 6 12.2% Minor damage (<1/2) 8 16.3% Major damage (>1/2) 15 30.6% TOTAL 49
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2000 2001 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Knoll (Chola 289) HNHR 19 April) 1330. Bird in hole facing labs. Peeped it: 5 eggs, look freshish. (EHD: 28 April) Lots of stores here still. 2 May 945. 3 babies, 4-5 do, +1 unhatched, added egg, Band ~ 16 May. 17 May 1230. Banded the 3 kits. Stores: yes; plenty. 19 July 1515. Checked the 2nd nest: 4 eggs, but all are infertile or at least undeveloped! Too bad. Still stores here. 31 August 1600. A whole group of birds flushed together- nate-guarding? 2001 13 April 1245. Bird in old hole (#289): 8 eggs, fresh. 25 April 1600. 4 babies + 1 egg ①25.5×18.8. ~2 do Band 14 May. 14 May 830. Banded the 4 kits (#3398-3401). 1 June 1630. 2nd nest, high in the locust behind the 6am (tagged 1324). 5 eggs, 1-2 days inc. EHD: 11 June. Measured 2: ①26.7×19.3 ②26.6×19.1 13 June 1330. Hole completely empty!! 26 June 1100. Back in the 1st hole: 6 inc. eggs. Measured 2: ①25.7×19.7 and ② 25.1×19.0, EHD: Soon. 1 July 1245. Only 3 eggs, 1 of which is partly crushed and unlikely to hatch. Other 2 could still be OK and ② ① would appear to be hatching imminently. 15 July 1700. Nest is empty. Meanwhile, the birds are
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2001 2002 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus 2 Knoll HNHR (15 July) active back at The 2nd nest hole (tag 1324), where Jen saw egg tossing. I checked it: 7 fresh eggs. Measured 2: ① 25.3 x 18.9 and ② 25.1 x 18.9. EHD ~ 24 July. 26 July 1500. Checked nest: empty. But there was ½ an eggshell, so I think at least one egg made it to hatching. 2002 11 Apr 07 1030. Opened a new hole in the locust on the other side of the barn: 7 freshish eggs. With 3 males here, an experiment would be in order. 12 Apr 07 1900. Watched roosting. The bird that roosted in the nest was - a helper! or - DBM #3401! After she went in, ♂ (CN)/(CN) #2563 came by and no doubt would have roosted there if 3401 hadn't already been inside, but he ended up leaving. 13 Apr 07 1915. Tonight, here's what I think happened: 82563 went in, stayed late. Then #3401 came to the hole, almost went in, but then left. Just when I thought it was all over, wm/m?? came, 82563 left, and the right solid?/m bird went in, sp apparently for the count. This would appear to be 82749 (yel/m). Being so close to #3401 I can't be absolutely positive, but I'm pretty certain it wasn't or-de/m 3401 that roosted tonight. This also opens the possibility that it was also 82749, not 3401, that roosted last night.
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2002 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Knoll HNNR. 14 April 82749 roosted for sure 1105. Tonight it was definitely Over# 2749 Who replaced 82563 at the final hour and roosted in The nest. 15 April 1115. Took the 6 eggs (1st exp. for the year). Hole tagged: 5562. Measured eggs: ① 26.3 x 19.5, ② 27.2 x 20.0 ③ 25.6 x 19.7 ④ 27.1 x 19.3 ⑤ 26.7 x 19.2 ⑥ 27.0 x 19.3. 19 April Eggs started hatching this morning. Processed all 6 as 3637-3642. 24 April 1115. Checked The hole they're now interested in (#1324-used in 2001): 5 eggs! Could sh1) be laying, however. 1 May 1645. Checked the hole: 8 eggs. EtD ~ 7 May. 9 May 915. Checked the hole: 6 babies, 1 unhatched egg, + I tried up nestling → 7 hatched. I took the egg + the rent nestling, who surely was not going to make it, for tissue. (egg was fertilized) and left 5 babies. 10 May 1935. Watched roosting. 82563 roosted for sure (3 cn / cn). I'm pretty sure a 2nd bird did also, my best guess as to the bands was LP/LB, possibly 827SD? Pretty iffy on him, I'm afraid. Perhaps I somehow saw his Right leg and it was 82749? Heck if I know. 11 May 1935. Tonight it was either 82563 (probably) or some other bird I couldn't ID. One then left, so I can't
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2002 2003 Walted Poenig Melanurpes fomix cironus Kudl HNHR (11 May) be sure which stayed. (14 May) 1940. Exactly the same thing happened tonight, except that I saw who the 2 candidates were; 82563 and 82749. Unfortunately, I can't be sure which stayed. 20 May 1300. Just to make sure we get them, we baited and bled the 5 kids here. All will probably make it. Still stores here, by the way. 19 June 1215. Based on Devin's call, I climbed up and checked the old hole (tag #289), only to find 6 incubated eggs! ETD ~ 23 June) Wow! 2003 8 Apr 1115. Bird in (new) hole below the old one in the dead locust closer to Labs. 1330. Opened hole: 7 eggs, fairly fresh. Tagged hole #5563. 11 Apr 1815. Took The eggs, for exp #2 of The season: ① 26.8 × 19.8 ② 26.7 × 19.5 ③ 24.8 × 19.0 ④ 25.2 × 19.4 ⑤ 25.8 × 19.0 ⑥ 25.9 × 19.3 ⑦ 24.3 × 18.4 (not developing). First 6 are all nice and opaque. 28 Apr 1300. Bird in (old) high hole: checked it: empty. New hole empty also. 1320. Bird in new low hole in locust nearest The tank: 9 eggs, incubated. Hole tagged #5555. 5 May 1200. 5 babies, ~3-do (1 on way out, probably), + 1 developed but unhatched egg. 6 May 845. 6 kids. Michelle thought shit seen
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2003 Waltw D Koenig 2004 Melanerpes formicarius Knoll HNHR (6 May) Them take the rent out during her watch yesterday, but apparently they did not. 16 May 1800. Caught the 3 here with only a M band: turns out to be 52563, last seen in March. 24 May 850. Banded & bled the 5 kids. Stores? Yes. 1 July 1500. Birds hanging out in tree nearest labs (for weeks!). Checked both open holes: empty, 9 Dec. See Plaque notes regarding acorns collected from granary; all are old (2002 vintage) but most are still intact, contrary to my suspicions! See back. [illegible] 2004 11 May 730. Holy shit! Old babies in new hole a foot or so above #270. 2 flew out! Banded 4! Sheesh! 6 altogether; will have to get those 2 by ambushing later on. Cleared out a Starling nest with babies in cavity #289. 19 May 930. 1 egg (Marked & fresh) in hole #5555. (used last yr). 20 May 1140. Hole empty. Egg-tossing, apparently. 21 May 1615. Set ambushes. Also cleared out hole #1324 (high hole in locust behind barn) which was infested with a Starling nest (5 kids).
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Acorns taken from granaries, Dec. 2003 Knoll lobata Intact 1 100.0% Moldy 0 0.0% Minor damage (<1/2) 0 0.0% Major damage (>1/2) 0 0.0% TOTAL 1 Knoll douglasii Intact 3 50.0% Moldy 1 16.7% Minor damage (<1/2) 2 33.3% Major damage (>1/2) 1 16.7% TOTAL 6 Knoll agrifolia Intact 74 90.2% Moldy 6 7.3% Minor damage (<1/2) 0 0.0% Major damage (>1/2) 8 9.8% TOTAL 82 Knoll All Intact 78 87.6% Moldy 7 7.9% Minor damage (<1/2) 2 2.2% Major damage (>1/2) 9 10.1% TOTAL 89
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2004 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Knoll HNHR 22 May 700. A good set of ambushes. Got 2 old helpers not on the field list + the 2 NOBA fledglings in hole 5563 (old nest hole, lowest in locust closest to lab) and 5 adults (+ the unfledged runt) in the next hole in the other locust. I took blood for S.I. analyses from all the birds in the next hole, since the nestling was still in there. Hopefully everyone's banded here now. Note that the ♀ I caught very well was planning to lay an egg today. I dealt with her as quickly as I could but it still may mess them up a bit. 2 June 1715. For-D81M#3401 up near the Schoolhouse with one of the kids - most likely j D81M 3973. 3 June 1700. Bird in the 1st nest hole: 4 fresh eggs, marked 1-4. 9 June 1420. Checked nest: 6 eggs (forgot to make care #1-4 were still there). EHD ~ 15 June. 17 June 1100. 5 kids, 2-3 do, + 1 messed-up, unhatched egg. Band ~ 5 July. 3 July 1100. Banded the 2 kids. There was also a 3rd (dead) kid in the hole from whom we got tissue. Lots of acorns still here. 21 Sept. Checked holes in near locust: both empty.
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2001 2002 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus School House HNHR 31 May Watching two birds flycatching up by the tennis court this evening, I first noted a ♀NOBA, and then wandered around to find screaming babies just behind my garage! We'll call this new group School House (SHOW), and we'll have to get up there tomorrow. 1 June 1100. Turned out to be way at the end of a dead branch, so I chopped it off and taped it back up. In the middle, we banded the 3 kits, who are ~24-25 days old! ♀ 900. Watched who I presume is the ♂ on the tel pole up between the garage + Red House. He's: ♂ My/Red-or #3285 (from cavity). 2002 23 April 1730. 2 birds in the elm tree and generally hanging out here: ♂ R-W(N)/M #3245 from Plague and ♀ D/W(a-W(N)) #3175 (?) from 1800 (better check this). Looks like there may be a group here again after all! No! The ♀ is one of the kits from last year: [♀]3473. The group lives! 4 July A fledgling back here behind the garage-I bet there was a nest here somewhere. I'll have to find where they're roosting.
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2000 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus MacRoberts HNHR 13 Jan. After seeing a bird in a hole up here, we ambushed and got 62973 from Stromberg & 83032 from 1500. There are stores here (a new tree - I didn't know this was a granary before) and a 3rd bird, who is probably another Stromberg male, This is one of 3 new groups this winter! 25 May Bird next to a new hole down the hill a bit from the granary. Cut the top off: empty but not bad. Could be used, at least if they don't mind the new rock-top I gave it. 12 June 1300. Two birds here, but I'm not sure either belong here; it's possible that one was a kid from Knoll or maybe even Blompond along with an adult f. 29 August Teresa reports young fledglings here - apparently we missed a late nest. Bummer. 19 October Having finally found the hole, I ambushed tonight and got 83032 + 3 NOBA juvs, all of whom were molted or almost done molting. So the missed nest probably fledged in late spring. 15 December D700. With 2 more (!) NOBAs here, I ambushed the same hole, nabbing 62999 and a 8 NOBA, another juv just finishing his crown molt, now 83327. 1 more to go!
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2001 Walter D Poening Melanerpes formicivorus May Roberts HNMR 26 March 1400. Opened the new hole in the tree over on Oak Ridge next to the granary: empty. But there was a bird in it and it was close to being ready. Lots of stores. 13 April 1230. Checked the hole: 5 eggs, fairly fresh (EHD: 21 April). Measured one: ① 24.6 × 19.5 Watched roosting: 5 birds came, including ♂ Mike-18 #2973, ♂ 2999, ♂ (ns) Yellow #3327, and definitely ♂? Tell / Blue #3322. But all eventually left, after which ♂ Mike-18 #2973 returned and roosted, alone best I could tell. 14 April 1900. ♂ 2973 roosted in the nest again tonight (For sure.) 20 April 1015. Collected the 5 eggs: ① 24.6 × 19.5 ② 24.7 × 19.8 ③ 25.1 × 19.4 ④ 24.8 × 18.8 ⑤ 24.7 × 19.4 The embryos were not anywhere near ready to hatch, so they must have been fresh on 13 April and thus only a week old (but still hard to believe they could hatch in 4 more days!). Tissue is now #3347-3351. This is experimental nest #4 for the year. 2 May 1400. Bird in (same) hole: 4 fresh eggs: ① 25.4 × 20.1 ② 24.9 × 19.9 ③ 25.0 × 20.1 ④ 24.5 × 19.1. EHD: 12 May. 5 May 1932. ♂ 2973 roosted (♂? M’). He comes quietly, by himself and very late, just like the rooster (who I missed) on 3 May.
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2001 Walter D Koenig 2002 Melanerpes fomcicivorus MacRoberts HNHR 14 May 830. 5 babies, ~2 do; no unhatched eggs. Band ~2 June. 31 May 900. Took 2 kids to Phoebe's class and then banded the 4 kids here (#3559-3560), 26 June 1800. New nest! in other hole (#1305): 4 eggs, just beginning to hatch. Measured them: ①25.1×20.3 ② 23.6 × 19.1 ③ 25.6 × 19.9 ④ 25.7 × 19.4. Band ~ 17 July, 16 July 1500. Banded the 2 kids (3607 & 3608). 2000. Watched roosting, but nobody came. 17 July 1230. And this was, clearly, a problem: kids are death in nest. I had no sense that I scared anyone away! But I suppose it's likely I did. Bummer. 2002 15 April 1200. Two birds in hole (#1303). Checked it: empty; bottom not quite ready yet. 22 April 1345. Checked 1303: still empty and not pristine. Put some woodchips in to help get it ready. I also opened the other hole (tag 1305): a starling had started building but no e.ges. In with the junk, however, were the remains of an ACWD! : ♂ Ye-Mauve) Mauve-Yellow 972-16399 [Mauve(?)] [Solid] #3459. Died not that long ago: feathers still fairly intact. (But maybe just well preserved? Could still have been in juv. plumage....)
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2002 Waldo Koening Melanerpes famicirous MacRoberts HNNR 2 May 1620. Bird in hole (#1303): 4 freshish eggs. Both 88 seen one week ago, so we're definitely talking experiment here. 1925. Watched roosting: ♀ wn-LB/M #3323 came to the hole, but - Blaz/DB-wm(N) #2999 was clearly the rooster. 3 May #1935. Totally different tonight: 82999 came by, but never entered the hole. Meanwhile, ♀3A60 also came and one other bird entered the hole. But all of these guys left and in the end, ♂ M/red-LBlue #2973 came and roosted, just as if he does this every night! 5 May 1930. ♂ R-wm(N) 14cl #3327 came by this evening, but then 2 birds roosted (I may have left): ♂ -/DB-wm(N) 2999 went in, followed a bit later by ♂ wn/DB-wm(N) #2973. I think 1 bird then left, which was probably 82999, but I couldn't be sure. Both were clearly "prepared" to roost here. 6 May 900. Took The 4 eggs. Measured Them (calipers checked): ① 24.3 x 20.2 ② 23.8 x 20.2 ③ 23.9 x 19.8 ④ 24.1 x 19.9. Exp. #4 for the year. 14 May 1380. Birds seem interested in the 1st nest hole, but I checked it and it's still empty. 27 May 1130. Bird in (same) hole: 4 eggs, incubated. Excellent. ① 23.5 x 20.0 ② 24.4 x 20.3 ③ 24.0 x 20.4 ④ 24.1 x 19.8. (Calipers checked.)
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2002 2003 Waltrid Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus MacRoberts HNNR 29 May Still stores here, by the way. 1945. Tonight 2 birds roosted: M/Red-DB#2973 plus a mystery bird: ? or/M. Closest I can come for this latter bird (who entered 1st) is either 93458 (a MacRoberts kid last seen Aug. 2001) or 82704 from Blompond. I'll have to try that one again. 31 May 1950. Tonight, watching from the other side, only 1 bird roosted: ? orn (CN) #2973 for sure. 3 June 1030. Checked the hole: 4 babies, 1-2 do. (Band 23 June). Still stores here. 9 June 1130. Bled the 4 kids, just in case. (#3714-3717). 32973 on nest; we measured him & replaced one of his bands. 21 June 915. Banded the 3 kids (4th went dead in nest, removed). Still have some acorns here. 2003 7 April Lots of stores. 15 April 1300. 5 fresh eggs (same hole as usual). 17 April 1915. I blew it at roosting tonight. 3 birds roosted: 8'3715 (the helper), 8'3327 (another helper- The one who had moved to Second Canyon), + a third bird who I missed. Drat! I'll try again tomorrow. 18 April 1930. 8'3715 & 8'3327 again roosted. 8'2999 came but left and did not roost in the nest. There's every reason to believe that a third bird, presumably 82973, was in the whole time and did roost, but
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2003 WelthD Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus MacRoberts (18Apr) in fact I never actually saw him. By elimination, however, he probably roosted in the nest. 19Apr 940. Took the 5 eggs (exp #4). ① 25.1×19.8 ② 26.1×20.1 ③ 24.8×19.3 ④ 26.2×20.2 ⑤ 25.5×19.6 25Apr 2 of the eggs were hatched at 730 this morning. 5 May 1645. Checked the hole, and it's just as well, as there was a complete Starling nest in it! I cleared it out and left it ready for the woodpeckers again. 10 May 1600. A starling flew out when I came up here, and yes, yet another complete nest was in the hole. I cleaned it out yet again. Also checked (and cleaned out) Their other old nesthole (tag #1305), which had 3 hatchling + 3 eggs [starling nest] in it. Yuk! If they hurry, the woodpeckers should have somewhere to go now! 14 May Starling not only built another nest, but has 2 eggs in the hole! This time I waited her after dark and cleaned out the hole. 21 May 1700. Opened the new hole, which they are still working on. It's very close to being ready, too. Tree is in between the other nests, low only about 10' up, facing the labs. 27 May 1500. The new hole doesn't look like it's been touched since the last time. Meanwhile in the old hole, there is (war) some junk à la
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2003 2004 Walter D Koenig MacRoberts HNHR (27 May) a starling nest, but in among it were 2 fresh woodpecker eggs (!) Not sure What This means or what to do; perhaps I'll replace the eggs with 2 dead ones just in case it all falls apart? 1700. Did The deed: The 2 eggs (25.4 x 20.8 ② 24.6 x 20.4) are now in the incubator, replaced with 2 eggs from the fridge. 29 May IIIS. 4 eggs, + bird in the hole. ① All OK here, apparently. New eggs: ③ 24.8 x 20.3 ④ 25.1 x 20.6 I should put the eggs back in a couple of days. 7 June 645. Returned the 2 eggs (which have been in the incubator), there and took the 2 dead eggs out. There are 5 eggs here (#5: 25.2 x 19.9), so the last egg was laid 30 May. All 5 look just fine. 15 June 2010. Watched roosting: ⑤ 3327 went in, and then, quite late, ⑥ field-Blue #2973 joined him. 29 Sept 845. Acorns stored here (from last year), 2004 24 April 1600. Still stores here. Also, a bird in the hole: 3 fresh (ish) eggs! The 1st nest of the year! Eggs Measured: ① 23.5 x 18.9 ② 24.4 x 19.3 ③ 24.5 x 20.0 (calipers checked). 23 April 1630. Checked the nest: 5 eggs. 2 new ones are ④ 25.6 x 19.1 ⑤ 25.7 x 19.7. 27 April 730. Took the eggs for the first (only) Melanerpes fomnicironus
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2004 Walbird Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus MacRoberts HNHR (27 Apr) experiment for the year. (There were sh[?] 5 of them.) Group is a perfect 2 breeder ♂♂ + 1 breeder ♀, + 1 (at least occasional) helper ♀. 4 May Cleared out their old hole (tag 1305), eliminating a starling nest with 5 kids in it. 18 May Starling in the hole (again! Just like last year!) This is their nest hole! 2000. Caught (ambushed) the starling incubating 5 eggs (tag 5303, I think). Cleared out the nest; squeezed the bird. 24 May 1545. Bird in the new (low) hole on Oak Ridge! They were making last year: 4 eggs, a few days incubated. ① 23.7 × 19.5 ② 22.5 × 19.5 ③ 23.5 × 19.9 ④ 23.2 × 19.5. EHD ~ 31 May. 11 June 900. Banded & bled the 2 kids. 15 June 1900. Watched roosting here: 3" M/ #2973 roosted in the nest for sure. 17 June S30. Ambushed the roost hole (the 1st nesthole); captured 93032, 82999, + 1♂ helper. So! 82973 almost certainly roosted here. Then banded & bled the 2 kids. 24 August 830. Bird in hole (by fence). Checked it: empty. Out of stores here.
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2000 2001 Walter Drewnig Melanerpes formicivorus Blonpond HNHR 13Jan. There are apparently 29$ and 18 here, all NOBAs, along with some (not a lot) of stores in The Valley Coke at the pond. We hoped to catch them roosting up at MacRoberts, but they turned out to be another group! 24May 1700. On a lark (after seeing a bird in the big VO on Blonquist's just up from Blonpond) we looked around the big Sycamore down from the Y, finding ① Stores! They're storing in the bark here and have acorns left! ② A nest!! With old babies in it. I climbed and opened it, banded 4 kids # at least 26-28 do. We also set an ambush, just in case someone roosts in the hole tonight. 25May 1330. Watching 1400. 9feeds: she's banded! ↓ ① →1405.①♀ M/Da- or 9Da?? ?? or a 5th bird?! #3144 ③ →1408.②♂ (or ?) M/LG-W(N) Definite 8LG-LOV M/LG-W(N) #2967 ③ →1420.♀ M/??LG-W(N) M Definitely [narrow stripes - Maybe DB-W(N)] #2968 ① →1445.♀ (yellow) Definite? +yeV #2704#2704 ④ →1450♂8r-w(M) 2704 Def. I think 4 birds, all banded! 24Aug Bird in hole! Checked it: empty. 2001 4May New hole found by Lance! Opened it: it's a total crapper. Forgot to write down how many eggs! 17May 1000. Bottom did indeed fall out! Nothing left.
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2001 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Blompond HNHR 25 May 900. Spent another hour trying and failing to get into the renest here, which is way down in a knothole in the sycamore. But, the babies have hatched, so plan on banding them (assuming I make it in here eventually) about 6/12. 30 May 930. Still didn't make it all the way, but reached 1 baby, so with luck I'll be able to get them for banding. But do it early! 7 June 1330. Banded the kids - a horrible feat, since I had to reach way in and scoop them out. I can't be positive I got them all, but I think I did; having ended up with 5. 26 June 1100. Found 2 of the kids dead beneath the hole; both were at least a week older than when I banded them. They were B1k-Wn/Red and (not sure which leg) Mv/16a-(B/a) 1200. Checked the (Starling) hole: 1 egg! Unfortunately, I couldn't reach the bottom, so I'll have to come back to open it. 30 July 900. Banded the 2 kids in the 2nd nest here. This is The last (known) nest of a truly breathtaking year! 2 August 1300. Caught The 92968 in a net we set up at our pond at The School House for (with) The Birkhats.
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2002 2003 Waltin D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Blampond HNHR 2 May 1700. Bird in hole (tag 280): 6 fresh eggs. ① 24.8 × 19.2 ② 25.4 × 20.3 ③ 25.6 × 20.1 ④ 25.0 × 20.3 ⑤ 25.3 × 20.3 ⑥ 26.0 × 20.9 (calipers checked), EHD: 12 May (2♀♀ here: are) Still stores here in this tree. Although these guys sort of got their start down at Blampond, shouldn't they be called "Knoll" and the current Knoll be called "Y"? 13 May 1315. Checked the hole: 5 babies ① 3-4 do + no eggs. One kid was clearly on the way out; I collected him as #3674, leaving 4 kids. Band ~ 30 May. 29 May 1630. Banded and bled the 4 kids. 2003 7 April Bird in traditional hole. Stores: Yes. 8 April 1100. Checked hole: 7 eggs; 2-3 do. Lots of stores here. [illegible] 18 April 1630. Hmm. I had 4 babies, pretty new, plus 3 eggs, only 1 of which was developed. [illegible] [illegible] Band on 7 May. 21 April 1600. Set up ambush. Still 4 babies + 3 unbatched eggs (which are not going to hatch). 27 April Saw #2704 and #2967 while trying to get the 3 NOBA - if he really exists. Also saw #2968 for sure. 1 May 1630. Going for the NOBA ⑧ again for a 67.
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2003 2004 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes famicivorus Blompond HNHR (1 May) 1730. Saw lots of birds: 92967, 92968, 82704, 83703, and 83705 all for sure, and 83706. No sign of the NOBA 8', however. I'll have to try next week. 8 May 1130. At long last, we got The NOBA 8', who really was a NOBA 8'. Who is he? Heck if I know. In any case, we banded him, added a band to 82704, and banded the 4 kids. Lots of stores left here, by the way. 4 June 1700. Checked the hole (bird in it, actually fairly regularly for several days now): 2 fresh eggs, marked. 9 June 1015. Hole empty! Oh well. Maybe it's not that great a year after all. 17 June 1600. Finally broke down and checked the hole after seeing birds in here regularly once again but! It's empty. 9 Dec. See Plague notes and back regarding (old) acorns taken from the granary here. 2004 3 May 1330. Still stores, presumably from fall 2002. 9 May Cleared out a Starling nest from the traditional hole - tagged 280. Had babies. 24 May Still stores. But where are the birds? 13 June Cleaned out another starling nest from hole #280, with old nestlings. 27 June Still a fair number of stores here.
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Acorns taken from granaries, Dec. 2003 Blompond lobata Intact 16 37.2% Moldy 11 25.6% Minor damage (<1/2) 7 16.3% Major damage (>1/2) 21 48.8% TOTAL 43 Blompond douglasii Intact 2 50.0% Moldy 1 25.0% Minor damage (<1/2) 1 25.0% Major damage (>1/2) 1 25.0% TOTAL 4 Blompond agrifolia Intact 0 0.0% Moldy 0 0.0% Minor damage (<1/2) 0 0.0% Major damage (>1/2) 1 100.0% TOTAL 1 Blompond All Intact 18 37.5% Moldy 12 25.0% Minor damage (<1/2) 8 16.7% Major damage (>1/2) 23 47.9% TOTAL 48
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2002 2003 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus 2nd Canyon HNHR 9 June Nest of this new (or at least previously unknown) group found. See "CECN" notes for sizes of the 4 eggs. There apparently a NOBA. Group could have existed in 2001, who knows? I don't look over here very often, and this would certainly have been true in 2001 with both CECN nests being in their granary. 14 June 1330. Babies are hatching: 2 have hatched, the other 2 eggs aren't pipped but probably will hatch. Set The ambusher (NOBA & here). Band ~4 July. 24 June 1000. Ambusher set. 1600. Finally got her! (No, I didn't actually sit here all day; only 2 hrs or so.) 3 July 1030. Banded the 2 kids here. No known stores; all that seems evident are a few holes in the nest tree (dead limbs). 2003 26 Apr 7 1600. Opened up and checked the old hole. It wasn't even quite ready to go, but I cleaned it up a bit and it should be now. In any case, it was empty. 19 May 1230. Starlings have apparently fledged and it's all now pretty quiet here. Still stores in the tree. 4 June 1730. No bird in hole, but one in the vicinity, so I checked: 2 fresh eggs! (Marked 1 & 2) 9 June 1100. Nest empty!
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2000 2001 Waltford Keenig Melanerpes formicivorus Central Canyon HNHR 23 April 1600. New hole! Very low in the dead tree, Babies! Young. Ebanding D ~ 11 May. Need to open the hole. 24 April 1100. 3 babies ~ 10 do! Band 5 May. Hole Tagged 1337 (HNHR tag) Lots of acorns still here. 4 May 1245. Banded + bled the 3 kids. Plenty of stores still. 12 May 430. Went and caught the bird roosting in the rest, who was 93078, The helper 8!!! 6 June 1000. Checked the nest, opening it a tad more so I could reach everything (which I'm not sure I did last time): 4 kids, 3-4 do, + 1 pipped but unhatched egg. Thus, clutch size was apparently 5. Band ~ 23 June. 23 June 1230. Banded the 4 kids in the 2nd nest. 8 Sept. Still stores here. Lots, in fact, but they don't appear to be new. 2001 26 March 1420. Came to check the low hole (see 23 April 2000 above) but instead there was a bird in the hole above it (#287). I checked it, but it was empty. Lots of stores here, though. 9 April 1215. 8 in same hole (#287). Checked: 5 fresh eggs. 20 April 930. Checked hole: 3 babies (no eggs); ~ 2 do. 8 May 1100. Banded the 1 remaining chick (#3384). 24 May 800. Bird in low hole; checked it: empty but nice. 3 June 815. Bird in low hole (#1337): 6 eggs, incubated. ① 24.8 × 19.5 ② 24.8 × 19.7 ③ 24.5 × 19.7 ④ 24.5 × 19.2 ⑤ 24.4 × 18.8 ⑥ (not developing) 21.6 × 18.2
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2001 2002 Waltw D Koening Melanerpes famiciramus Central Canyon HNHR 13 June 1400. 2 babies + 1 unhatched eggs. 31 July 1000. Nelli found the 2nd nest, up in the scraggly Valley Oak (Tagged #1082) just up from the granary. 3 kids, ~24 do! For cavity info (no tag) see back. 2002 15 April 1230. Checked the hole & they've been interested in (#287): nice but empty. 30 April 1400. Checked #287 again: still empty. 7 June 1215. 8 or/or #2208 in granary. 1220. 9DB-or/M ?? Def. a ♀. Seen fairly well. Out of stores, best I can tell. 9 June 1600. Wandered over to the 2nd canyon, where there are 2 birds in a new hole in The nice valley oak!. Flushed them out and didn't hear anything, so perhaps eggs? Birds flushed away from CECN, so There's the possibility it's not even this group. 1730. Came back and opened the hole, Which has 4 incubated eggs: ① 24.3 x 20.0 ② 24.2 x 19.7 ③ 24.1 x 20.0, ④ 23.5 x 19.3 (calipers checked). Need watches here! EHD ~ 14 June. Hole tagged #5564 12 June It's looking like the nest is not CECNs, but a new (or at least previously unknown) group that I'll call 2nd Cyn. Still no CECN nest!
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2001 2nd nest (31 July) Vally Oak (tag # 078) Hole: No tag Dir: 50° Angle: -60° DNH 0.86 m Live Height 16' Tree ht: 20'
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2000 Walter D Koewing Melanerpes formicivorus Lonesome Dove HNHR 27 Jan Walking up to Laguna Conejo, I discovered a lot (several hundred) of stored acorns here! (see map on back). This is a first - I had no idea there (could) be a group here. 19 April 1300. 3 birds here plus lots of stores still. None in a hole, though. 21 April 1130. Nest is in the 2nd tree. Opened it: 4 eggs, fairly fresh (EHD: 30 April). Measured one: 24.6x19.7. Hole is tagged #300. 2 May 920. Eggs just hatching: 2 babies, 1 pipped egg, 1 unhatched egg. 3 May 1530. All 4 hatched. Banded 23 May. 18 May 1115. Caught one of the NOBA 88, now #3198. 1140. Caught The 2nd one; now #3199. 19 May Lorelle reports they were feeding fine. 24 May 1130. Came to band the kids, but the hole cutout had fallen out! One was dead on the ground, but that's the only one we found. Weird. Did I not put the hole together well? Bummer. Anyway, it's back in well now. Stores left here. 6 June Bird in new hole over in the granary. 9 June Bird in the hole again. 11 June 1500. None in the hole, but I opened it anyway: mice but empty. Still stores here. 19 July Out of stores. 2 Sept. Ambush: got 83199 and the (new) NOBA, 83198 (presumably) flew out when I pulled the bobber.
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Trees Great Blomone Two lone(some) Trees halfway up to top Blom-pond Fence line Granary path Lonesome Dove Jan 2000 The birds (a pair?) are apparently flying off to the trees up on the left.
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2000 2001 2002 2003 Walter D Poenig Melanerpes formicivorus 2 LODO ANHR 10 April 1030. Bird in hole, opened (now #1302); 3 eggs, incubated. 16 April 1230. Collected The 3 eggs: ①26.1×18.1 ②26.0×17.6 ③26.8×18.2 One was fertile but way underdeveloped, so only 2 would have hatched. They are now #3344-3346. 11 May 1700. Finally the renest, in the hole 2' above the last one (had tagged 1317): 3 fresh eggs, Measured: ① 25.6×18.6 ②25.7×18.5 ③25.8×18.8. EHD ~23 May (may not be done laying). 24 May 815. 2 babies, ~4 do, plus one empty but kind-of- intact unhatched (probably infertile) egg. Band~6/10. 18 October Ambushed this morning at The high hole, but only got 83199. Where's everyone else? 2003 14 June 1400. Finally: a bird in the lowest of the 3 holes. A nest, finally? 2003 7 April? Bird in (new) hole, slightly higher than the others. Also lots of stores here. 8 April 1530. Opened the hole: 4 pretty fresh eggs. (2 April) 930. Watching; trying to get The NOBHT. 1100. 8'3198 came, but neither of The other 2. Plemy of stores here. Will try again tomorrow. 15 April 1050. Watching again. 8'3198 back quickly. 1230. Giving up. Leaving it set though. 16 April Trying again. Finally saw all 3 birds, although
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2003 Walter D Koening Melanerpes formicivorus LODD (16April) only 8 3198 was at The nest The vast majority of The time. 1130. I give up (I've been here 3 hrs.) I'm going to take the eggs, and have to wait for The 2nd nest to get The 8. 17April 1115. Took the eggs. One has a small puncture, but all of Them look clear and undeveloped. Possibly all are infertile anyway? We'll see, I guess. Otherwise, This is exp#3. 26April Finally gave up incubating The eggs, none of which have developed at all! May 7 1340. Bort in same hole: 4 fresh eggs (let's try again!). ① 27.3 x 20.2 ② 26.5 x 19.5 ③ 26.2 x 19.4 ④ 26.8 x 20.0. 9 May 1430. Got the 8, finally! Banded her as #3797 and took the eggs again. (Hopefully They're fertile this time.) 28 May 1000. Checked hole (tag #1302): 5 eggs, incubated (!) Finally - a clutch That's not a bunch of duds. 7 June 610. Chucked hole: 4 kids, a good 5-6 do. Band ~ 22 June. 21 June 500. Banded and bled The 4 kids. 29 Sept There are acorns stored here, at least some of which are fresh!
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2003 Walter Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Gator HNHR 16 May 1430. Bird in dead willow, next to Big Creek at perhaps 1200 (before 1500). Opened Hole: 4 eggs, incubated. ① 25.2 × 19.0 ② 23.9 × 19.1 ③ 25.1 × 19.6 ④ 24.6 × 18.6. Hole tagged #5806. 18 May 1115. Lindsay did a watch and then caught The NABA ♀ here. And then I took the eggs, most likely for the last experiment of the year.
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2002 2003 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Middle Long Field HNHR 22 Nov. Among the various new groups this fall (!), several of which are down in this area, is "Middle Long Field", which is along the creek across from 1800, more or less. One of The valley oaks has several roost holes, and this morning I caught 2 birds (18,19) in one of them. This is not The whole group, unfortunately, but it's a start. They do have some acorns in this tree also, by the way. 2003 2 June 1200. Lindsay found a nest with old babies here, almost certainly "MLFI"; hole is now #5814, low in tree facing 1800. Banded the 4 kids. Try to ambush tonight, just in case I can get The NOBA 6? 17 June Apparently MLF2 snuck a nest on us. Bummer. Must find hole! 21 June 430. Ambushed The MLF1 hole, nabbing 83765, 43766, and 3 of The kids. Perhaps no NOBA 8" after all / anymore, unless Joey caught him (with a NOBA 4?) last night? (see "Long Field" notes.)
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2003 Walter D Koening McLamper Farm Savannah Long Field [Bonnie & Clyde] HNHR 20 June Having found a root hole on the School Hill side of the road down here right about where MLF2 is, Joey ambushed this morning and captured a NOBA 3 and NOBA 4. Who are they? Probably neither MLF1 or MLF2. My guess is that they're yet another "group", perhaps up on the side of School Hill. At least they presumably haven't had a nest (that we missed).
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2000 Waltford Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus 1 3 May 1210. Opened old hole low in Tree#1 (hole#291). Eggs, fresh: 24.6 x 19.1 (marked #1). 9 May 900. 4 eggs. Measured another one: 25.6 x 19.0 mm. 19 May 1530, 4 babies (1 distinctly smaller, but still) OK); 3-4 do. Band ~ 6 June. 7 June Banded the 4 kits. Lots of stores left. 30 August Still lots of stores. 2001 4 April 1215 Bird in the (old) nest hole this morning, so I checked it: empty but in good shape. 9 April 1330. No one in the hole but I checked it anyway: empty. 27 April 1330. Bird in hole: 3 fresh eggs. Done? ① 25.1 x 20.5 ② 23.9 x 20.2 ③ 24.8 x 20.2 11 May 1615. Apparently not: now 4 eggs, at least one (the 4th!?) pipping. The 4th measured 25.5 x 20.1, by the way. All should hatch; band ~ 2 June. Assuming they hatch tomorrow, this was a 14 days from the last egg laid to hatching (13 days run)! 14 May 1030. Still 4 eggs!! It's not looking good for these guys; there would appear to be a serious problem with these eggs. 16 May 900. 3 eggs; I removed them and cracked them open - none had developed normally. Oh well. Hope they try again.
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2002 2003 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus 150D HNHR 12 Apr Stores here, but noone in a hole. 7 May Still stores, plus 2 new good-looking holes. 30 May 1430. Still lots of stores; Where's their nest?? 2 June 930. Doug saw a bird go in the (low) hole, so I finally went up to check the hole (#291); it was filled with eaten acorns, lichen, + general mouse debris. I cleaned it out, so maybe they'll use it now? We'll see. 2003 7 Apr Bird in (new) hole in Main tree. 8 Apr 1700. Opened the hole (tagged #1327): 4 eggs incubated (!). Measured them: ① 24.6 x 20.1 ② 25.3 x 19.6 ③ 25.5 x 19.8 ④ 25.2 x 19.4. 10 Apr 1900. Roosting in the nest was or1-bm #3225 for sure! [illegible] 11 Apr 1415. Took the 4 eggs for exp #1 of the year. 15 Apr Eggs hatched this morning (or last night). Processed as #3768-3771. 28 Apr 1530. Checked tau (new) hole just for the heck of it: empty. 14 May 1315. Bird in same hole (#1327): 4 eggs, incubated! Excellent!. ① 24.7 x 20.0 ② 24.5 x 19.7 ③ 25.1 x 19.3 ④ 24.8 x 20.0. 22 May 1100. 3 kits, 2-3 do, + 1 unhatched + undeveloped egg (#2). Band ~ 9 June. 30 May 1945. 8 solid/light-dk #3225 roosted tonight in the nest. 5 June 1000. 2000. Noone roosted in the nest, but I could tell.
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2003 Walter D Koenig 2004 Melanerpes formicivorus 1500 HNHR 6 June 920. Came to band the kids: d all 3 dead in nest! Unclear whether this is because they weren't brooded last night or what, and if so, why nobody posted, Bummer - but hopefully they're still OK for DNA. 15 June 1700. 2 new eggs; ① 23.4 x 26.4 ② 23.0 x 26.0. Maybe it; it seems as though they're incubating. 19 June 1000. Hole empty! Yet another failure. Still stored across here, though. 1 July 1430. And again: 2 fresh eggs: ① 23.5 x 19.8 ② 24.0 x 19.6. Maybe they can do better this time. 11 July 1600. 1 hatchling + 1 unhatched but developed egg. Band ~ 31 July. Stores: Yes. 21 July 1400. Banded the 1 kid here. 2004 3 May Starling nest w/ hatchlings in traditional nest hole. Set an ambush. 1945. Ambushed the ♀ (starling); squeezed her and cleaned out the hole (tagged #1327). 20 May Bird in hole (1327)! 1130. Checked hole: 3 fresh eggs (could still be laying). ① 23.3 x 20.1 ② 24.0 x 20.5 ③ 23.5 x 20.2. EHD ~ 31 May. 13 June Joey checked hatching sometime ago. This evening I came by to set an ambush, but upon opening the hole (~1900) found dead, well- picked-over nestling, (1 only?) Ants had gone nuts!
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2000 Walter D Koenig 2001 Melanerpes formicivorus 180D HNHR 16 May 8 Sept. 1115. Banded the 5 babies here. Still stores left. Out of stores, 2001 4 April 1045. Bird in (same old) nest hole. 1240. Chuket hole: 4 eggs, fresh. 8 April Jen watched roosting: 8m, #2898 + 2 9F (whose bands didn't match up) roosted in nest. 9 April Jen watched roosting again. This time 3 birds again, 82898 + a 2nd 8 + a 9. So it could have been 82680 as well, I suppose, but it was definitely 82898 again. 12 April 1330. Collected the 5 eggs, so LED was 5 April. Measured them: (1) 23.8 x 19.2 (2) 24.3 x 19.0 (3) 25.4 x 20.1 (4) 24.1 x 18.5 (5) 23.0 x 18.0 All 5 were fertile, but not nearly as close to hatching as I'd thought. They are now #3339-3343. 4 May 1000. Bird in hole! 8 May 1600. Peeped the hole: 10 eggs!! Are there 2 9F here? EHD: 15 May. 7 June 1430. Banded the only 2 kids that made it from that very large set of eggs. (#3498-3499), 1 July 1330. Bird in hole! 1730. Checked it: 3 inc. eggs (!): (1) 25.1 x 20.6 (2) 22.4 x 18.6, and (3) 25.4 x 26.1. All are developing, inc the small one. Also in the hole: ½ a hatched eggshell; where did it come from, I wonder?
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2001 2002 2003 2004 Waltrid Koning Melanerpes fornicivorus 2 HNDR 23 July 1445. Banded the 1 baby at the 2nd (successful) next here. 2002 12 April Stores here, but none in a hole. 7 May Still stores, but I can't see evidence of a nest. 2 May 1715. Bird in traditional hole (also on 19 May). Time to check it. 19 June 1400. Banded and bled the 3 babies (#3737-3739). 2003 7 April Lots of stores, 13 May 1515. New tagged hole: #5801 3 eggs: ① 23.8 x 19.5 ② 23.0 x 19.2 ③ 23.2 x 19.0 Fresh. EHD? Could still be laying. 16 May 1400. 5 eggs. The new ones are: ④ 23.0 x 19.0 and ⑤ 23.7 x 19.7. EHD ~ 26 May. 28 May 1145. Nest completely empty! 3 July 1300. Banded the 2 kids. (See Joey's notes for earlier info on this nest.) Acorns: Yes, lots. 29 Sept A few acorns here, at least. 2004 3 May Don't seem to be any stores left here. 12 May Starling nest in the traditional hole here. 13 May Cleared out the starling nest. There are other holes in this tree - way up there. 14 June Opened a new hole in the 2nd tree in the main trunk facing the road: full of water! 24 August No stores
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2001 2002 2003 Walter Poenry Melanerpes formicivorus Lower Long Field HATCR 10 May 1430. After sitting here for 45 min and not really seeing anything I walked around the sycamores and bingo! A bird in a hole! 11 May 1600. Opened the hole: 7 eggs, incubated. Measured one: 25.1 x 19.8. Hole tagged #1316, 16 May 1500. 4 babies, 1-2 do, + 3 unhatched (but developed) eggs. Band ~ 4 June. Birds have stored acorns stuck in various places in the sycamore, by the way. 4 June 1600. Banded the 6 (!) kits. 2002 22 April Bird in the 2001 hole. 23 April 1130. Opened/checked the hole: empty but in OK shape. 24 May 1415. Checked the hole: 3 eggs, mid-late inc. (EHD ~ 28 May). ① 24.1 x 20.8 ② 24.3 x 21.1 ③ 23.8 x 19.7 (calipers checked). 19 June 1315. Banded the 2 kids. 2003 8 April 1100. None in the hole, but 2 birds in the tree. Also, the stump (25') of a sycamore next door is now a fairly reasonable granary, quite full no less. 11 April 1330. Bird in hole: 3 fresh eggs. Presumably still laying. 18 April 1600. 5 eggs. ① 24.4 x 20.4 ② 24.3 x 20.7 ③ 24.8 x 20.8 ④ 24.0 x 19.8 ⑤ 24.8 x 19.5. EHD 4/24. 27 April 1400. Checked nest: 4 kits (~4 do) + 1 unhatched 4
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2001 Walter Coening Melanerpes formicivorus Crystal HNHR 5 September I'm pretty sure that I've finally found the hole for the "mystery" group, located in the forest between Lower Long Field and Horsetail, presumably from which the NOBA fledgling found by Joey here along the road back in cardy July, fledged, Unfortunately, I pretty much had to cut the limb with the hole and tape it down a bit lower on the tree, so I didn't set the ambush, figuring I'll give them a while to get used to it all. However, the amazing thing is that below the hole in a dead limb of the tree are at least a few old, stored acorns!
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2001 2002 2003 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Horse tail H N H R 23 Apr 7 1400. Bird in new hole in dead granary limb! 6 eggs, fresh. Measured one. 24.8 x 18.7. 4 May 1030. Counted 5 babies, ~2 do. Band ~23 May. 16 May 1130. Caught the 9NOBA (now 3406) then went ahead and banded the 5 kids. 8 June 800. Bird in hole, so I checked it, but it's empty; no 2nd nest yet. Still acorns here, though. 16 June 1715. Checked the hole again: empty. 1 July 1700. Checked hole: 4 inc eggs. Could hatch anytime. 23 July 1540. Banded The 2 kids in this second nest. 2002 23 Apr 7 1200. Not much in the way of holes here (I found 1, maybe), but there are birds and stores. 26 Apr 7 Put up an artificial hole up here in case they need it. (Last year's hole is gone and we sure can't find any others). 22 August 1345! No stores, but There are birds here. 2003 1 May 1000. Came just to fix up the artificial hole, only to find: 5 incubated eggs! ①25.0 x 19.6 ②25.2 x 18.5 ③24.6 x 19.2 ④25.2 x 19.3 ⑤25.6 x 19.6. Still lots of stores here; they've turned the tree into a good granary! 5 May 1315. Still 5 eggs. 6 May 1200. Still 5 eggs. 14 May 1400. 3 babies, ~7 do. Band ~28 May.
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2001 2002 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Dipsy HNHR 5 Jan This is a pair storing in H-B's old nest tree, The big VO just over the fence as one reaches the 1st flat area up Haystack Hill. (See Map). In any case, I noticed a bird roosting in a new hole here so I opened it yesterday and ambushed this morning, netting only a 8 NOBA, now 83329. Presumably he's here with 9 2842, a 9 from CVZ. Lauryn says they are storing in this tree 16 April No sign of anything here lately, other than that there are still acorns stored in the tree. 29 April 1500. Bird in the old bluebird hole: 4 eggs; (peeped; I have to open it more to reach it)! Tagged the hole #1307. 30 April 1000. Opened the hole: 5 fresh eggs, Measured: ① 25.4 x 19.0 ② 24.9 x 18.9 ③ 25.3 x 19.3 ④ 25.2 x 19.6 ⑤ 24.7 x 18.7 15 May 1400. 3 6abcies a good 5 days old. Banded ~ 31 May. 24 May 1015. Still 3 6abcies looking good. 1300. Banded the 3 kids. Still stores. 2002 24 April 800. 2 birds eating catkins in the VO on HNHR side just down Haystack from Dipsy tree: ①♂ LG-W(N)/LG-W(N) Da? /M #3588 and ②♀ Red/Red [3584]. ③♂ NOBA also here in tree. 7 May No sign of anyone here this year so far. 27 May 945. Birds in the tree (2?). None in a hole, though.
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2003 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Dizzy 7 April Stores: yes. None in the holes, though. 28 April 1500. Bird in low hole: Yes! 5 eggs, fresh (1 a nest). Measured them: ① 26.0 × 19.8 ② 26.5 × 19.7 ③ 26.0 × 20.4 ④ 26.3 × 19.0 ⑤ 19.5 × 15.4. 1 May 1200. Took the 5 eggs; experimental group (#5?). 17 May 940. Bird in hole (tag 1307) again! Yes! 5 eggs a couple days incubated. ① 26.5 × 26.5 ② 27.2 × 20.4 ③ 27.4 × 20.6 ④ 26.1 × 19.4 ⑤ 28.0 × 19.7. 28 May 1130. Checked the nest: still the same 5 eggs, none of which have developed! Bummer! Yet another all infertile clutch, and an experiment! at that. Oh well. I took the eggs - doesn't seem like there's any point leaving them. With luck they'll try again. 14 June 700. Bird in the old old old Hay-Blom hole! 19 June 1100. Finally succeeded in opening the hole, which has 3 hatchlings + 1 developed egg. (Band ~ 9 July, but get blood ASAP!) 24 June 2000. Watched roosting; 8'm / 5:07 #3587 roosted for sure. 8'3588 came after 83587 was in, but then left before entering once he saw the other bird in the hole. 27 June 700. Took blood from the 3 kids. 3 July 1345. Nest empty! Some scat (black turds) in the bottom, from a snake? At least we got blood! There are still a few stores here.
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2000 2001 Walt's Poetry Melanerpes formicivorus Hay-Blom HWHB 9 May New hole! Lots of stores left here. 1400. Opened it: 8 eggs, incubated (one not developing). EHD: 13 May. See map on back. 17 May 1500. Nest empty! Failed! 30 May 1440. Plenty of stores, but none anywhere, much less in a hole. 9 June Bird in a new hole! Low, over toward LHay. 19 July Still stores. 30 August " " 2001 9 April Bird in hole opened by Joey last summer/fall down above Soto springs. 10 April 1130. Nobody in the hole, but I checked it (peeped it) anyway: empty. Looks like they cleared it down so far they opened a 1" hole through the bottom! I plugged it from the bottom, but they may have cleared this one too much to use. 24 April 1330. Bird in hole! ✓ SOTO SPRINGS 30 April 1015. Nobody in hole, but checked anyway: 2 eggs! ① 27.4 x 20.3 ② 27.2 x 20.3. Finally! Egg #2 has a dent in it. 5 May 1600. 4 eggs. Egg #1 is OK; #2 is not developing. Of the other 2 eggs, #3 (26.5 x 20.2) is empty (!), while #4 (27.5 x 19.7) may be OK but even it has a tiny crack/dent in it and may fail. Not so good! This group is NOT H-B; it's a new group (SOTO SPRINGS)
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2001 2002 Walford Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus H-B HNHR 15 May Still looking for a nest here! Other nest belongs to a new (budded) group I'm calling Seto Springs. ↓ tag #275 3 June Possibly in the high hole from 1997...? 4 June 1100. Noone looking out of the hole this time. Note: this hole definitely had starlings in it up to ~15 May; it would be neat if they used it anyway. 8 June 1300. Bird in the hole (tag #275): 4 freshish eggs! Finally! Measured ① 2:① 26.3×20.4 ② 24.6 ×19.4. 22 June 1000. Well! They weren't done! There are now 7 youngs (1-2 do) kids + no unhatched eggs! Bond ~11 July. 2002 24 April Still stores here. 83588 seen earlier foraging down past Dipsy. 920. 2 yel #2796 down in 2001 nest tree. They're hanging out down there a fair amount. 945. 8 Bk/1yd #2782 down at or near the hole. No mate guarding appears to be going on. 950. 3 Res (likely) 3584. (Also prob The 8 at Dipsy earlier). Maybe only 1 breeder 8 still here?! 1 May 15. Opened the high (2001) hole (tag 275): in OK shape but empty. Can barely reach the bottom. 7 May 1615. Noone in the hole (275) this time. 21 May 1645. Went up and checked the hole (275): still empty.
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2002 2003 2004 Walter D Keering Melanerpes formicivorus Hay-Blam HWHR 30 May 1340-3671 zilch here, unless they're resting in the Soto Springs hole. 2003 7 April Lots of stores here. 26 April 1100. We got a nest, with babies, in a new hole low in one of The trees over toward Soto Springs. 1105. Bird also flew out of the old high hole over toward Dipsy. What's up here? 28 April 1430. Opened the new hole: 4 chunky kids ~10-11 do. Band ~ 8 May. [Soto Springs, perhaps? (KLS) 1500. Meanwhile, the old high hole (tag 275) has 7 incubated eggs. What's going on here?! 8 May 1715. 2 babies (out of The 7 eggs!) ~4 to. Band ~ 25 May. Weather is definitely being a problem! 25 May 800. Banded The 2 kids. Acorns: Yes, lots 3 July Still acorns; but no sign of a 2nd nest. 29 Sept. Very few, if any, stores here. 2004 12 May Hole #1307 (at Dipsy) cleared out of a nearly-fledged starling nest. Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure that Their (H-Bs) traditional hole (The high one over on Oak Ridge) has a starling in it as well. Yes! Definitely. 24 May Checked Hole 1307 at Dipsy: empty, but in good shape
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2001 Waltard Poening Melanurpes fonicivorus Soto Springs HNHR 15 May 1440. 2 babies, ~3 do. Band ~2 June. For egg info on this group, see Hay-Blom notes 1 June 1500. Banded the 1 kid. There are some sticks in this tree, by the way. 2002 15 Apr 1345. ♂ in (2001) hole. No sounds. 7 May None in the hole. 31 May 1650. None in hole. 27 May 1000. Bird in hole! Checked it: 4 inc eggs! Egg 30 May. Measurements: ⓐ 24.7 × 26.4 ⓑ 25.3 × 20.6 ⓒ 24.2 × 26.3 ⓓ 25.0 × 20.6 (calipers checked). Could this be H-Blom's nest? 3 June 930. Hole empty; all quiet here. 2003 28 Apr See Hay-Blom notes; these are perhaps the guys with 4 kids up within Hay-Blom's (usual) territory? 8 May Yes - this is indeed Soto Springs, although I'm not sure who all the birds are. See map on back. In any case, I came up at 1700 today and all 4 kids were dead in the nest. I don't think they'd been dead more than a couple of days. Presumably another weather casualty at some level (it's still cold, rainy, + miserable out)! 8 June 1330. Bird in (1st) nest hole: 4 inc. eggs. ⓐ 27.7 × 19.7 ⓑ 26.7 × 19.6 ⓒ 26.9 × 19.2 ⓓ 27.8 × 19.8.
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2000 Walter Koenig 2001 Melanerpes formicivorus Lower Haystack HNHE 19 April) 1415. Lots of stores. None in a hole, but I checked the traditional hole anyway and was rewarded with 2 (cold) eggs: ① 23.8 × 19.6, ② 24.3 × 20.1. Need to check again for clutch size; EHD ~ 3 May. 23 April) 1645. 5 eggs. 3 May 1430. Hatching. 4 hatchlings + 1 egg, pipping and alive. No doubt all 5 will hatch, even if this last one doesn't wake it. Band: 24 May. 24 May 1400. Banded + bled the 5 babies. Plenty of stores. 12 June 1400. At least one kid plus an adult (inside excavating in the nest hole, but best I can tell it's empty. (But it's been deepened and I couldn't quite reach the bottom, so I couldn't be sure.) 19 July Still plenty of stores. 1530. They also have a nest! 4 kids (one smallish); a good 14 do (ELED ~ 25 June). Could be banded anytime, although I wouldn't go much past 26 July 21 July 1500. Banded The 4 kids (one probably won't make it; other 3 fine) in this 2nd nest. 30 August 930. Still stores. More interestingly, a decent power struggle is going on! Wonder what's up & who bit the dust? 2001 30 March None in the traditional hole, but I checked it anyway: empty. 9 April 1300. Bird in traditional hole, but still empty!
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2001 2002 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes fomicius 2 Lower Haystack LNNHR 16 April 1130. Still zilch in the traditional hole. 30 April 1100. First, there's apparently a new group over in the far side of the hill near the beginning of the chaparral trail; they were working on a hole that I opened but isn't done yet. Then, there's a bird in the traditional hole: 3 eggs, fresh! ① 25.0 × 20.2 ② 23.9 × 19.2 ③ 25.3 × 20.2. Near (just below) 601 205 5 May 1530. Got lucky: 4 eggs, which means that egg #4 (25.1 × 20.3) is the last egg for sure. 15 May 1520. 4 babies, ~3 jo. Band 2 June. 24 May 900. Didn't open the hole, but I could hear the babies in there... 1 June 1400. Banded the 4 kids. Plenty of stores, as one might expect. 17 July 1330. Banded the 4 kids in nest #2. (new hole, tag 1119; see back). 2002 15 April 1400. Plenty of stores. Also: a bird in the 2001 2nd nest hole (tag 1119). 16 April 1500. Checked the hole: empty (but a bird in it again). Being deepened. 1 May 1730. Bird in hole; checked it: still empty. 7 May 1515. No one in the hole, but I checked it anyway: empty. 21 May 1700. No one in the hole. Sheesh. Still stores, of course. 27 May 1015. No one in a hole, but 5-6 birds flew out
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17 July 2007 2nd nest Lobata Tag 119 Dir 3360 Angle -350 DNH 0.84m Dead Ht. 20' Tree ht. 32'
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2002 2003 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes fuscicollis Lower Haystack HNNR. (27 May) from the granary together when I walked up, suggestive of something going on here soon. 1030. Checked the traditional hole in the granary: in fine shape, but empty. 30 May 1345. Having not brought up the rope for once, there is finally a bird in the 2001 (new) hole. Plenty of stores remaining. 31 May 900. Birds in both the traditional hole in the granary and the 2001 hole, but both are still empty! 9 June 1515. Bird in the (new) 2001 hole. Maybe they finally have a nest here. 10 June 900. Opened up the hole: still empty!! 18 June 1430. Finally! 5 fresh-laid eggs, in the traditional hole in the granary! EHD ~28 June 21 June 1345. Measured the 5 eggs, only 2 of which (maybe 3) look like they're developing. ① 23.6 × 18.8 ② 24.0 × 19.6 ③ 24.6 × 19.5 ④ 24.0 × 19.6 ⑤ 24.3 × 19.3. Lots of stores here. (Calipers checked) 26 June 1630. Checked nest: 2 babies, 4-5 do, + 3 unhatched & undeveloped eggs. Band ~12 July. Must have hatched very soon after I checked them on 21 June. 2003 7 April Lots of stores 28 April Fixed up the old limb in the granary so with minimal
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2003 Walter D Koernig 4 Melanerpes formicivorus Lower Haystack HNNR (28 April) work, it could be used again. (All but The bottom foot or so had fallen.) 17 May 915. Checked The fixup-old hole in The granny. Looks nice, but it's empty. 21 May 1730. Bird in a (new) hole in The crappy 2° snag! Will need a ladder for it, I fear. 22 May 1400. Bird in the new hole again: opened it up. 6 fresh eggs; hole tagged #5805. ① 25.8 × 19.0. ② 26.1 × 19.8 ③ 25.8 × 19.7 ④ 25.0 × 19.6 ⑤ 25.3 × 19.4 ⑥ 24.9 × 19.6, 3 June 1615. Still 6 eggs - fertile at least. 8 June 1300. Well I'm not sure what prompted me to say the eggs were fertile on the 3rd (because now all 6 are still in there, but 5 clearly did not develop and the 6th seems to have a hairline crack and be all dried out. Sheesh! There was woone in the hole, and I removed the eggs, which are clearly going nowhere. Lots of stores left, at least! I opened that 6th egg - it was mostly dried up but did have a sac with a smallish embryo in it, so it (at least) was fertile. 14 June 715. Bitch over here. 3 July 1400. Bird in hole: 2 kids, 3-4 do + 3 infertile eggs ① 24.7 × 20.1 ② 24.5 × 20.0 ③ 25.2 × 19.17. Lots of stores still here. 29 Sept Lots (relatively) of stars here, some even fresh!
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2004 Waltin D Koening Melanerpes formicivorus 1 Lower Haystack HNHE 12 May 1575. Bird in old hole in main granary! (The one I fixed up and put a fake top on.) 4 freshish eggs! ① 23.1×19.5 ② 24.2×19.5 ③ 23.3×19.3 ④ 24.8×19.5. EHD ~ 21 May. Lots of stored acorns here, even though they may be old. 24 May 1645. 1 baby, ~4-5 da, + 2 unhatched (and underdeveloped) eggs. Band ~ 9 June, 9 June 1500. Banded the 1 kid here. Stores? Yes, 24 August lots of stored acorns still here, 2005 6 April Still lots of stores here. (see new sheet.)
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2000 2001 Waltford Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Cazebo HNHR 19 April) 1430. Bird in hole (tree by pond; same as last year). 20 April) 1345. Climbed to hole, pulling 92260 out from on the eggs, of which there were 6. Measured 2: ① 24.9 x 19.3 and ② 24.4 x 19.2. Incubated. EHD ~25 Apr. Still stores here. 18 May 930. Banded the 4 kids here. Lots of stores still. 13 June 2nd nest in same hole. Checked it: 5 eggs, incubated, I had a small peck hole in it and was essentially blown, while a second seemed partly dried up as well, leaving only 3 good eggs. One of them: 26.5 x 20.4. EHD ~17 June. 19 June 1145. 3 kits, 4-5 to. Band ~5 July. 4 July 1245. Banded the 3 kits. Still plenty of stores. 30 August Quite a few stores still. 2001 3 April 1400. Bird in the normal nest hole. 1645. Checked hole: empty but good. 5 May 1610. 3 birds in new hole in old nest tree to the S of the central area. 21 May Last week I watched roosting one night and saw lots of activity surrounding last year's nest hole. Then, on Friday 18 May, there was a bird in the same hole. So I expected the nest to finally be there. Today, howerver, I got here at 1215 only to find a Starling in the [illegible] hole!! Did They start? Is a nest still there? Has the Starling destroyed it?
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2001 2002 2003 Walter D Koenig Melanurapes famicirious Gazebo HNHR (21 May) To try and get some idea about these questions, I climbed up, finding that The Starlings had indeed made a start at filling the hole with grass. I cleaned it out, for whatever good that will do! 4 June. 1115. Cleaned out The Starling nest and its 5 eggs from the traditional hole. Meanwhile, there's a bird in an old hole (whose keyhole cut has fallen out!) over in The central area. Definitely Starling problems here. 1500. Checked the hole (can just reach in!): 5 eggs, incubated. I measured one that was clearly rotten: 26.0 x [illegible] 20.4; I removed this egg as well, leaving 4. I also tried to make a new cutout for the hole. 13 June 1415. Checked the nest: 3 babies; I didn't feel anything else. 29 June 1045. Came to band the kids but nest is empty!! 2002 15 April 1330. Stores here. Bird in the hole over by The vernal pool. 16 April 1600. Checked the hole: 3 eggs, not fresh, 1 May 1800. Banded the 3 babies. 7 June Still stores. 2003 7 April Lots of stores. None in a hole.
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2000 2001 2002- Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Blomone HNHR 9 May 900. Opened the new hole in the tree next to the granary: 1 runt egg (!) 17 May 9445. Checked the hole (woone in it): empty, Plenty of stores left here. 28 May 1015. 4 eggs, fresh. (#1) (measured a few days ago with Joey) still there. Measured one more: 26.0 × 20.2. Assuming we were here Thursday (25 May), they could still lay another egg. Otherwise, EHD ~ 8 June, 31 May 1000. Still 4 eggs. Should hatch 8 June. 9 June 1530. 4 kits, 3-4 do; 1 runtish but could make it. Band ~ 26 June. 26 June 1445. Banded the 3 kids. Still acorns here, 30 August Still some (old) stores. 2001 10 April 1100. Bird in 2000 nesthole (hole 112): 3 eggs, pretty fresh. 16 April 1000. Still 3 eggs. Measured one: 25.2 × 19.8. 20 April 1000. 3 babies, ~2 do. 8 May 1030. Banded the 3 babies, #3381-3383. 4 June 1230. Bird in same hole: 4 eggs, incubated. (①) 24.7 × 19.7 (②) 26.0 × 20.2 (③) 26.0 × 20.2 (④) 27.6 × 19.2. 29 June 1100. Banded the 3 kids. 2002- 15 April Still some stores, but none in any holes. 30 April 1500. Reopened the very old hole high up in the tree they've been using recently: 3 incubated eggs. Old hole OK but not cleaned out at all.
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2000 2001 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Blomthree HNHR 19 April 1445. Even without their main granary, There are a fair number of stores here. None in a hole, though. 17 May 1430. Bird in the hole (same one in old nest tree). Eggs, freshish. (It's vaguely possible there [illegible] were more - I couldn't be sure; but I think I got them all. EHD ~ 27 May. Measured one: 25.9 x 19.2. Stores remaining here. 28 May 1030. Checked nest: 4 hatchlings + 9 unhatched (but pipped) egg that may still hatch. Band ~ 18 June. 16 June 1600. 4 kits in the nest, but 2 were long dead and extremely gross & stinky. We removed them and banded the 2 remaining kits, who are fine. Still stores here. 18 July Still stores. 25 Aug 700. Ambushed the new hole, but only got 82960 + a jun (3265). 30 August Still stores, by the way. 6 Sept. There's been a bird working on a new hole over at Dark Hollow, so tonight I ambushed there, catching 82947 from here roosting by himself. Interesting, but unfortunately not terribly illuminating. 2001 21 May 1145. Finally a nest (Hole #1320; not in the traditional tree) That is probably these guys. 3 fairly fresh eggs. (2-3 d.inc) ① 23.6 x 18.2 ② 24.9 x 18.8 ③ 24.8 x 18.9. 14 June 1435. Banded the 2 kits.
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2000 2001 Walter Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Los Arbolitas HNHR. 24 April 1130. Bird in the traditional hole. 4 eggs, fresh (EHD~3 May) Measured 2:① 25.1×19.6 ② 25.1×19.2. Plenty of stores here. 9 May 1015. 3 babies, 5-6 do, + 1 unhatched egg (25.1×19.7; possibly #1, above). 24 May Banded & bled the 3 kids. Stores: Yes. 18 July Plenty of stores still. 30 August Only a few stores left. 2001 16 April 1515. Opened new hole - which I think, but can't be sure - is LARB - it's just across the fence toward CV Poquito: 6 babies 4-5 days old + 2 unhatched eggs !! Need to find out what's up here, quickly. Are there 2 44?? Hole tagged #59. The 2 eggs are: ① 25.7×18.3 ② 26.6×19.3 17 April 1915. Watched roosting. I saw both ♂(NYDK#3017 and ♀♂(M #2095; #2095 roosted in the nest (he actually looked like - 1m, but it must have been him). 18 April 1910. Tonight, ♂3017 came first but was then joined by ♀2095; both then stayed for the night, best I could tell (unless one left very late after I left.) 20 April 1400. Collected the 5 babies, now #3352-3356. 27 April 1600. Bird in traditional hole! 6 fresh eggs! <(LARB2.. ① 26.8×21.7 ② 25.6×20.1 ③ 23.2×18.7 ④ 26.3×20.1
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2001 Walter Koenig Melanurpes formicivorus Los Arbolitas (27 April) ⑤ 25.8 x 20.0 ⑥ 25.5 x 20.0 Be careful: this could, I suppose, be CVGerande. If not, it sure is a fast renest! 1 May 1930. Watched roosting. 1st [illegible] am/DB#2761 and Then 8m LBCk [def."M"] #2095 3217 came, but then one (both? hope not) left noisily just as it was getting quite dark. I assume this was the ♂, leaving ♀2095 3217 for the night. Looks like this may be a new group: ♂3216 + 3217 budding off with ♀3148 from CVGerande — so not "Larb"s renest. We'll tentatively call this group LARB2 (LAR2). (LRB2) 7 May 9315. Back here at LARB itself, there's a bird in the same hole (the F-troop tree), with a record-breaking 11 good eggs in it!! They were a few days incubated. Unfortunately I forgot my calipers so I couldn't measure pert. Perhaps 3 ♀♀ laid here this time? 17 May 845. 8 babies ~2-3 do + 2 unhatched eggs (1 clearly underdeveloped). Band ~ 4 June 3 June 915. Bird in new hole in granary! (Note: prior rest failed for unknown reasons; see Joey's notes). [Joey watched roosting on 28 May and found the nest completely empty on 29 May]. 4 June 104 1445. Opened hole (now tagged #1322): 12 eggs
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2001 2002 Walter D Koening Melanerpes furnicivorus Los Arbolitas HNHR. (4 June) 1 a runt. Forgot to check whether they were incubated or not; I'd say probably not much. 10 June 2000. Must have failed again - none showed the slightest interest in the hole tonight at roosting. Bummer. 21 June 1500. 4th attempt back in the original hole: 8 eggs 1-2 days incubated. I took # half (4) to incubate ourselves just in case this time. 27 June 1900. Watched roosting: 8 BIK/M #2095 roosted by himself for sure. 29 June 1030. With one of the eggs hatched, we returned them, taking blood from 3 hatchlings (incl the one we had) so we have something no matter what. Band ~ 19 July. 18 July 1030. Banded the 4 kids. 2002 16 Apr 7 1620. Bird in the hole where they were finally successful last year. Needs to be checked! 17 Apr 7 1300. Opened the hole: 7 fresh eggs. I should watch here a bit and then take them. 19 Apr 7 730. Watching. 802. 8 (CN)/M #3017 enters. 915. Can't get anyone else. Collecting The eggs: there are 9 of them. Measured: ① 23.5 x 18.7 ② 23.7 x 19.0 ③ 25.4 x 19.3 ④ 25.7 x 19.6 ⑤ 23.6 x 19.1 ⑥ 23.8 x 18.7 ⑦ 23.5 x 18.8 ⑧ 25.1 x 19.4 ⑨ 24.2 x 19.5 Clearly 2 99; all eggs nice & fresh.
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2002-2003 (Walter D Koenig) Melanerpes formicivorus LARB (19 April) While getting the eggs into the incubator, I managed to knock the box onto the floor, breaking 5 of them. So we now only have 4 left. Good job, Walt. 24 May 845. Hatchlings in same nest hole: 6 of them. Band ~13 June. 5 June 1425. Watching. Babies definitely present. 8471 stores were also. 1900. One feed by a ?, but I missed who it was. 7 June 1025. Watching again. 1030. ? DB-WNCH / M #3051. 1105. In granary: (2) ? DB / WD-DB #2761. ? DB-WN/DB 1115. At nest: (3) ? DB??/M #2095. 1200. Giving up. It would appear as though all 4 breeders are here, even though I didn't see ? 3017 today. No sign of the helper. Actually, no real sign of a 4th bird at all, at least at the moment. 12 June 800. Banded the 5 kids here. 21 June 1410. Watching. (1) ? DB-WNCH / M #3017. The 2nd ? is here for sure. 2003 7 April 1145. Bird in (new) hole (same tree on inside of fence). Lots of stores here. 17 April 1215. Notice in the hole here. Failed? 1430. Opened the hole: 5 hatchings (1 do) + 3 unhatched but developed eggs. Band by 6 May. 7 May 1130. Banded the 3 kids here.
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2001 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Los Arbolitas 2 HNHR 4 May The birds nesting here in LARB's traditional hole turn out to be a new group - not LARB's nest! Tonight I watched roosting and the events of 1 May were basically repeated. And in hindsight, here's what I think happened both nights: ① 3 DB-WM Blue #3216 (not the LARB ♀!) entered. ② 6 M/BLK #301 3217 entered, after which I bird looked out and eventually left. I assume that 3 3217, having come last, was the 3 who stayed both nights, although it's impossible to be sure. 5 May 17 May 1630. Took the eggs. 91S. New nest! 7 fresh eggs ① 24.8 × 20.5 ② 25.5 × 20.0 ③ 25.1 × 20.4 ④ 25.6 × 20.8 ⑤ 25.8 × 20.5 ⑥ 24.1 × 20.0 ⑦ 24.7 × 20.4. 18 May 1945. Watched roosting: [3] DB-WM / CB #3216 roosted by himself for sure. 28 May 1945. Again, it was [8] Blue-wm/Blue #3216 in the nest by himself tonight. No one else came or was at all interested. 30 May 1130. 6 babies, ~4 da. Band 6/16. One was such a runt that I took him for tissue, leaving 5. 14 June 1430. Banded the 5 kids here. Storks? Not sure where to look! Joey found a modest number around!
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2002 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus LARB2 19 April 900. Bird in hole. 25 April 845. Watching from blind, 10/5. Bitch. I give up. Going to check the hole. 4 eggs! Not all that fresh. Guess I'll have to try again. 26 April 1207. Back for another try. Cold & cloudy out. 1229. ♂ m/bik #3217 entered. 1253. ♂ left. 1316. ♂ 3217 again; entered. 1352. ♀ w/m #3533 came to hole; didn't enter ♂ 3217 still inside, I believe. 1408. ♂ 3217 left. 1411. ♀ Ret-w/m ? came, left w/o entering. Is this ♂ 3117? Bands old, but how could I mistake the M band? 1417. ♂ 3217 enters yet again. 1420. Leaving. No sign of ♂ #2, unfortunately. 27 April 1920. Watched roosting. Saw ♀ w/m #3533, ♂ m/bik #3217, and a 3rd bird ? LB-ov/bik [2855], plus a 4th unid bird; all of these may very well have spent the night in the nest (♂ 3217 certainly did). No definite sign of ♂ 3216 yet, however. *The most likely candidate for the unknown bird would seem to be ♂ 2855 from LARB (via DKHW), who is, in fact, an older brother of ♂ 3216/3217. So there may be 2 ♂ breeders here after all!
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2002 2003 2004 WaltW D Koernig Melanerpes formicivorus LARB 2 HNHR 24 May 830. Checked nest (assuming we would band kids) only to find 4 incubated eggs, which R Measured: ① 24.0 × 20.2 ② 23.3 × 21.1 ③ 25.3 × 21.4 ④ 25.8 × 21.1. Presumed timeline: hatch ~ 27 May, band ~ 16 June. 5 June 1305. Watching. No noise from nest - was it failed? 1405. Zilch. 12 June 800. Checked hole: empty. 2nd failure for these guys! 2003 7 April Bird in traditional hole. 17 April 1200. Finally opened the hole: empty. Early nest failed? Who knows? Could have been anything, or nothing. 7 May 1145. Bird in hole: 5 eggs, incubated. ① 22.5 × 18.3 (not developed) ② 24.6 × 19.4 (not developed) ③ 24.6 × 20.0 ④ 24.9 × 20.4 ⑤ 24.8 × 20.4. Hatch ~ 10 May; band ~ 31 May. 29 May 1100. Banded and bled the 3 kids here. 2004 4 May 1330. Bird in hole: empty. 11 May 1500. Bird in traditional hole again: 4 fresh eggs ① 24.3 × 20.5 ② 24.3 × 20.2 ③ 24.9 × 20.5 ④ 25.6 × 20.1 11 June 1500. Banded + bled the 2 kids here. 25 Sept 1400. Bird in hole; checked it: empty.
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2000 Walford Koenig 2001 Melanerpes formicivorus CVGrande HNHR 9 May Still some stores here in the limbs we put up. None in any holes, though! 18 May 1015. Opened the lower (connected) hole in the forest blue oak up toward Catebo that Joey saw a bird in yesterday: nice shape, but empty. 22 June Opened the new hole over by the trough where there was a bird yesterday, but it's empty. 18 July They would appear to be out of acorns 6 Sept. Bird in the hole opened back on 22 June. A nest, finally? 7 Sept. 1400. Checked it (bird in hole again): empty! 2001 3 April 1415. Bird in the new hole (opened 22 June 00). 6 April 930. Checked the hole: nice but empty. 16 April 1630. Bird in hole this morning, but still empty! 7 May 1400. Bird in live oak hole. Time to open it! 8 May 1400. None in the live oak hole, but I opened it anyway: nice shape, but empty. 14 May 1600. There are 5 eggs (incubation status unknown) in the "new hole" opened in June 2000. Answer: CVGrande The only question is: is this CVGrande or LARB2? There are still birds hanging around (but not in) the live oak hole, who I think are CVGrande birds. We'll see. 22 May 1315. 4 babies, ~4 do. Band ~6 June (a tad!) 7 June 1545. Banded the 4 kids here. There are some stores here.
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2001 Walland Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus CV Segundo HNHR 21 May 940. 4 eggs: ① 23.2 × 19.0 ② 23.2 × 18.4 ③ 22.9 × 19.3 ④ 23.4 × 19.0. Joey reported 3 on Friday (5/18), so EHD = 30 May. Lance is watching to see who these guys are. The nest (hole 1318) is in a live oak across the creek well within historical CV Grande area. 21 June 1500. Banded the 3 kids.
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2000 2001 Walter Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Murf HUNTER 20 April 1415. Checked nest: 4 babies, ~1 do, +1 unhatched (possibly pipping) egg. Band ~10 May. (Don't forget the NOBA here!) Plenty of stores here. 12 May 1400. Banded and bled the 2 kids here. 31 May Still plenty of stores. None in a hole, though. 6 June 1200. Bird in (same) hole. 9 June 1800. Checked the hole: 4 eggs, pretty fresh. (EHD: 17 June). Measured one: 27.0 x 20.5 mm. 19 June 1100. All 4 kids hatched, 2-3 do. Band ~6 July. 4 July 1330. Banded the 3 kids. Still stores. 2001 16 April 1040. Power struggle activity up here; a fairly substantial one. Something's up. 21 May 1130. Bird in hole! 4 eggs, incubated. Measured one: 26.7 x 21.2. The hole is not last year's; it's in the tree above it. It's been opened, so it's an old hole, presumably from the early or mid 90's. 14 June 1500. Banded the 4 kids.
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2000 2001 Walter Koenig Melanerpes fomticivorus CVI HNHR 20 April 1430. Bird in hole (new hole in VO where I ambushed last fall). 4 eggs, 2-3 days. EHD: 29 April. Measured 2: (1) 25.2 x 18.2 (2) 22.9 x 17.5. Plenty of stores here. 22 May 28 May 1200. Stores: Yes. Sign of a renest: no. Cleared out a starling nest with small kids in their April nest hole (!) Last night a bird was roosting over in the sycamore by the creek, but no sign of interest there today. 1100. Opened the new hole in the sycamore partway (there was a bird in it again), but it appears to be empty. 13 June 1230. Finally got it - a new hole (now #1120) in the sycamore facing up toward Blountree but much higher than the old hole. (on other Apparents together side of limb and a tad lower than the pair of holes). 4 eggs, fresh. Measured one: 23.8 x 18.2. 24 June 1515. Bird in the hole, but it's empty! Failed again! Hole is in a limb 4 hands around, by the way. 2001 CVIA 4 May 1445. Opened the new hole they're working on in a spindly VO next to the sycamore, but it's empty. 7 May 1345. Birds in both the new hole and last year's sycamore hole. 8 May 1400. Birds in both holes again, so I checked them both! Last year's hole is in OK shape but empty. The new (el crappo) hole was 5 fresh eggs (EHD 18 May). (1) (see next page)
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2001 Walter D. Poirier Melanerpes formicivorus CVI → CVIA HNHR (8 May) ① 23.6 × 18.8 ② 23.2 × 19.2 (I only measured two). 21 May 1000. 2 babies, 1-2 do, + legs that had a big hole in it and was empty, but clearly didn't successfully hatch, that measures 23.6 × 19.4. Band ~ 9 June. 8 June 1500. This group turns out not to be CVI (Who has a nest in the sycamore next door) but a new group I'm calling CVIA. Today I banded their 2 babies. They even have a few acorns stored up there. This nest is literally ~30m from the CVI nest!
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2000 2001 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes famicivorus CV2 HNTR 22 April) 1515. Checked the nest, which is in the older of the holes used in recent years (no tag). 7 eggs (1 a runt); incubated. (EHD: 27 April). Measured 1: 25.8 x 20.4. 17 May 1400. Banded & bled the 5 kids. Lots of acorns left. 2001 [see OKCorral notes for 28 Jan] 24 April 1400. Bird in new hole in traditional tree. 25 April 1100. Opened the hole: shallow, empty, but probably useable. Meanwhile, I cleared out a Starling nest from one of their old holes. 14 May 1500. Finally found the hole, which is in the garmany and was hidden by foliage, it's now Marked #1319 (it's basically right above the gate). There are 5 incubated eggs. 21 May 1030. 3 babies ~2 do. Band ~9 June.
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2007 2001 Walked Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus OKCorral HNNR 22 May Still stores but no sign of a nest. Checked hole #265: had a handful of moss in it plus some other miscellaneous stuff, but otherwise in good shape and easily cleared out. 13 June 1245. Still stores. None in any holes, as usual, Worst case scenario; there were 5 birds over in trees by The creek across from CV2 - one adult appeared to be a NOBA...! They also included a couple of kids, I think. They could have been CV2 (and I could have been mistaken about The NOBA) but then again, Maybe They nested down there somewhere and we missed them entirely. Who knows? 18 July Still nothing, but at least they seem to be out of stores, if that means anything. (CV2) 2001 28 January Finally ambushed here in hopes of getting some kits from the 2nd (Missed) nest. Got 4 (all in the 2000 1st nest hole) but they's all banked. ↑ NOT OK Corral CV2
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2000 Walter Koenig Melanerpes fomnicivorus MPHF HNHR 20 April 1300. Lots of stores, noone in any holes. (Starting in last years hole.) 2 May 900. Noone in any holes. 22 May 1130. Plenty of stores. Birds hanging out in traditional tree, but the hole is empty. 31 May 1415. checked around and watched for awhile, but saw nothing. 1418. ! Bird up the field a ways...? 6 June 1030. Went up to a (new) hole where a bird was roosting last night, but no sign of any activity. 13 June 1500. Birds have been at that new hole a couple of times, so I opened it, only to find that it connects to the hole below it whose back had partly fallen out years ago. So I pieced a back together just in case they really would like to use it. It is empty, by the way. 21 August 1630. Came here to set ambushes only to discover a nest in the traditional hole! 6 kids, 4-5 do! (I collected The runty 6th, who is #3308). Guess I'll catch the NOBA ♀ at the nest! Lots of stores left here, 31 August 1110. Going for the NOBA. Watching the nest. 1134. ♀ m? B1k-w(N) ?? Starting with a Mystery. 1200. ♂ Red-DB1/M #3027 Seen well. 1205. ♂m / Wh-LB #1962. Finally a known bird, 1220. ♀ NOBA, Gether. Now #3307. Going home to see if I can ID the other 2 birds...
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2000 2001 2002 Waltm D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus MPHF MNHR 6 Sept. 1100. Banded and bled the 5 kids here. All quite small, but could all make it, Lots of stores still. 2001 23 April 1600. Bird in traditional hole: 2 fresh eggs. Apparently still laying. Marked and measured them: ① 26.2 x 20.1 ② 24.9 x 19.6. 27 April 1400. 10 eggs! Measured 2 now: ③ 25.6 x 20.2 ④ 25.9 x 20.0. Eggs 1 & 2 still there. 2 May 1030. Still 10 eggs. 9 May 1030. 8 babies ~1-2 do + 2 unhatched eggs Band ~ 30 May. 30 May 1600. Banded The 8 kids here! 27 June 1500. 2nd nest in (different) hole: 6 eggs, fairly fresh Could still be laying, I suppose 13 July 1730. 4 babies, ~7 do. Band ~ 27 July. 27 July 1200. Banded the 3 kids that made it! 2002 16 April 1100. Lots of stores. Bird in the traditional hole: eight incubated eggs. An experimental group, perhaps. → 81962 roosted in 1987 ↓ → 1980. Roosting: 8M/wn-? #1962 roosted for sure. → 8M/wn-Dker 17 April 1900. Definitely 81962 again in the nest. 18 April 1100. Took The 8 eggs. #3307 on the nest. This is cup. #2 for the year.
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2002 Waldo D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus MPHF (18 April) Measured the eggs before consigning them to the incubator: ① 26.3 × 20.6 ② 25.2 × 19.6 ③ 24.9 × 19.1 ④ 25.7 × 19.7 ⑤ 24.5 × 19.7 ⑥ 24.9 × 19.5 ⑦ 24.6 × 19.3 ⑧ 25.7 × 19.4, 19 April Processed 2 of the eggs (3643-3644) but they weren't really very close to hatching. 23 April 3 of the remaining eggs hatched! Processed the lot, 29 April 1605. New nest in the (other) traditional tree: 4 eggs so far. 2 May 1200. Checked the nest: 9 eggs. Presumably this is the last day of egg-laying; EHD = 13 May. 6 May 1545. Peeped the nest: still 9 eggs, all normal best I could tell. 16 May 1315. 7 babies ~3 do + 1 unhatched egg. (Presumably 8 hatched.) Banded ~3 June, but I'd come back in 2-3 days and try to bleeed these guys just in case. 17 May 1940. Watched roosting: ? Res-DB/M #3027 roosted, definitely. No other action at The hole 22 May 1940. Again, it was definitely or-DB/M #3027 who roosted. Noone else even came to the hole. 24 May 1050. Kids are only 11 do, but just to be on the safe side we banded all 7 of them today. 3 June 1500. Checked the nest: 6 kids, which is how many presumably will fledge. The missing one: 1142-20095. 22 August Still lots of stored acorns here.
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2003 2004 Walter Poenig Melampypes formicivorus MPHF HNHR 8 April 1000. Lots of stores, but none in any holes 20 April 1500. Bird in old hole in tree up toward UPHF: 5 fresh eggs, 1 of which is a runt. Note: this is another group with no breeder 88(!); so we should check it out sooner rather than later. 26 April 1000. Checked nest: 9 eggs (1 a runt). Should hatch ~ 3 May 5 May 1300. Just hatching: 2 kids, maybe 1 do, + 7 unhatched eggs. Band ~ 26 May. 26 May 1030. Banded the 2 kids. Lots of stores. 6 June 1430. Opened new hole (now tagged 5812) in the granary tree (with the "traditional" hole): 8 incubated eggs. (no runts). 14 June 1115. 5 kids ~ 3 do, + 3 unhatched & undeveloped eggs. Band ~ 2 July. 30 June 1500. Banded the 5 kids in the 2nd nest. Lots of stores still. Is this really an incest group? 2004 20 April 1315. Bird in last year's (1st) nest hole: checked it: empty! Stores here - from 2002?? 11 May 1045. 8 eggs! 5 developing, 2 not developing, 1 a runt. Incubated; could hatch in a few days. 18 May 1230. 4 kids, 3-4 do + 2 unhatched eggs (runt gone). Band ~ 4 June. 31 May Justyn helped me catch a 8" here for blood, then I banded the 4 kids. 24 Aug Very few stores left; may actually have run out!
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2004 Walter D Conning Melanupes formicivorus MPHF HWHR 12 Sept 1430. Nest! 2 kids, ~15 do, in old hole up toward Upper PHF. Measured their 3rd primaries (see back) 20 Sept 1330. Banded the 2 kids! 23 Sept. 1330. Measured the kids again. 24 Sept. 1430. Ambushed a 8 helper (83624) feeding; then got blood from him & the kids. Also measured Then again. for Stable isotopes. 1st 2nd 3rd (4019) shaft 18 18 10 Whole 46 42 76 (4020) Shaft 18 22 18 Whole 35 27 72 25 Sept 1400. Checked nest again. 4019 was gone, presumably fledged! (4020) shaft 23 19 20 Whole 38 23.6 76 82 04 2lowW P10Y S01=300 Epip [illegible] 11 21 81 [illegible] (5) 80 (21) PS slowW 050Y BP=SW
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Primary size 9/12 1430 ① Sheath 1st 2.8 2nd 3.3 3rd 18.2 Whole 10.1 12.2 24.1 ② Sheath. 9.9 13.7 I bet Whole 10.1(not yet) There weren't feather 15.8 the 10! 19.8 22 2nd & 3rd primaries are much smaller and much thinner than the others 9/20 1330 ① 4019 Sheath 1st Both 2nd 3rd Whole 27 23 16 ② 4020 Sheath (Now thick) (Still thin) Not the Whole 17 17 15 one! 21 Must have messed up! 9/23 1330 ① 4019 Sheath 1st 2nd 3rd Whole 40 38 72 ② 4020 Sheath 18 15 16 Whole 29 (15) 68
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2000 Walter Koenig Melampus fumicarous Y2K HNHR Jan. Still haven't figured out who they are, but there is a new group here in PHF storing in the small valley oak up on the hill (see map on back). 27 Apr! 1900. New hole in granary (lots of acorns still). 1 egg, marked #1. Hole #1349. 2 May 900. Checked hole: No eggs. Ambusher still set. 9 May 1000. Bird in the hole across the road in the CO snag! 22 May Still stores. Noone around, though. 14 June 1400. Checked the whole: 5 kids, 1-2 do. 23 June 1030 Finally caught one (?) of the 9♀ feeding at the nest. 1115. Got one of the 8♂, Definitely a 2nd ♀ here also (still NOBA). All for now. At least the nest can be watched. 26 June 1045. Got the 2nd ♂. Will go for the ♀. 1200! Missed the NOBA ♀! Blummer. Stuck a band on & bled the 5 kids. She'll have to wait. 29 June 550. Got her! Now 4 banded. But! Just before she fed, yet another NOBA ♂ came to the nest! So there's still 1 bird to go (and hopefully only 1 girl). 3 July 1130. Banded the 2 kids that are left (!) Both had moved into the big hole! Still a NOBA ♂ to go. 4 July Carrying up; will have to try and see who's roosting in the nest.
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(MPHA) (UPHF) Smallish tree; old BB nest in it X Fallen tree O Live Oak (LPHF) Road 42K - Storing in The Smallish Vally Oak with The old BB canty
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2000 2001 WaltrD Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Y2K HNHR (A July) Joey reminded me that this group was probably here last year. In other words, one or more of the 5 birds could easily be kids from last year. Perhaps DNA will clear all this up, at least if we ever catch that last ♂! I checked across the road and found no stones. Unless they have some over & closer to the nest, they're out. 5 July 500. Ambushed the nest, nabbing - yes - the NOBA♂, now #3293! Got 'em all, finally. So, as an added bonus, ♂3293 spent the night in the nest. (I checked and there was none else except the 2 kids in the hole.) 30 August No stones left, best I can tell. 2001 17 April 1400. Bird in Valley oate Hole: 4 eggs, incubated. This hole (#1349) was the aborted 2000 nest. 25 April 945. 4 babies, ~4 do. Band ~18 May. 2 May 1000. Set an ambusher. Nest OK! 9 May 1015. Set to catch the #NOBA(s). 1300. Gave up. 10 May 1505. Back again for another try. 1630. Got her! Banded her and the 4 kids. 4 June 1730. Checked last year's hole (#285 - in the snag) but zilch. 11 June 1430. Again: no nest in last year's hole.
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2001 2002 2003 Waltford Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus 42K HNH 27 June 1515. 2nd nest in same hole: 4 babies ~8 do. Band ~10 July. 13 July 1700. Banded the 1 kid (!) -> #3600! 2002 16 April 1030. Lots of acorns left. Bird in 2001 hole: 4 fresh eggs. Measured: ① 27.0×20.3 ② 25.4×19.2 ③ 24.9×19.1 ④ 25.7×19.2. Eggs marked. 29 April 1600. Checked nest: 3 babies, ~4 do, +1 unhatched egg, apparently infertile. Band ~16 May. Egg unhatched is: 26.5 × 19.0. (!?!) Are my measurements all screwed up? Doesn't seem likely that this is a 5th egg... 16 May 1800. Banded the 3 kids here. Still stored acorns. 22 August 1300. No stores left here. 2003 8 April Bird in hole. Stores: Yes. 1600. 4 fresh eggs: ① 27.4 × 19.5 ② 25.9 × 19.4 ③ 25.7 × 18.8 ④ 27.6 × 19.3. 20 April 1445. 1 hatching +3 unhatched eggs. It's day 0, it would appear! 26 April 1015. 1 baby ~7 do + 3 unhatched & undeveloped eggs. Bummer! This is hole #1349, by the way. Lots of stores here. Band ~10 May. 5 May 1345. Nest empty! Another weather casualty, perhaps. Having only a single kid probably didn't help. 21 May 1235. Checked the hole - Turns out The piece of
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2003 2004 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicarius 42K HNHR (21 May) wood I'd put in to block off the 2nd entrance had slipped into the hole blocking the 1st entrance and the cavity itself! I fixed it up. Lots of stores here. 11 June 1700. Finally found a bird in a new hole in the old Live Oak by The road where LPHF used to west. Opened. 5 kids, ~4 do. Band ~28 June. 26 June 1530 Banded & bled the 5 kids. Stores? You betcha. 2004 20 April 1300. No one in a hole, but still stores here - presumably left over from fall 2002. 19 May 1000. 4 eggs in hole tagged #1349. A couple days incubated. ① 27.4 x 19.5 ② 27.6 x 18.9 ③ 28.1 x 18.5 ④ 29.3 x 18.7. EHD ~27 May. 30 May 1340. 2 kids, ~4 do, + 2 unhatched (but developed, I think), eggs. Band ~16 June. 15 June 730. Set up to catch someone for SI analysis. 830. Got a Q [3385] Then banded the 2 kids. 8471 stores here. 24 Aug Out of stores.
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2000 2001 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Stromberg HNHR 18 April 1345. Stores: Yes. Bird in hole: Yes. The (old) upper one. So I climbed up, only to discover (1) it's too deep to reach the bottom and (2) the back has fallen out. Because of the latter, I assume, based on no evidence, that they aren't nesting there. But I nailed one of my old gloves to block the hole, so maybe they will! The lower (new) hole looks quite good, by the way, but needs opening if they use it. 3 May 1245. Opened the lower (new) hole, now #1148. 3 eggs, incubated (EHD ~ 8 May). Measured 1:25.4x19.3 12 May 1420. 3 kids, 3-4 do. Band 29 May. 30 May 1330. Banded + bled the 3 kids. 31 August 1000. Bird in hole! Checked it: 4 eggs, incubated! EHD: ~ 3 Sept. 5 Sept. 1400. Just watching: 3 hatchlings + 1 egg, which still could hatch. Band ~26 Sept. 21 Sept. 1575. Banded the kids here (all 3). 2001 12 April 1115. Bird in upper hole! Climbed, but this is the one with the glove (partially) covering the cut in back so I didn't check it, I only patched up the glove. Meanwhile, I did check the lower hole (#1148) finding it filled with 73" of crappy water. I cleaned it out as best I could, but it's still kind of crumby (wet) at the bottom.
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2001 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes fornicivorus Stramberg HNHR 17 April 1300. Bird in high (covered with the glove!) hole again, so I checked it this time: 4 eggs, incubated! 22 April 1920. Finally managed to watch roosting here: 2 birds went in; one was [♀] M/ Lgt-2757 and the other was [♂] (CN)/(CN) #2762. Only one bird left, so I imagine that was the ♂, leaving ♂2762 in for the night. 23 April 1920. I saw 3 birds enter: ♂3228, ♂2997 (both helpers) and ♂2762 (the breeder). I couldn't be certain about who left (at least 2 did), but since ♂2762 was the only breeder♂ involved, I have to suspect that he spent the night in the nest. 24 April 1600. Collected the 4 babies, the largest of which weighed 20.4 g (~5 days old). They are now #3357-3360. ELED=8 April; hatched 19 April). 5 May Power struggle here! Mark even found a NOBA ♀ dead on the ground below one of the trees. 82913 Watched for a bit: saw ♂2762, ♂2802, ♂2997 -- the ♂♂ are OK. But lots of ♀♀, inc. > 1 NOBA, ♀ M/wh/DB #3180 (from Gate), and ♀ Bk/Br #3124 . Apparently ♂2757 is gone, I fear. Too bad! Lots of activity! ♂3180 + ♀ Bk/Br #3124 are the 2 that are with the ♂♂ in the main trees all the time - clearly
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2001 Walter Droning 2002 Melanerpes formicivorus Stromberg HNHR (5 May) winning, at least at the moment. 30 May 1100. Finally got the nerve to open the new hole in The other sycamore (hole #1325): 6 inc. eggs. Measured one: 25.0 x 19.0. EHD: who knows, but probably soon (say 6/3). 6 June 1200. Checked The nest: 5 babies, ~3-4 to. Band ~ 23 June. 19 June 2015. The rooster tonight was [illegible] #2913 21 June 1600. Banded the 5 kids, one of whom (the runt) I took home. 2002 11 April 1430. Bird in upper hole: empty (has gone down to connect with hole below it). Meanwhile, the low hole (#1148) was full of water and the back had fallen out. I fixed it as best I could. This is all in The nice sycamore. 24 April 1430. Checked all the holes (mostly by peeping, so it's not absolute), since birds have been in them, but they all seem to be empty. The middle hole (the only one not opened) is perhaps the most likely candidate, I think, for the next. 30 April 1515. Bird in (unopened) middle hole. Time to got back up and check it. 1 May 1500. Bird in both the 2 lower holes. The lowest (tagged 1148) is filled with water (again). The middle hole, which I opened, is empty but in good shape. 7 May 1030. Middle hole (tagged #5338): 4 eggs.
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2002 WaltawD Poetry Melanerpes formicivorus Stromberg HNUR 7 May 1945. At roosting tonight, I bird only came and went in; my visual on him was 4el-DB/4el-DB, which comes closest to being 82913 (or 1B/or-DB). The only issue with him is that he was last seen 8 March. If he's no longer here, I guess I'd have to go for 82802 (DB-wm/wk-DB); if there was a bit of space between the bands, it would come close. 8 May Doug, in 6 hrs of watching, has seen neither of those 8B's! Instead, he's only seen 82762, who I have to admit could also have been the bird who roosted last night. In any case, I need to check with Devin, but it would appear as though there may only be 1B3 here!! 17 May 1215. After ignoring these guys for 9 days, I realized I should check the nest, so I did, and found it empty! Bummer. By the way, there are stores left. 29 May 1600. Birds in (same) hole again: 5 eggs, incubated FHD ~ 2 June. ① 23.8 × 19.1 ② 23.2 × 19.7 ③ 22.8 × 19.3 ④ 23.8 × 20.0 ⑤ 23.7 × 19.8 (calipers checked). 3 June 1430. 56abies, ~3-4 do (I runtish; others will probably make it). Band ~ 20 June. 4 June 1730. Found 82772 - the breeder - DOR on the road in front of Stromberg's. Bummer
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2002 2003 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Stromberg HNHR 12 June 1515. Checked hole: empty, even though there was a bird in it when I got there. Perhaps the new NOBA # did them in after all. There are stores still here, by the way. 4 July 945. Devin reported activity here so I checked the holes, and darn if there aren't 4 nice eggs in the middle hole! (Same one as used earlier.) Sheesh! 22 August No stores here, but lots of activity - could it be a power struggle (or maybe it's at Westgate?) 2003 18 Apr 1530. Bird in hole! (same middle one as in 2002) 21 Apr 1615. 4 freshish eggs ① 25.7 x 18.6 ② 23.8 x 18.6 ③ 24.3 x 18.5 ④ 22.8 x 18.2. 5 May 1330. Hole empty! Perhaps a casualty of the very rainy weather we've been having- The low hole (#1148) is packed full of acorns, by the way. 14 May 1400. Bird in hole (#5558 again): 3 eggs, pretty fresh. Still laying? ETD ~25 May. ① 26.8 x 19.5 ② 25.0 x 18.2 ③ 25.1 x 18.2. 27 May Joey climbed: 4 translucent eggs! Yet- a 3rd nest? Or another all infertile clutch? 4 June 1630. 4 kids, 2-3 do! Excellent. Band ~22 June, Stores left: yes. 21 June 1200. Banded two 4 kids. Stores: yes.
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♀ - Left '939 4/15 Stromberg Crap Green Purple? Black Yellow 9 - left - Lt green { 3)75 A. green stripes M. K. Stromberg 5/31/04 Heartbeats Cleveland, Ohio 800-808-1991
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2001 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes famicivorus Stromberg 2 HWHR 26 June Not sure if anything's up here (this group split off from Stromberg after the experiment). But Jen thought they had a nest in the sycamore (the usual stromberg tree) so I checked, but both holes are empty.
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2003 Walter Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Stromberg 2 HNHR 21 May 1230. Bird in hole in sycamore next to the gate. 1600. Got to the hole (need the 46' ladder and some guts): 1 fresh egg; egg marked, Hole tagget S804, 27 May 1015. Checked hole: empty! Banner!
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2000 2001 2002 WaltorD Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Westgate HNHR 18 Apr 1315. Lots of stores. None in any holes, though. 8 May 1300. Used lots of ladders to get to the low hole in the bad limb (tagged 277) where there are 4 incubated eggs. EHD ~ 12 May. Band ~ 2 June. 2 June Banded the 4 kids. Plenty of stores left here. 30 August Apparently out of stores here, or at least very much on their last legs. 2001 7 May 1430. At last: bird in last year's hole! 25 May 1945. 1st, a bird who I saw as ?vd-red/m came and stayed for a couple of minutes; who is this bird? Then or/m #2773 came for the night. Note that I didn't see him really well, but I saw Or and thought I got a glimpse of The M band so I'm pretty sure it was him. 30 May Joey and I got up here finally and banded The 3 kids, who are young but not that young. 2002 22 August 1315. There would appear to be a power struggle going on here at last. Also, there are a few old stores left. 25 Sept. Ambushed tonight in The new hole nabbed only 93447 - The helper 9 from 2001. Several NOBA 9s here were missed entirely! 14 Oct. Ambushed tonight: the 280 + 2 NOBA 9s.
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2003 2004 Waltord Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Westgate HNEK 30 Apr 7 1700. Bird in new hole high up in the sycamore. Stores here: Yes. The old hole (#277) has a starling in it, by the way. 1 May 1600. Climbed up (way up) and opened the new hole: 7 eggs, incubated. ① 27.7 × 19.5 ② 25.7 × 19.7 ③ 25.5 × 20.0 ④ 28.5 × 19.5 ⑤ 26.0 × 18.8 ⑥ 24.5 × 19.8 ⑦ 30.5 × 18.9. Wow! 2 99 here, it would seem; 1 That lays giant eggs, and the other not! 9 May 1700. Chicked the hole: 6 kids, ~3 day old, + 1 messed up egg. Band ~ 27 May. 27 May 1200. Banded the 5 kids. Acoms? Definitely. 6 June Danika found 93763, The 2nd of the breeder 99 here, dead on the road today. That's both of them in the past 2 weeks. Time to fix those posts out there (i.e., get rid of the wooden ones). 7 June 1400. Joey and I were as good as my word, and we took out 26 wooden posts between the gate and a bit beyond Stromberg's gate. (see trap on back). Hopefully this will reduce the mortality rate along here, which has been awful the last couple of years. 2004 3 June Birds hanging out = one of the high holes (not in the main trunk). We'll see; could be a challenge. 24 Aug No stores left.
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7 June 2003 - 26 taken out between These points. All wooden posts removed Here Bushes All removed These left. EV Road Wake Stromberg
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2000 2001 Walton Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Gate HINTER 12 April 1300. Wound up to the new hole they've been in, which turns out to connect to hole 263 right To The left of it. It's empty, probably egg-tossing? 18 April 1200. Checked the hole: 9 eggs! all look normal, but I didn't actually open the hole. All 3 4 4 laying, it would appear. Stores still here, by The way. 16 May 1300. Banded the 6 kits here. Still stores. 30 August No stores left, best I could tell. 7 October 1700. Teresa reported a jNOBA here, so I dutifully ambushed, nabbing 4 birds: 82771, 2 of the spring kits, and 1 jNOBA. The last was just molting his crown, and thus must have been from a nest soon after their spring nest rather than a (recent) fall nest (!) 2001 (double entrance) 28 March 1400. Checked the old nesthole (#263): 9 eggs, at most 1-2 days incubated. 1st nest of the year! 3 April 1915. Jen & I watched roosting. 3 birds roosted in the nest. They were 82773 (for sure); 93180 (a helper; not positive but I saw F who MYDB and it + 93180 (h) almost has to be her) plus a 3rd bird who shot 93182 (see 4 April) (I saw light on the L leg - he's the only one who qualifies). So: 82771 could have been one of the 2 other birds but I don't think so. 4 April We tried again tonight, but failed to
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2001 Walter D Koenig 2 Melanerpes formicivorus Gate (4 April) get The ♂, who was in when we got there and never left. Otherwise, ♀3180 (a helper) came out left, and ♀3182 (another helper) dashed in the hole, so 2 birds roosted: ♂ (uk) and ♀3182. Based on this, I'd say that ♀3182 was the 3rd bird last night as well, not ♂3178. 5 April One more try tonight. 2 birds roosted: ♂2773 and the guy who zips in, presumably (but not definitively) ♀3182. ♀2969 came to the hole but didn't go in. 6 April 1000. Collected the eggs. Measured them: ① 25.0 × 19.5 ② 25.7 × 20.1 ③ 25.1 × 20.3 ④ 26.4 × 20.5 ⑤ 25.5 × 20.1 ⑥ 25.0 × 19.8 ⑦ 25.8 × 19.9 ⑧ 27.7 × 20.0 ⑨ 25.3 × 19.9. All look fertile! And all were. One was underdeveloped and probably wouldn't have hatched, but the rest looked fine. They are now #3330-3338. Let the renest begin! 23 April 1430. New nest in same hole! Again: 9 eggs (fresh). Measured one: 24.9 × 20.0. 27 April 1930. Watched roosting with Lance: ♂2773 roosted for sure, then a 2nd bird zipped in so fast we couldn't identify him (or her!). Looking back to the 1st nest, it would seem likely that this 2nd bird was ♀3182, a helper (see 4 April!). There's also a hole the birds are roosting in here that I'd not known about before!
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2001 2002 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Gate HNHR 4 May 1045. Checked the nest: 7 nestlings ~1 do +2 unhatched eggs, which I collected and will try to get tissue out of. Measured the 2 eggs: ② 25.8 × 20.3 (infertile? enbryo) ③ 24.8 × 19.0 (live chick - prob. would have died in the egg. Now #3371. 23 May 830. Banded and bled the 7 kids! 16 July 1400. Bird looking out of hole?! We checked it: empty. 20 July j3424 found stunned on the road. 6 October 0600. Finally ambushed someone here: getting j(8)3423 in the (double) hole and a ♀ NOBA in the high hole. So we got 1 one kid from the 2nd (missed!) nest. 2002 19 April 1410. Bird in high sycamore hole. 25 April Still stones here. But none in a hole. 22 May 1630. Bird in hole (same one w/ 2 entrances): 3 fresh eggs: Finally. Apparently laying. 3 June 1415. Checked the hole: 3 nestlings, ~2 da. (Band ~ 22 June). Final clutch was 3, by the way, so apparently only 1 ♀ here now? 13 June 9:00. Set up to catch the NOBA. 1200. Feeding, but very slowly. No NOBA. 1220. Got him! Now #3731. 21 June 1000. Banded the 3 kids. Not much in the way of stores seem to be left here.
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2002 2003 Walter Koeing Melanerpes formicivorus Gate HNHR 22 August No stores here, best I can tell. 2003 19 March 1545. Lindsay thought they might have something here, so I climbed up to the usual hole, cut another block out, and checked: empty, but in good shape. Meanwhile, in the hole above it, was the long dead remains of a bird: [illegible] / 1142-37639 Not sure what killed him, it's possible he got stuck but I hope not. In any case, I pulled it out. 8 April 1000. Checked the lower hole (#263) again: still nothing, although they are quite interested so something may be up. I also opened the old hole above #263, where it's kind of damp and a starling has brought in a couple of sticks already, 11 April 1200. Turns out I was checking the wrong hole! They're in a new one, higher up on the old limb closer to the gate. It's now tagged #5554. They have 3 babies, ~5 do, +1 unhatched & undeveloped eggs (25.4 x 19.3). 26 April 900. Banded the 3 kids. Stores? You bet. 22 May 1200. Checked old hole (tag 263): 6 fresh eggs. Possibly still laying. Meanwhile, there was a starling nest in the hole just above it with eeggs, which I cleared out & cleaned up. 18 June 1100. Banded the 5 kids in the 2nd nest here. Acorn? Oh yes.
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2004 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Gale HNHR 17 Apr 930. Bird in last year's hole. 1400. Checked hole: empty. Birds clearly interested in it, though. 5 May 1515. Bird in hole (#5554). 3 fresh eggs: ① 25.8 × 20.4 ② 25.2 × 20.2 ③ 25.3 × 20.3. 11 May 1015. 4 eggs. #4: 24.8 × 19.3. EHD: 17 May 20 May 1300. 1 baby, young (1-2 do) + 3 unhatched (but still might, I guess) eggs. Band ~ 9 June. 1 June Bora Starling babies in their old hole by the way (the one with the 2 entrances). 1630. Cleaned out a nest + 4 kids (starlings!) from hole #263. 9 June 1200. Banded the 1 kid here! 24 Aug No stores left here, 12 Sept 1800 1300. A nest here! 2 kids ~ 7-8 do. Band ~ 26 Sept. 25 Sept 1530. Caught #225 (and banded the 2 kids, taking blood for SI analysis. 27 Sept 1400. Checked the kids for their 1st & 2nd primaries, both of which are still finger & weak: ...94 (Maure) sheath 8 6 19 whale 15 17 34 ...93 sheath 4 4 21 whale 14 15 34 29 Sept 1345. Checked the kids. The new "thick" 1st & 2nd primaries have started to grow out, stuck at their tips to the
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2000 2001 Walter Droeing Melanerpes formicivorus Pipeline HNHR 18 Apr 1220. Stores: Yes, Bird in hole: Yes. (old hole in sycamore granary facing N). 19 Apr 1030. Checked nest: 5 eggs, incubated (est HD: 24 Apr) 2 Measured: 25.9 × 19.7 and 25.9 × 19.5 mm. 15 May 1830. Banded the 4 kids in the rain. Plenty of stores left here. 5 Sept. Bird in hole, (high hole), but no eggs or anything, No stores either, best I could tell. 2001 12 Apr 1145. Bird in new hole in granary (between old holes) 1615. Opened hole (tag #1304): 3 eggs, incubated. Measured 2: ① 25.8 × 19.0 ② 25.4 × 18.6. EHD 4/17. 19 Apr 1310. 4 babies, ~2 do. Huh. How did I miss an egg?? Oh well. Band ~ 8 May. 7 May 1030. Banded the 3 kids here (#3378-3380) 4 June 1700. Opened the 2nd nest, in a new hole (now tagged 1323): 4 inc. eggs. Measured them: ① 26.2 × 18.2 ② 26.9 × 18.4 ③ 25.7 × 19.1 ④ 25.7 × 18.4. 11 June 1400. 4 babies, a good 5 days old. Band ~ 26 June. 26 June 1400. Banded the 3 kids. (#3354-3356).
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2002 2003 2004 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Pipeline HNHR 12 April 1315. Bird in last year's 2nd nest hole. 1400. Checked hole: in good shape but empty. Plenty of stores here. 4 June 1400. Bird apparently flushing from The lowest hole (old) in the other limb The last couple of days, so I checked it: empty. Still stores here, however. 22 August No stores left. 2003 5 May 1410. I think I finally found The nest - it's in one of the dead spindly sycamores over next to the creek. Almost impossible to see! 6 May 1230. Got up there - It's really in a fairly inaccessible spot. Oh well! 4 fresh eggs. ① 26.0 × 18.7 ② 27.0 × 18.7 ③ 27.2 × 18.3 ④ 27.0 × 19.1 Hatch ~ 17 May. 18 May 1240. Checked hole: 3 kids ~ 2 do. Banded ~ 6 June. Set ambusher for the NOBA 1 June 1100. Got the NOBA! Other 2 (92462 & 3576) feeding also. Banded & bled the 3 kids. 2004 11 May Still looking pretty much deserted out here. 14 May 1300. Bird (♀) here, checking things out? By the way, hole 1323 was lots of light shining in and is probably unusable. 25 May No sign of anyone here today.
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2000 2001 2002 Waltird Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Wolfpack HNHR 18 April 1230. Couldn't find anyone in a hole, but there are a few acorns remaining here. 19 May 1345. Bird! Baby noises! Nest in the Sycamore! Went up - 2 kids, old! Banded & bled. 5 Sept. Bird flushed from the old low hole in the forest, so I checked it: old wren nest. I cleaned it out, so it could be used again in the future. No stores left here. 2001 28 March 1500. Opened the 2000 nest hole (now tagged #1306) as a bird was looking out. It needed depening, so it wasn't easy. But: it was empty. 5 April 1430. Bird in hole again, but it's still empty. 12 April 1200. Bird in hole: 3 eggs, freshish. 23 April 1500. 3 babies, 1-2 do. Banded ~5/12. 12 May 1500. Banded the 3 kids, #3395-3397. 5 May 1115. Bird in (same) hole: 5 eggs, a few days incubated. Measured them: ① 24.9 x 19.6 ② 25.2 x 19.5 ③ 26.0 x 19.6 ④ 25.5 x 19.9 ⑤ 25.7 x 20.0 2002 12 April There are at least a few acorns still stored here. 23 April 1245. Bird in 2001 hole (#1306). Opened: mucky at bottom; cleared out as best I could but will still need work, 22 August No stores
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2003 2004 Walter D Koering Melamurpes [illegible] Wolfpack HNNR 8 Apr 1400. Bird at hole: empty, but basically ready to go. 25 Apr 1400. Birds in artificial nest cavity over in the granary! Checked hole: 8 fresh eggs (no nerts). 9 May 1600. 4 kids, ~7 days old. Set ambush; get those FF in about a week. Band ~23 May. 17 May 815. Set up to get a NOBA. Acorns still in this tree (stored), by the way. 1039. Got one. One to go (tomorrow, perhaps). 18 May 830. Trying for #2. 900. Missed her! Trying again. 930. Got her! Banded her and the 4 kids (1 a runt). 14 June 1135. Lindsay had seen a bird in the (artificial) hole, so I checked it, but there ain't nothin' in it now. 6 July 1530. Checked nest hole - zilch. 2004 11 May No sign of anyone here so far.
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2000 2001 2002 Walter Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Road 1 HNHR 18 April 1240. Bird in the hole where we presumably missed the nest last year. Still stores here. 19 April 1050. Checked hole (#297): 7 eggs, fresh. (EHD: 28 April). Measured 3: 25.8×19.7; 26.1×19.6; 26.0×19.8. 2 May 830. Checked nut: 6 babies - 1 on way out + collected. No unhatched eggs. Kids ~ 3-4 do. Band ~ 19 May. 19 May 1200. Banded the 5 babies here. [illegible]. 5 Sept. No stores left. None in holes 2001 12 April 1245. Bird in usual hole (#297): 4 eggs, fresh. (EHD 22 April). 23 April 1530. 1 egg hatched, 3 to go. Band ~ 14 May. Measured 2 eggs: ① 24.9×19.5 ② 24.3×19.5. 14 May 1100. Banded the 3 kids (#3402-3404), 5 June 1130. Bird in (same) hole: 2 fresh eggs. Measured then: ① 25.2×20.5 ② 24.8×19.8. 11 June 1600. 5 eggs: ③ 25.7×20.4 ④ 26.3×19.5 ⑤ 25.3×20.3. Should hatch ~ 6/17. 2002 22 May Out of stores, best I can tell. Still roost in a hole. 6 June 830. I found a new hole in their normal Valley Oak That they roosted in last night so I opened it today: empty + relatively new.
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2003 2004 2005 Walt & Penny Melanerpes formicivorus Road 1 HNNR 11 Apr 7 1245. Bird in old hole in the valley oak over by the Creek: 7 eggs, fresh. Measured them: ① 25.1 x 18.4 ② 26.1 x 19.3 ③ 25.2 x 18.6 ④ 26.6 x 19.2 ⑤ 25.2 x 19.0 ⑥ 25.1 x 18.8 ⑦ 25.4 x 18.4. 26 Apr 7 930. 4 babies, ~5 do, +1 dead (but developed) eggs. Band ~ 11 May. M B 2 13 May 1645. Banded the 4 kids. Stores: yes. (Hole #297). 24 June 1H5. Bird in hole (same one): 3 inc eggs. ① 25.7 x 18.3 ② 26.1 x 19.9 ③ 26.9 x 19.0. 1 July 1545. 3 kids, 1-2 do. Band ~ 20 July. 30 Dec. 700. Ambushed here, in the normal hole, getting all 3 adults. But no juv, which Jay or Andrew thought he saw here earlier this month. Given that all adults were here, I suspect that if there was a kid, he's probably gone by now - unless there's a hole I don't know about (where the nest may have been)! 2004 26 March 600. Ambushed at a new hole ~18' up in the Road Sycamore, getting the same 3 birds again! No NOBA, although a 4th bird did call from the area while I was taking them out so maybe there is another bird... I'm getting rid of the "NOBA" from the putative fall nest here: although seen once by the FAs, There's been no subsequent evidence he/she exists. 2005
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2000 2001 Walt D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Finch: 3 April 2000. At long last a successful ambush here in the middle hole of the leaning sycamore. Got 2 birds, 8'2449 and a 9NOBA, who was definitely an adult (A2Y) - not a kid from 1999, late or early. (Based on old feathers; square primaries, no tail spots, old 30, etc.) 18 April 1245. None in any (known) hole. Also, no stores here that I can find. 19 May 1130. Bird in middle hole in the sycamore! Checked it: 2 hatchlings + 1 unhatched but developed egg (could still hatch): 27.1 x 18.4 mm. (Same hole where we caught the birds on 3 April.) Band ~ 8 June. 9 June 1100. Banded the 3 kids. Still can't find any stores. 5 Sept. Still no stores nor bird in hole. 9 Sept. 600. Ambushed the low old nest hole in the sycamore next to the road (old granary tree), getting only j [8] 3260. Teresa reports a 5NOBA here, possibly from a 1999 nest (before we really knew this group existed)? That's who I'm trying to get. 2001 10 May I can't find notuin' here. Furthermore, this may be the only group on the whole study that doesn't seem to have any stores. Is it even still here? They've been erratic, at best, all year. 25 May 1600. And the answer is: Yes! Not only that, but they have 4 kids fairly old in a new hole (now
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2001 2002 2003 2004 Waltrid Koerig Melanerpes famiciramus Finds (25 May) tagged (321) on the SW side of the road in a dead sycamore near the road. I banded them #3441- 3444. 2002 22 May No sign of much here so far. Even The "mystery" granary across from MacFlat (tagged HNHR 1664) appears used up; not much left out here in terms of stores. 2003 20 Apr There are definitely stores in the "burned out" granary; there are birds here somewhere. 13 May 1715. Bird in middle hole of old sycamore! 17 May 845. Bird in hole again! Time to get up there 18 May 1200. Checked hole; 4 eggs, incubated. ① 26.3×18.6 ② 24.5×17.9 ③ 25.5×18.2 ④ 26.7×18.2. EHD ~ 21 May. 27 May 930. 3 kits, ~8 days old. Band 9 June. 2 June 1600. Caught the NOBA ♀ here at the nest. 6 June 830. Banded #6 led the 3 kids. Stores: definitely 2004 17 Apr Old sycamore has fallen! Rats! Where will these guys nest now? 11 May No stores left here. Not much sign of life, really. 25 May Bird in hole in the Live Oak up the hill! 26 May 1200. Opened both holes in The Live Oaks. Higher one is not quite deep enough; lower one is passable
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2001 2002 Walter D Koening Melanopus formicivorus Macflat HNNR 3 May Previously I've been calling this group Road 3, but since there's a new group over there, we need to call this one (closer to Finch) Macflat again. In any case, at 0830 we checked the new (lower) hole in the tall tree and found 5 fresh eggs. ① 23.7 × 19.8 ② 24.5 × 20.0 ③ 24.7 × 20.2 ④ 23.8 × 19.2 ⑤ 24.0 × 19.6 Hole is tagged #1311. 16 May 1445. 3 banded, ~4-5 so. Band 1 time, Set an ambush. 25 May 915. Ready for a NOBA. 922. Q wh/wh #3210. 4 trips! 935. A banded 8! > DA/M or 2797!! 945. So far only these 2? 1015. Still only the 2. I think they're it! 1230. Went ahead and banded the 3 kids (3438-3440). 2002 22 May No sign of a nest or of remaining stores here.
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2000 2001 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Road 3 [illegible] 1250. Only a few stores left, best I can tell. None in any holes, either. 22 April 1445. Opened the new hole, high in the VD where we presumably missed the nest last year (but a new hole below the old one) 5 eggs, fresh (EHD: 1 May) Measured one: 23.7 x 19.3. 2 May 815. Checked nest: 4 babies (1 runtish) + 1 unhatched egg. Just hatched, probably yesterday. Band ~ 23 May. The unhatched egg was opaque but not pipped. 23 May Banded & bled the 3 kids. Looks like only a very few acorns left. 22 June Checked the hole (birds in it last 2 days) but it's empty. 31 August 1100. Bird in hole! 1415. Checked hole: 3 fresh eggs! 5 Sept. 1330. Checked hole: 4 eggs. EHD: 11 Sept. 2 October 1130. Banded & bled the 3 kids. 2001 13 March Ambushed this morning, getting 2 & 2y kids from last year (3317, +3210). This suggests that a new NOBA hasn't taken over here, contrary to Lauryn's suspicions. 17 April 1430. Bird in the new hole in the old R3 sycamore: opened it, but empty. 23 April 1645. Bird in new hole (now #1308): 5 fresh eggs 4 May 1100. 4 babies, 1 do (no eggs). Set ambusher, 16 May 1015. Got the δ.
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2001 2002 2003 WaltD Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Road 3 HNHR 17 May 1300. Got the ♀ (after about 5 min)! Banded heras #3417; Then banded the 3 kids (3418-3420), even though they're a tad young. 2002 22 May No sign of much here so far, including any remaining stores. 2003 8 April Bird in (new) hole. 1545. Opened hole: not bad, but empty so far. No stores over here by the way (at least in The sycamore or the Valley Oak across the road).
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2000 2001 2002 Waltford Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus School Hill HNHR 12 April Plenty of stores, but noone in any holes here. 24 April 1030. A touch of power struggling still up here, me thinks. 18 May Still stores. No sign of a nest still. 31 May 945. Checked the nest: 6 babies, 2-3 do + 3 unhatched + undeveloped eggs, 1 of which is a nunt. 19 June 1000. Banded the 1 and only baby here!! There are still stores here. 20 July Only a very few acorns left, best I can tell. 31 August Noone in any holes. Out of acorns, I believe. 6 Sept. 930. Checked The higher old hole, where there was a bird yesterday afternoon. Empty. 2001 18 April 1045. Bird in hole (tag #276): empty, but in good shape. 24 April 1035. Hole still empty. 7 May 1700. Finally: 5 eggs (hole 276): ① 25.5 x 20.2 ② 26.2 x 21.0 ③ 26.2 x 20.9 ④ 26.6 x 20.3 ⑤ 25.7 x 20.8. Eggs a couple days incubated; EHD ~ 16 May. 17 May 1600. 4 babies 2-3 do + 1 unhatched eggs. Band ~ 4 June. 1 June 500. Banded the 3 kits here. 26 June Spent part at 1830. Bird in (same) hole; checked it: empty. 2002 17 April 1515. Bird in hole 276. Checked it: needs some cleaning still! Definitely acorns still here. 10 May 1600. Hole 276 still not fixed up, but I put in wood chips and now it's ready to go, if anyone here
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2002 2003 2004 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus School Hill HNNHR 22 May 1350. Called and got noone, but then when I started to climb a bird poked his head out of last year's hole (tag 276): 3 eggs, fresh (I rant); presumably still laying. Measurements: ① 24.8 x 20.3 ② 23.8 x 19.2 ③ 17.9 x 14.8 (calipers checked), Should check in a few days for final clutch size. 28 August No stores left up here. 2003 18 April Bird in traditional hole (#276). 1800. Opened hole: empty. 26 April 1515. Noone anywhere, but checked hole #276 anyway: still empty. 17 May 1330. Acorns and birds here; still no sign of a nest. Hole #276 still empty. 30 Sept Stored acorns here. 2004 14 May Not much in the way of stores here. Checked the traditional hole (tag 276): empty, but in good shape. I take it back: There are some stores here! Not a lot, but definitely some. 13 June Still are a few stores here. 26 Aug No stores left, or so few as to hardly count.
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2000 2001 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus School Hill B HNHR 28 Nov 830. Finally got a bird here, where one of the SHil 88 budded off last summer and bred with a ♀ NOBA. [illegible] Unfortunately, it was only 1 bird, but it was the juv, most likely the only survivor from the missed nest. In any case, she was just molting her crown, so the nest must have been quite late or maybe even an early fall nest (like August). Still a NOBA ♀ here, however, as far as I know. They're storing just in the old crumbling bank of The Valley Oak snag above The enclosure. This is also where I caught the bird. 21 December 730. Ambushed again up here, this time getting the 2 adults: 82863 and the ♀NOBA, now #3328. Everyone should be banded here now, finally. 2001 valley 7 May 1700. Nest in the hole in the dead [illegible] oak (prob. used last year as well; now tagged #1314): 5 eggs, a couple days inc. (EHD: 15 May). ① 26.5 × 20.0 ② 27.1 × 20.4 ③ 26.8 × 19.5 ④ 26.0 × 20.4 ⑤ 25.6 × 20.0 17 May 1600. 5 babies, ~3-4 do. Band ~ 3 June. 31 May 1030. Set up to get the ♀NOBA, 0♀ BLK(B-WCN) #3328. ① NOBA. Is 82863 still here? These 2 are feeding a lot, and noone else is in evidence.
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2001 Walter D. Poenig 2 Melanerpes formicivorus School Hill B [Named ch. to "Sch Hill Annex"] HNHR (31 May) 1240.! There is a FNBBA feeding here! 1300. Giving up - too late, the birds are only dipping in at best. But it would appear that there's a new (breeder, I presume) ♀ along with what I can only guess is a FNBBA helper from last year. 82863 is nowhere to be seen, 1310. Waited a bit after all and nabbed the FNBBA! Then banded The kids and set up for a dawn ambush to get the ♂. 1 June 415. Ambusher messed up! 735. Back to try again during feeding. 810. ♀3328. The ♀ I caught yesterday, by the way, ♂ is almost certainly a 2Y bird, probably from the missed nest. Of course, assuming a new ♂ here, both she and ♀3324, if she's still here, have presumably inherited; even though they don't seem to have laid eggs. 900. Just ♀3328 feeding so far. 912. Over foraging: ♂? 3328 or -DB [The one I captured]. 935. No sign of a male yet. Will come back later. Lance watched for 3 hrs later in the day, but still no ♂. 2 June 430. This morning the ambusher worked, but no one was in with the kids. 26 June 1630. Peeped the nest hole: empty.
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2002 Walter D Koenig 2003 2004 Melanerpes formicivorus School Hill Anney H NHR ? 22 May 1345. Still not much in the way of life up here. I can't even find any acorns in the granary, although I don't consider that strong evidence that they're out. Nonetheless, none seen in a hole up here yet this spring. 2003 17 May 1300. Can't seem to find much here, but there are still acorns stored in their granary, so they're here somewhere. 29 May 1745. Bird in old hole in Tree 4 of the exclosure! f. Opened it (it's now quite deep): 6 incubated eggs (1 a runt). ① 28.3 x 20.2 ② 28.9 x 20.2 ③ 25.7 x 19.5 ④ 28.9 x 20.5 ⑤ 29.6 x 20.6 ⑥ 19.5 x 15.1 Yes! Still stores here. 23 June 1330. Banded & bled the 5 kids here. 30 Sept A fair number of stored acorns here! 2004 13 June Birds have been here all spring, but never any sign of a nest. 26 Aug No stores left here that I could find.
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2000 2001 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus School Hill West HNHR 7 Feb 945. Went up here with Teresa. Didn't see any birds, but there are >100 stored acorns in the granary. 12 April Stores here, but none in any holes. 20 July No stores left. 4 April 1000. Bird in (upper) hole: 4 fresh eggs. Hole tagged #1301. 9 April 1900. At roosting, I thought I saw #3111, but I wouldn't swear to it. Next time try the left side--it's too bright over here on the right. (See 10 April; scratch this one.) 10 April 1900. OK. Tonight I got him for sure, and it was Red-or/DB #3113, not 83111. Given my ambivalence last night and the similarity of the 2 evenings (it's not like anyone else even seems to have thought about roosting here), I think I should scrap yesterday's watch and just go with 83113. 12 April 1908. He waited until it was quite late, but-- 83113 was definitely the rooster again tonight. So: 83113 3/2 by himself for sure; I might "und." 13 April 1330. Came to collect the eggs, but got 2 surprises. First, there was a 8 not on the field list in the hole: 8 DG/872-42804 31/2. Second, the 4 eggs were all fresh and clean--i.e. they look like they'd just been laid! It's possible they're all infertile; I should check in a couple of days.
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2001 Walld D Koenig Melanerpes famiciorum School Hill West HNHR (13 April) Alternatively, and, given how clean and fresh the eggs looked, it's more likely, I'd guess that the 1st set I found on 4 April is gone and that this is the replacement clutch! Odd! So! The ♂ is 3112 from 1800, another brother of the 2 ♂♂ we knew were here. Perhaps his appearance here is related to the apparent disappearance of the clutch? 18 April 1115. Lance reported virtually no activity here, so I came fearing the worst and found it: nest is empty. I still suspect cobreefer ♂ problems. 24 April 1000. None in any holes. Still stores. 4 May 1610. Bird in same hole! 6 eggs, fresh. Measured 3:① 25.5 × 20.3 ② 25.5 × 20.1 ③ 25.7 × 19.8.] Remarks). 5/9. 8 May 1930. Tonight ♂ M/a 3111 came to the hole, but only ♂ Red-Or/alk 3113 roosted in the nest. 9 May 840. Took the 6 eggs and put them into the incubator. The other 3:④ 25.3 × 20.1 ③ 25.7 × 20.6 ⑥ 25.7 × 20.2 ① 25.7 × 20.2 ② 25.9 × 20.5 ③ 25.6 × 20.2 ← All six! On the ground, I found I almost intact egg, no doubt from one of the prior nests. It was empty except for a 1/4" hole in the side. It measured 26.3 × 20.2. All the eggs are pretty translucent except for 1; I hope this doesn't mean that only it's fertile! 11 May One of the 6 eggs hatched and is now #3394.
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2001 Walter D Koening Melanerpes formicivorus School Hill West HNMR (11 May) None of the other 5 eggs are developed Which means that either they're infertile or they were all laid long after the one that's hatched. We'll see. Assuming 11 days, the hatched one should have been laid no later than 30 April (and incubated since then...!) While I know that the last 3 eggs were laid 5-7 May and shouldn't hatch until ~18 May. Odd, to say the least, but it's clear they only would have ended up with this one kid so perhaps it's just as well I took the clutch. 17 May The 5 eggs are still looking undeveloped. 1530. None in a hole here. Still acorns. 29 May 830. Checked the nest (which also has 5 eggs). None have hatched. This is worrisome, given the track record of the prior nest. But at least 2 of the eggs do look developed, so may be it will be OK, despite the fact that they should have hatched by now. 31 May 1430. Checked the nest: 2 babies, 1-2 do, + 4 unhatched eegs, 2 of which developed and could still hatch, I suppose, for all the good it will do them. At least somebody hatched! Band ~ 6/19. 14 June 1130. Banded the 3 kids.
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2002 2003 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Sch. Hill West HNHR 17 Apr 1445. No stores here, best I can tell. Also none in the holes. 22 May 877) 27ch here. 2003 26 Apr 1500. Nothing much here: no stores or sign of birds. Worse yet, the limb in the granary with all the nest holes fell, taking with it all but the lowest (old) hole. 9 May 1745. Wandered all around here, seeing no sign of anyone until I was walking up to the granary, at which point a bird (I only) flew off. It's unclear if there's a decent hole left here - even the low one looks potentially compromised. (But possibly fixable; I need to go up and take a look) 1800 Climbed up and checked: hole is still potentially sound. The limb, on the other hand, I'm not so sure of. I fear that if they use it I may have to bring a ladder up (20' should be enough, thankfully). 17 May 1300. Very quiet up here; no sign of anyone anywhere. 29 May 1620. Again - dead up here. 23 June 1300. The 2 kids are here and fine, [illegible] @ 80 we banded them. Stores? Not as far as I can tell. 30 Sept. No birds seen, but there are a few stored acorns!
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2000 2001 2002 Walther Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Black Oak Still H NHR 23 May 1030. Dead... stores. Joey checked the hole: 4 eggs, incubated. EHD ~ 27 May. (Could hatch any day.) Measured one: 26.9 x 20.2 mm. 16 June 1430. Banded the 4 kids. Still a few stores here. 20 July Out of stores. 2001 5 April 1015. Bird in hole - the curved limb hole, not the PO tree. 10 April 1415. Bird flew out of hole. Checked it: 3 eggs, 1-2 days incubated (?) Or maybe they're still laying? 19 April 1300. 3 babies, ~1 do. Band ~ 9 May. 3 May 1430. Banded + bled the 3 kids (#3364 - 3366) 6 May! 1200. 2nd nest in the (very) old hole that you can rope-climb to: 4 babies, ~2 do. Band ~ 25 June. 13 June After 2 watches by Lance where nobody came, I checked the nest which is empty. 19 June 1300. 2 birds in 1st nesthole. (Adults, so something could be going on.) 26 June 1515. Nobody in the hole, but we checked it anyway: 4 eggs, incubated. One didn't look developed, but the rest could hatch anytime. I measured the eggs; see Joey's notes for the numbers. 16 July 1230. Banded the 3 kids here. 2002 12 March Stores doing OK here. 12 April Still stores! Nobody in any holes, though 2 May Stores: Yes. Bird in hole: NO.
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2002 2003 2004 Waltard Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Black Oak HNHR (2 May) All pretty quiet over here. 31 May 1300. Finally went up to check The usual hole: 4 inc eggs (EHD ~3 June). See Joey's notes for Measurements (calipers chkd.) 5 June Just hatching - 2 hatchlings, 2 eggs; all will probably hatch. 25 June Banded and bled the 3 kids. There are acorns left here. 30 August No stores left. 2003 26 April 1300. Bird in traditional hole; flew out; didn't hear anything, so perhaps still eggs? Need to get the ladder up here. 30 April 1540. Finally got the ladder up here to check the hole: 2 kids, ~3 do; no other eggs or anything. Band ~19 May. 20 May 1030. Banded & bled the 2 kids here. Plenty of stores. 18 June 1540. Bird in the lower old hole facing The Arnold road. Flew out, but I should check it if it happens again. 26 June 1145. Opened the old hole: 3 kids, a good 15-16 days old! 29 June 1130. Banded the 3 kids. Plenty of stores left. 2004 29 April The traditional nest hole (in the tall limb) seems to have been taken over by bees! 10 August Out of stores!
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2000 2001 Walter Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Phobo HNHR 13Apr 1115. Nesting in hole in PO tree (presumably this is Phobo- could, of course, be BLK-Oak). 3 eggs, incubated. 21Apr 1300. 3 babies, 3-4 do. Band: 8 May. 5May 900. Greg set up to catch the NOBA. Still 3 kids. 11May 1030. Me here trying to catch the NOBA. 1130. 4 birds so far: 92214, 8 2634, 9 2821, and a 8 Red/M? [Red band faded.] [Apparently 82825] (back) Did a 90 min watch. Only the above 4 birds seen; no sign of a NOBA (or the other banded birds). 27June Still stores here. No sign of a 2nd nest. 20 July A few stores left. 1September I don't see any stores, but, Teresa saw a bird in the hole and they do indeed have a nest (':) 4 eggs + 1 hatchling, Band ~ 21 Sept.! 7Sept. 1315. Checked the nest: empty (a few egg shells only). Nice try, however. 2001 (Bianca Negra) 5Apr 1030. Bird in old hole in the Black Oak over toward Bianca: 4 eggs, incubated. 10Apr 1500. Checked hole: hatching. 3 hatchlings + 1 fertile but unhatched egg that probably will hatch. Band ~ 1 May. There are actually stored acorns in this tree, which makes me wonder whether this is not Phobo, but an entirely new group. We'll see, I guess. 18Apr Based on watches so far, this looks like a new group. Which we'll call Bianca Negra.
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Note: 82825 was seen as a ♂ by Diane Wong in Dec. 1997, then fleetingly as a ♀ in Feb. 1998. The He/she was never seen again, but basically we've had few watches and assuming he was missexed (he was in as a ♀) it would explain why he wasn't seen again. There is no plausible ♂ Red/M other than 82825, who is apparently still a helper. 23 May Wrong'. It's not 82825, it's 82910 (I think). In any case, Greg got the Left Leg; The R leg is ♂ Mauwe/M
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2001 2002 2003 Walter D Poening Melanerpes formicivorus Phoebus HNHR (18 Apr) So: still need a nest here. 24 May 1500. Finally got the nest here - it's it is one of the holes in the N-facing limb of the old granary - but not the hole I thought they were interested in! And, to add insult to injury, it has 2 old babies in it! With luck we didn't miss any, but it is possible. 29 June Checked the nesthole - Peromyscus nest; cleaned out. 16 July 1200. Bird looking out of new nest hole! Opened it: 1 kid! Take note: these birds apparently do not look out!! This is the second one, both of which we only found because the kid looked out. See details on the hole, which is just above the 1997 hole, on the back. 2002 12 March Fair number of stores remaining here. 12 April 1000. Still stores. 8 (Bil/R-WIN) #2985 on granary. 2 May Stores: Yes. Bird in hole: no. 28 May 1115. Babies squawking in Black Oak below main area! Opened new hole: 2 kids, old! Banded them as #3697-3698. 30 August Out of stores. 2003 10 April Bird in (last year's) hole.
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16 July 2nd Nest Hole (Hole 87) 2001 Tag 1328 HT 25' Dir 450 Angle -650 DNH 1.76M Same tree as prior nest (1/2m above 1997 nest hole, which is filled w acorns) hole#16
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2003 Walter D Koenig 2004 Melanerpes formicivorus Photo HNNH- (10 Apr) 1430. Opened the (old) hole: 5 eggs (1 a runt); fresh ① 23.4 x 20.0 ② 23.0 x 19.4 ③ 24.7 x 19.5 ④ 24.6 x 19.5 ⑤ 19.2 x 14.4. 26 Apr) 1300. 4 babies (1 on way out), 4-5 days old, no eggs. Band ~ 12 May. (Hole #5556) 10 May 1300. Still 4 kids. Set ambusher, hoping to get the NOBA here in a couple of days. 13 May 1400. Banded The 4 kids. NOBA didn't feed, so he's still at large. Acorns: you bet. 2004 14 March 600. After ambushing the 2003 nest hole plus a new hole in the Black Oak (and getting zilch) I ambushed at the Poison Oak tree (old nest hole) where we saw all the birds come out yesterday morning, and got - 1 bird! 63263. Pretty disappointing. 13 May 1115. On a complete lark, I climbed up the black oak and checked the new hole I opened in March, and pulled out - 1 very old nestling! I had to take him down to bleed him, returning him a couple hours later. Unfortunately, I could very well have missed other nestlings here. 19 May 1500. Set an ambush at the 1st nest hole, and checked the other (higher) hole (tagged 5556); 3 kids, ~2 do! Band ~ 7 June. Lots of stores here.
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2004 WaltirD Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Phobo 2 June 1120. Set up to try and get The ♂ NOBA here at The nest. 1140. ♂ m/red-wm #2985. 1220. ♂ m/da #3263, Feeding acorn bitz 1300. Finally a ♀, but missed her bands (or she didn't have any). 1350. ♂ m/am-wm(nv) #3120. Pushed out of the way by ♂ 3263. Sex not seen, but definitely not B1k-BPk(N) - LL seen well, actually. 1410. Quitting for now. 3 June 845. Back to try again. 954. ♂ 2985. 1022. ♀ la-wm(nv)/da #2821 for sure. On later visits the LL band looked redder, albeit fairly faded. 1105. ♂ m/da #3263. 1302. Gave up; caught ♀ 2821 for stable isotopes and banded the 2 kits. 5 June 500. Ambushed 3 holes - pretty much everything except The (current) nest - and got a grand total of 1 bird: ♂ 3120. (In the previously unopened hole in The side tree.) 10 August STILL stores remaining here.
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2000 2001 Walter Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Arnold 1 HNHR 1 June 1430. Banded the 3 kids. There appear to be just a few acorns left here. 27 June Still a few stores left. 20 July Still a (very) few stores left. 1 September Out of stores. No one in any holes. Teresa, by the way, reports a ♀ NOBA here, which would imply no incest here last spring after all. 2001 18 April 1500. Bird in high hole: 3 eggs, fairly fresh. 1 May 1200. 4 babies ~2 do + 1 unhatched egg (22.6 x 18.5). Set up the ambush. 15 May 915. Set to try and get the ♀ NOBA. Coming to the nest: ① ♀ Yel/M #2034 ② ♂ Bk/Lp #3088 ③ ♀ Wh-La/Lg #3239. ④ ♂ MBB-Ye(W) #3031. ⑤ ♀ NV/LeaWh #3030. ⑥ ♂ Bk/LB #2809, 1130. A fair number of feeds & births, but no indication of a NOBA. What's up here? 1155. I'm moderately sure there's no NOBA here. Leaving. 23 May 1000. Banded the 4 kids here. 7 June 800. Bird in (other) nest hole. 9 June 700. Opened hole (tag 269): 5 eggs, ~2d inc. ① 24.0 x 19.0 ② 24.8 x 18.2 ③ 24.0 x 18.5 ④ 24.6 x 18.9 ⑤ 24.8 x 19.0. EID ~ 18 June. 19 June 1315. 4 babies ② 2-3 do + 1 developed but unhatched egg. Band ~ 7 July.
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2002 2003 2004 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Arnold 1 HNHR 12 March Lots of acorns stored here. 12 April Still many stores. 12 June Still stores. Still no sign of a nest. 2003 3 April Power struggle up here today! 17 April 165. Bird in traditional (high) hole. 19 April 1100. Checked the (high) hole: empty. 21 April Bird in the (high) hole again! 30 May Still stores, no one in a hole (but at least birds were up near the old nest hole). 12 June 1630. A possible nest here? See Keep Out notes. Meanwhile, I checked the (high) hole just in case: it's still empty. 11 June Michelle watched at The nest, and it is Arnold1. Incest?? (No - Kout 85 here now) 18 June 1730. Nest empty. Tagged #5818. Stores? Yes; definitely. 2004 10 August !Ceranamy was fallen! It's history. This is since Catherine's last census in July. Leaves are brown so it wasn't in the last week or so. No telling what they might do here.
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2000 Waltir D Koenig 2001 2002 Melanerpes formicivorus Keep Out HNHR early Feb. 6. Due to a screwup by The Bradley's, The Keep Out granary was cut down; virtually a total loss. 23 May 1230. Checked nest: 2 kids, ~7 do. Band ~ 6 June. 5 June 1100. Banded the 2 kids. There are a few acorns still in one of The limbs around here, but not much; without their granary there aren't many places to store anymore. 2001 31 May The very nice-looking hole Joey pointed out in the 3rd Valley Oak going up the hill on Hastings does indeed have old babies in it! We'll have to come back and open it tomorrow, however. [Hole tagged #1326] 19 June 1300. Bird in the opened hole in the live (90 covered) Valley Oak on the Lambert site; The 2nd time. 1400. Opened it: 3 inc eggs! Measured one: 25.8 x 20.5 Tagged the hole #1329. 26 June 1500. 3 6abies ~ 5 do. Band ~ 12 July. 2002 12 March Several birds here, but nowhere much to store. The old Live Oak nest tree has fallen, by the way. ! There are a few stored acorns in one of the deat limbs of the Valley Oak just up toward Lambert. 2 May 945. Bird in hole (1326): 4 not-totally-fresh eggs! Measured them (calipers watched carefully): ① 24.0 x 19.3 ② 24.7 x 19.6 ③ 24.3 x 19.3 ④ 24.0 x 19.3
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2002 Walter D Poenig Melanerpes formicivorus Keep Out (2 May) EHD: ~9 May (a guess). But we have no real idea about who might be here, so we should watch sooner. 8 May 1220. SH14 eggs. 1935. Too many birds roosting in the nest! At least 3. Definitely & Miret-Balk #2647. [illegible] Unfortunately I messed up on the other 2 and can't be sure who they were. I should have taped it all. I think They were 3 Lc-20M - probably 82684, plus a bird with a narrow split band; one of The helper 88? (3252) 9 May 1100. Turns out There are 2 brooding brothers here; a nice experimental group! So I took the 4 eggs, which should be close to hatching. 22 May 930. Checked The (same) hole: 5 fresh eggs. See Joey's notes for details. 31 May Doug pointed out something that explains a lot here: apparently these birds have taken over the dead granary over at FAAR. This explains why Jen thought KOUT had taken over FAAR, when in fact both groups are still intact. It also means that these guys have lots of stores! 12 June 1330. Bled & weighed the 4 kids, just in case (#3727-3730) 17 June 1300. Banded the 4 kids.
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2003 Wallford Kenny Meleornipes famocerarus Keep Out HNHR 10 May 1000. Bird in the hole just up from the turnaround (i.e., in KeepOut area, not over at Fanny Arnold). Checked it: 4 eggs, a couple days incubated. However, the odd thing was that 3 of them (at least) had small punctures in the shell, and will surely not develop. (Looks like a good candidate for a transplant from the experimental LODO eggs). They are: ① 24.8 × 19.8 ② 26.8 × 19.6 ③ 24.9 × 19.2, and ④ 25.3 × 18.7. 1,2,4 had punctures; 3 may have also but I didn't notice one. 4 June 1330. Banded The 1 kid here. 10 June 1630. Walking by the tree down near the road just down from the next tree (see back) I flushed a bird from a hole, which I opened to find 2 incubated (almost hatching, if they're going to hatch) eggs! (① 24.1 × 18.7 ② 250 × 19.7). This may not be Keep Out - perhaps it Arnold 1? Hard to tell. It's in the same tree that Big Tree nested in a few times long ago. 11 June Michelle watched the nest, which is A1's. 10 July 1130. Bird in nest hole. Checked it: 4 eggs, partly incubated! Heavens! ① 24.8 × 19.4 ② 240 × 19.3 ③ 24.6 × 19.5 ④ 24.0 × 18.9. 15 July 1900. Still 4 eggs, warm and incubated!
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10 June 2003 Tree w/ 2 inc eggs. (A1) [illegible] Fence Q Kout's nest
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2004 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Keep Out HNHR 7 April 1615. Bird in (last year's) nest hole (3rd tree up from turnaround on HNHR side). Checked it: in good shape but empty. 29 April 1100. Bird in hole again: 5 fresh eggs. (EHD 10 May) Measured them: ① 25.3 × 19.9 ② 25.3 × 19.3 ③ 25.2 × 19.5 ④ 25.7 × 20.3 ⑤ 25.0 × 20.2. 13 May 930. 2 babies, ~3 do, +2 unhatched (but developed) eggs. Presumably 3 eggs hatched. Band ~31 May. 27 May 1100. Caught & bled 92602 for stable isotopes, then banded the 2 kids. There are acorns still here, down in the 1st tree on our side. 10 August 900. No stores here (or over at FAAR). 21 Sept Nest in (usual) hole: 1 kid, ~15 do. (Wing chord 44 mm). 28 Sept 1100. Nabbed a ♀ helper (93962) feeding at the nest, after which we bled her and banded the kid. (for SI analysis).
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2000 2002 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Arnold Swartz HNHR 11 May 930. Several birds up here - a touch of power struggle activity or at least some high-level activity. But none in any holes, and no stores left, best I can tell. 23 May Nothing - neither birds nor stores. Is there even a group still here? 2002 12 March Several birds up here (flying off toward Laubut) but no stores appear to be left in the granary. The granary has been being used, though.
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2000 Walter D Koenig 2001 Melanerpes formicivorus Lambert HNHR 11 May A few stores left here, but none in any holes. 27 June Stores gone. Still never any sign of a nest up here. 2001 5 April 845. Power struggle activity up here. Maybe they're going to finally replace the breeder ♂? 10 April Big power struggle up here today. 18 April All quiet at 1425. 27 April 1100. Still some activity up here. 1 May 1115. Still some chasing and other light PS activity up here. 11 May 1030. Bird in new hole in traditional tree: 1 egg, marked & measured (27.6 × 21.0). Hole tagged #1315. 15 May 830. Now 5 eggs, one a runt, but ☐ the 1st egg measured on 11 May ☐ was not among them so tossing and 2♂ must be involved. The measurements of the new 5 are: ① 30.3 × 21.0 (a record?) ② 28.6 × 21.0 ③ 26.8 × 20.9 ④ 26.6 × 20.1 ⑤ 21.0 × 16.8 (the runt) EHD: 26 May. 31 May 1615. 4 babies a good 6 days old; no eggs. Band ~ 6/15. 7 June 900. Ambresh set. Got a ♀! 930. Set for bird #2. 945. Got a ♂! That's all for today. 8 June 930. Set for #3. Definitely a 2nd ♂ NOBA here.
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2001 Walter Koenig 2002 Melanurpes formicivorus Lambert HNTOR 9 June 735. Trying again, but I only have an hour and the ball just messed up and fell yet again! 840. Got a (2nd) 8! 10 June 715. Back for one more shot. 745. Got a (3rd) 8! 900. All 3 other banded birds have fed. No sign of a 2nd 8 yet, although she almost has to be here. 1000. Got a (4th) 8! Plus, there is definitely a 2nd 8 here (at least!). Leaving for now. 11 June 915. Back for one more. 1000. Wouldn't you know: yet one more (tax 5th!) 8. Clearly some helpers here; whenever those guys came from they bred last year. Birds feeding include ① 8 M/LB ② 8 Rs/M ③ 8 Wn-Blk/Red ④ 8 Vel/DB-WH(n) ⑤ 3 Wn-Blk/Red? Blk . That's all banded up to now! 1200. Finally got a 2nd 8! That's all; I actually suspect a 3rd 8 here (at least), but this is as good as I'm going to do for now. 16 June 1600. Banded the 4 kids. 2002 12 March No stores here. Maybe these guys have taken over the Swantz tree? (Which looks nice, although there really isn't much there at the moment either.)
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2002 2003 Walter D Koening Melanerpes formicivorus Lambert HNHR 12 April 1045. No stores left, best I can tell. Pretty quiet up here. 25 April 1220. Doug had reported a bird in the 2001 hole, so I checked it: in good shape but empty. 8 May 1205. Opened last year's hole again; still empty. 22 May 1030. And it's still empty. 17 August Presumably was a group here this spring (Joey saw 3 birds on 16 July) but we've failed at getting much of a fix on them since early spring. No nest and no stores, at the most! 2003 19 April 1130. Bird in hole (tag 1315): 1 fresh egg, marked (25.7 x 21.1). Stores here: yes. 21 April 1310. Check hole: still the 1 egg (!) 26 April 1225. Still the 1 egg - and it's developed! They're apparently incubating it! Wow. A real 1-egg clutch! 10 May 945. Hole empty. Yet another weather casualty, I dare say, directly or indirectly. 20 May 1215 Bird in (same) hole: Legg, not so fresh that I'd swear they're going to lay more. Size: 25.4 x 22.0 (as close to a ball as any I've seen!) Another 1 egg clutch! 30 May 915. 1 baby, ~2-3 do. Band ~ 17 June. Ambusher set as in case there are NOBAs. 10 June 1600. Hole empty! There are definitely still stores here, by the way. 18 June 1630. Bird in new hole, in lobata or Bradley's
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2003 2004 Walt & Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Lambert HNNR (18 June) side of The fence (could be a different group altogether, but I'm guessing These guys). 2 eggs, well incubated. Hole tagged 5815. 25 June 945. Checked the nest, which is Lambert. 1 kid, ~3 do, + 1 unhatched but developed egg. Band ~ 13 July. 30 June 1200. Cut in hole a bit messed up; fixed it. Kid sounds fine. 9 July 1400. Banded the 1 kid. By the way, he's the only kid I've ever banded whose 2nd and 1st primaries are not at all reduced! Stored acorns: Yes. 2004 20 April 7 1115. No stores here; doesn't look like this is going to be a hopping place this spring. 6 May Starling nest in last year's nest hole (no tag); cleaned out. No one anywhere else. #5815 This is in the successful nest hole, down on Bradley's across from the pond. 13 May Starling building a nest in the other nesthole (tag #1315). Cleared out.
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2000 2001 Walter Koenig Melanipes formicivorus Fanny Arnold HNHR 13 April 1000. Opened the (new) hole in the VO that they're interested in here, but it's empty. A few acorns still stored here, but not many. Correction! The snag (where they nested last year) still has lots of acorns in it. 16 May 1 June 1430. 4 kits, 3-4 do. Band ~ 2 June. Banded the 4 kits. Plenty of stores left. 27 June Still plenty of stores, mainly in the snag: 20 July Still stores. 1 September Out of stores. None in a hole. Nonetheless, there were several birds upset at my visit and I wouldn't be surprised if something were afoot. 2001 27 April 1030. Bird in hole (tag #1146): 5 eggs, fresh. Yes- 2 the sails! ① 25.7 x 19.5 ② 24.8 x 19.2 ③ 24.6 x 19.0 ③ 25.7 x 19.5 ⑤ 21.4 x 16.4 (a runt?) EHD ~ 7 May. 1 May 1100. Still 5 eggs, 2/2 (not including the runt) are developing. 11 May 1100. 3 babies, 3-4 do + 1 (normal) unhatched egg. Band ~ 5/28. 24 May 1215. Nest completely empty! 26 July Nellie watched some NOBA fledglings here, so we probably did miss a 2nd nest. Am going to try and ambush them. 27 July 515. The ambush nabbed 2 fledglings (3620+3621), 81699, and on other Ado" not on the field list. So! There was a
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2001 2002 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes fomcicivorus Fanny Arnold HNHR (27 July) next here, apparently in my face (did they never look out of the hole? I checked the tree bunches of times), which fledged 2 kids that have survived to now. Checked hole 30 (tag 294): door a bit loose, but empty and in OK shape. 5/31/02 Prob. KOUT! See KOUT notes. 2002 12 March lots of stores here. Doing great. 12 April Still lots of stores, but noond in any holes. 19 April 1330. Bird in hole; traditional tree, but an old hole not used for some time. 22 April 820. Power struggle activity here! Perhaps 15 birds involved at the moment. Pretty exciting! 25 April 1245. Checked the (old) hole they've been hanging out in and the hole they've used the last couple years (tag 1147): both empty but in good shape. 8 May 1145 Bird in one of the old holes (the one below the other old hole they had been in earlier): 5 fresh eggs (1 a runt?). Measured them (calipers checked): ① 24.3 × 20.0 ② 23.3 × 19.3 ③ 24.0 × 19.5 ④ 23.6 × 19.7 ⑤ 19.2 × 15.0. EHD ~ 18 May. 22 May 1010. 3 babies ~ 4 to (1 runty). Band ~ 8 June. 28 May 950. Bird in old hole in gramary (which is loaded with acorns); nice shape but empty (tag #294). 15 June Banded the 2 kids here. A few acorns left, even in the next tree. (it belongs to KOUT(!))
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2002 Walked Poenix Melanerpes famicirarus Fanny Arnold 2 HNHR 2 May 900. I got a bit lost walking to FAAR from Lambert and stumbled across a nice snag granary with acorns along with a nice potential nest hole in a nearby Valley Oak. That's just over the fence and not more than 100m from FAAR. I can't believe I never noticed or ran across this group before! I'll dub it Fanny Arnold 2 (FA2); with luck we can get everyone when they nest. This is not a new group - They've clearly been here for some time.
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2000 Waltur D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus 2001 UAZ | UA2B HNHR 23 May 1215. Checked the old underhanging hole, but it's empty. Stores here, though. 1 June Still tilch. 27 June Still a fair number of stores here. 20 July Still some stores. 1 September Still stores. UA2B, presumably 2001 11 May 1115. Finally! Bird flew from S-facing hole in the lower Valley Oak: 3 babies ~ 2 do + 1 unhatched egg (25.0 x 18.0 mm). 24 May 1200. Birds around the old hole and the nest completely empty! 6 June 1100. Bird in (same) hole: 5 fresh eggs. EHD: b/16 19 June 1400. 3 babies 5-6 do + 1 unhatched (but developed) egg. Band ~ 7/4. 29 June 2 groups here! The 2nd (in the traditional hole all of 100' away!) are 2 kids about the same age as these. The 8/9 helpers apparently split and each got a NOBA hole! 2002 12 March There are stores here, both in the UA2 tree and the deat tree next door. Whether both groups remain here remains to be seen, I suppose. 12 April Still stores, but noone in a hole. 25 April Bird in the UA2B hole. 2 May 1020. Noone in hole (UA2B hole) but 4 eggs, inc. ① 23.3 x 18.5 ② 24.2 x 18.2 ③ 23.2 x 18.1 ④ [Broken] 23.1 x 18.5
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2002 Walks D Koening 2003 2004 Melanerpes formicarum UAZ HNHR (2 May) The broken egg (#4) had a hole in it and was empty, but could still be measured. (Calipers checked.) EHD ~ 6 May. 8 May 22 May 1130. Checked hole: empty! Nest failed. 945. Checked hole: 5 eggs, incubated! See Joey's notes for details. 28 May 1000. Checked nest; 3 babies (1 do; 1 runty one just hatched recently) + 1 normal unhatched egg + the rent egg (also unhatched). Band ~ 17 June. 17 June 30 August 1230. Banded the 3 kids, #3732-3734. No stores left here. 2003 10 April 17 April Bird in hole (same hole as last year). Stores: Yes 1500. Opened the hole: Egg; abandoned? Measured it just in case: 23.1 x 19.0. 30 April 1630. Checked The hole: 5 eggs, incubated. ① Same as#1 door ② 24.0 x 19.0 ③ 24.1 x 18.7 ④ 24.3 x 18.8 ⑤ 24.8 x 18.2 I imagine they should hatch soon! EID ~ 21 April. 10 May 20 May 1045. 3 babies, ~7-8 do. Band ~ 23 May. 1200. Banded & bled the 2 kids here, Stores: Yes 2004 20 April Plenty of stores; none in any holes. 6 May 1530. Bird in (usual untagged) hole: 5 eggs incubated, ① 28.2 x 18.7 ② 26.2 x 19.2 ③ 26.0 x 19.2 ④ 25.4 x 19.6 ⑤ 25.4 x 19.0. EHD ~ 11 May.
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2004 Waland Kounty Melanerpes formicivorus 3 UAZ HNYE 13 May 1000. Checked nest: 4 babies, 1 do, + 1 unhatched eggs that looked like it still could hatch. Band ~ 2 June. 2 June 1030. Banded the 5 kids! 10 August No stores left here, best I can tell.
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2000 2001 Walter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus LAZ HNHR 13 Apr 1136. Checked hole (#279), where Joey saw a bird yesterday: empty but in good shape 21 April 1330. Checked hole: 4 eggs, 2-3 days inc. EHD: 29 Apr. Measured one: 25.3 x 19.7 mm. Skill stores here. 23 May Banded & bled the 4 kids. Stores: Yes. Fair number. 27 June Still a fair number of stores. 20 July Still quite a few stores. 1 Sept. Out of stores. None in any holes, either. 2001 10 April 1515. Bird flew from middle (?) hole. Checked it: empty. 18 April 1530. Well, I was wrong: it was the (unopened) uppermost hole! They have small babies already. 19 April 1500. Opened the new hole (tag #1310): 4 babies, ~6 do. Band ~ 4 May. 3 May 1530. Banded + bled the 4 kids (#3367-3370). 6 June 1100. Checked the hole just for kicks: 1 fresh egg! Marked #1. Also checked the (998 hole (#279): empty but in good shape. 7 June 830. 2 eggs. They are (in order of laying): ① 25.5 x 19.4 and ② (today's egg): 25.5 x 20.0 8 June 915. Today's egg #3 is 24.8 x 19.6 9 June 715. Still 3 eggs. Last egg today?
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2001 2002 Walter Koenig Melanerpes fuscicollis LA2 HNM 10 June First off, Joey checked the hole yesterday afternoon and found only 3 eggs still. 1030. Today, the 4th showed up: ④ 25.9 x 19.7. All 4 are marked. So this one was laid this morning for sure, 11 June 1015. Still 4 eggs, Presumably done laying. 13 June 1630. Peeped the hole: 4 eggs. 2002 12 March Lots of stores left. 12 April Still lots of stores. 19 April 1340. Bird in the uppermost of the 3 holes. 22 April 830. None in the hole, but I checked it anyway. 5 freshish eggs (EHD 4/30). Measured them: ① 25.3 x 19.2 ② 25.1 x 20.0 ③ 15.5 x 20.0 ④ 24.8 x 19.5, and ⑤ 23.4 x 18.7. 2 May 1030. Checked nest: 3 babies 1-2 do + 2 unhatched eggs ① 24.1 x 19.2 (this was marked #1!) and ② 24.0 x 19.8. I think I really have to throw out egg measurements from this year that I took in April; clearly I wasn't zeroing the calipers or something every time. Band ~ 21 May. 8 May 1115. 3 babies + 1 unhatched egg, 22 May 1045. Banded the 3 babies (3683-3685). Lots of stores left. 30 August Lots of stores still!
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2003 (Walter) Koenig 2004 Melanerpes formicivorus LAZ HNHR 6 March 1230. A fair chunk of the nest tree here has fallen, including (at least) the 2 upper holes (lowest of The 3 still OK). plus one other large branch. Lots of acorns still stored here. 17 April 1630. Opened the lowest of the old holes (the only one remaining in the old limb); empty. Meanwhile, they are apparently in a new hole over in the big Valley oak with The nest box. A project for the next nice day! 19 April 1230. Opened the new hole in the West box tree (now tagged #5552). 5 eggs, incubated. ① 25.1 x 19.8 ② 24.7 x 19.9 ③ 24.7 x 20.0 ④ 26.2 x 19.5 ⑤ 24.3 x 19.3. (egg #5 not developing). Note: There's no breeder ♂ on the list here!? 30 April 1615. 4 babies, ~8 do; no eggs. Band ~13 May. 13 May 1000. 4 kids, but somehow one (the largest) got squished (I guess) and died in the bag (!) Bummer. So we banded the other 3 and bled all 4. Acorns remaining: yes. 25 June 1100. Bird in new hole near nest hole; opened it - still working on it. Nest hole checked also; empty. 2004 6 April 1530. Birds (4?) in 2003 hole: empty, but a lot deeper and in good shape. 20 April 1210. Checked hole. still empty. Birds interested, though. Plenty of stores here. ① 24.8 x 18.9 ② 24.0 x 17.6 18 May 1345. Finally! 4 eggs, ~3 dys inc? ③ 24.8 x 18.9 ④ 23.5 x 18.6.
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(18 May) Hard to tell about The eggs; They weren't fresh, but They may not be developing either.
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2002 Walter Koenig Melomys fasciculatus Bianca North HNHR 12 April A new group here, found by Doug, up between Branca and Black Oak, north of Bianca Negra, They even have stores acorns in what is a new granary - the old VO nest tree of Bianca's on the N side of the ravine! 19 April 1340. Bird in hole; just below the old Bianca nest hole. 22 April 1000. Opened the new hole: 4 fresh eggs. Unfortunately, a piece of wood fell and broke one of them when I opened it, so only 3 are left. Nonetheless, this is a potential experimental nest. Hole tagged #5559. 23 April 1920. Watched roosting here tonight; but best I could tell, the bird who was in there, who I believe was a ♀, never left after I arrived. Plus, no one else came! 24 April 1920. I couldn't scare the bird out of the nest hole, so I watched the new hole on the other limb where 3 birds roosted: 1 I missed, but there was definitely a 8NOBA (a kid from last year?) plus 8^DB-WM#3213. So all I can really say is that 83213 did not roost in the nest. Perhaps an ambush would be in order? 26 April 600. Ambushed the (non-nest) hole, getting (just) the 8NOBA now #3651. Also took the (3) eggs. Measured: (1) 24.5 x 20.1 (2) 25.3 x 21.4 (3) 25.5 x 21.4 2 May Noone in a hole.
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2002 2003 Walter Koenig Melanerpes famiciorous Bianca North HNHR 8 May 1000. Bird in (other) hole, just as predicted. 1245. Checked both holes, just to be sure: They're both empty, 12 June Still stoles, but noone in either of the holes. 2003 10 Apr? Lots of stores. Noone in a hole. 17 Apr 1700. Opened the old hole, but empty. 26 Apr 1315. Bird in hole again: still empty. 30 Apr 1600. Noone in either hole, 10 May 1115. Bird in the other hole (the one they didn't use last time): 6 eggs, fairly fresh. 2 were broken (possibly, but not definitely, by @@@ wood chips I made getting to the hole so I could reach down to the bottom) and were thrown out (these were not tiny punctures, but major cracks). ① 25.0 × 11.0 ② 25.7 × 18.8 ③ 25.9 × 19.0 ④ 26.2 × 18.9 ⑤ 25.1 × 18.4 (thrown out) ⑥ 26.6 × 18.5 (thrown out) Still 4 good eggs left. 20 May 1100. 3 hatchlings, + 1 egg, partly hatched. Band ~ 10 June. Ambusher set. 1 June 1410. Going after the 1st of the 3 NOBAs here. 1505. Got 1 of the 9s. All for today. 3 June 1045. Got the NOBA 4 ♂. (After a disaster yesterday when I missed the 2nd ♀ twice) 1100. Going for the 2nd ♀ again. 1310. Finally got her! Along with 63069 (collateral).
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2003 2004 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes famicerronus Branca North HNHR (3 June) Lots of stores here, by the way. While watching, I saw 83213, the other ♀, and the ♂ I caught earlier; no sign of 83071, 83515, or 83651. 4 June 1100. Banded + bled the 4 kids, 2004 20 Apr) Lots of stores here. 6 May 1430. Bird in old hole (tag 5559): 5 fresh eggs. ① 24.8 × 18.2 ② 25.0 × 18.7 ③ 24.3 × 19.5 ④ 25.9 × 19.2 ⑤ 28.3 × 19.9. EHD ~ 14 May. 13 May 1100. Blocked second entrance & set up ambush. Still 5 eggs here. 18 May 1400. 3 babies, 2-3 to, +2 unhatched & underdeveloped eggs. Band ~ 5 June. ⑩ 29 May 1340. Set up to get the NOBA ♀. Watching. 1440. Finally. ①♀ 8r/DP #3876. 1505. Got her! ♂5524, wnw #3986. 1600. Pulled 2 acorns out of the granary for a sample. Also banded the 2 kids! 10 August 850. No stores remaining here, best I can tell, 31 Aug Some new stores here.
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2000 2001 2002 Walter Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Bianca HNHR 13 April 1130. Opened new hole below last year's: empty + a bit odd. Upper hole could have something in it - didn't check for sure. Fair number of stores left here. 5 May 1100. Bird in new hole in the Old Valley Dale! Opened it (tag #1146). 3 eggs. 1 with a small dent that's not developing; others incubated. (EHD 9 May). ① 27.5 x 18.8 (w/dent) ② 29.0 x 18.6. 1 June Banded + bled the 2 kids here. Stores: Yes- 27 June I'd say they're pretty well out of stores by now, 2001 18 April 1530. Bird in hole (tag #1146) 1615. 4 eggs, incubated. ① 28.2 x 18.7 27 April 1000. 4 babies, ~5 do. Band ~ 15 May. 11 May 1830. Banded the 4 kits (3390-3393). 8 June Bird in old nest hole on other side of canyon up a bit toward LA2. 13 June 1615. Checked the old hole: empty but in nice shape. 19 June 1300. Bird (adult) in 1st nest hole. 1415. Checked hole: 3 babies + 1 egg that died while hatching (it measured 27.3 x 19.2)! Banded Babies ~ 2 do; band ~ 7/7. 2002 12 March Lots of stores left. 12 April? Shall stores, none in a hole, though. 17 May 1100. Doug found a bird in last year's hole so I checked it: 4 fresh eggs. Measurements:
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2002 Walter D Koenig 2003 Melanerpes formicivorus Branca HINKER (17 May) ① 26.0 × 19.3 ② 26.5 × 18.9 ③ 27.1 × 18.3 and ④ 26.5 × 19.2. (Calipers checked) Could be a final experimental group. 21 May 1945. I scared a bird out of the hole when I arrived, but despite plenty of time for someone to return and roost, noone ever did as best I could tell. It would seem as though I may as well collect the eggs! 22 May 1130. Eggs warm; collected them for the least (6th) experimental removal of the year. 12 June Still stores (up in the VO over toward LA-2). 30 August Pretty much out of stores. 2003 12 March Lots of acorns here, up in the VO on the knoll over toward LA-2. 17 April 1645. Opened the new hole in the granary on the knoll: 4 fresh eggs. A potential experimental group. 21 April 1330. Took the 4 eggs (exp #5). Measurements: ① 26.1 × 18.4 ② 28.9 × 18.4 ③ 26.1 × 18.2 ④ 27.8 × 18.2 10 May 1145. Checked the old nest hole (tag #1146): empty. 13 May 1100. Turns out it's a new hole in that tree, out on the one remaining live limb, now tagged #5802. 4 eggs, Incubated, ① 28.0 × 18.2 ② 26.6 × 18.2 ③ 26.4 × 18.5 ④ 26.9 × 19.0 4 June 1300. Banded #616d the 4 kids. Lots of stores. 30 June 1215. First nest hole empty.
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2004 Walker D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Bianca HWH 20 Apr 7 Lots of stores here, but none in any holes. 13 May 1100. I hear babies! In The snag grove. 1135. 4 kids, ~12:30! Band ~22 May, 18 May All set up for ambushing here. 19 May 1040. Ready to go. Watching. 1120. ♀ Or-da/or #3884. Fed. 1140. Got a ♂ M/ . Bled *(re) banded. Presumably ♂ 2490. Bled for ♂ Repeat Stable Isotope analysis. (SI). 1150. Going for that 2nd ♂ who's lost most of his bands. 1300. ♂ M/ #2523 here. ♀ Yel/m #2736 fed. 1310. Got him! !Slipped out a 2nd entrance! 1330. Banded the kids! Took blood for stable Isotope analysis. 20 May 1405. Set up to try for ♂ 2523, 1511. ♀ Yel/m #2736, ♂ 2490. 1520. Got him! 10 August Still a few acorns remaining here.
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2001 2002 2003 Walter Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Biana Negra HNHR 18 Apr 7 See Photo 60 for notes on this new group, resting and storing in the Big Black Oak that Photo originally nested in between Photo and Biana. 1 May 930. Banded and bled the 3 kids. 8 June 900. Checked the 2nd nest (in same hole): 3 babies, probably only 1 do, + 2 unhatched but developed eggs. Measurements: ① 25.8 × 19.0 and ② 26.0 × 18.6. Acorns in this tree also! Banded ~ 27 June. 26 June 1530. Banded the 2 kids. 2002 12 March Pretty much out of stores here. 12 Apr 7 1015. Heart birds, but none in the hole. Still no acorns, but Doug's been putting some out on the feeding tray; there are still 30 or so there at the moment. 2 May Still very quiet over here. 2003 12 March Still stores here. Bird flushed from area. 10 Apr 7 Still stores. None in a hole, though. 26 Apr 7 1320. Bird flushed from new hole in same tree! 30 Apr 7 1600. None in any holes this time. 10 May 1330. Bird in that new hole again; opened it: 3 kids, ~20 days old! Come back up and band them soon! 13 May 1230. Banded & bled the 3 kids. Acorns: Yes! Tagged the hole: #5803.
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