1979 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes fomicious BigTree Hastings Reservation 6 February No sign of anybody here in passing. 9 March " " " " " " 11 March 1600. Walked by here and saw a small rat (or Peromyscus?) run out of the roost hole where I ambushed last fall and into the other hole nearby; a second one (at least) was still in the 1st hole. Were either young rats or mice. I ought to trap them and find out. Looks like they've taken over both good- looking cavities here. 4 May The Al birds roosting here - see Al notes. 29 July BigTree itself, or what was left of it, burned in yesterday's fire and was eventually sawed down by the CDF people. This territory-especially the forest back behind Big Tree, was as chewed up as anyplace by the fire and bulldozers. All in all, I predict that this territory is not going to be used again for some time (not much of a prediction-there is no longer anyplace to put acorns here). BigTree, which, of course, began to fall on hard times several years ago and this spring, with nobody at all living here, was barely a ghost of its former self, is officially defunct.