1981 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Road I Hastings Reservation (19 April) 3486 comes and looks into the hole briefly; leaves w/o entering. ? looks out 928-931; then leaves at 931. 940. 9383 enters hole again. Looks out at 941, 944. Now I can have some pecking from inside the hole. 948. Now quiet; bird still in hole. 950. Looks out and leaves as someone karit-cuts in the granary. 1005. Going to find Ron and decide what to do now. Right Ron went and climbed up the other nest tree, where 9269 had indeed laid an egg. Fortunately, Janet came out just as we went over there, so I put her up watching the hole in the Black Oak, where 9269 tossed the egg laid this morning by 9383! This news inspired us to keep a watch on the other hole on the off chance that 9383 would toss the egg there. We did allow a short period to go by at this point when the hole wasn't watched, but otherwise we had someone (Ron, Mary, Byron) watching the hole the rest of the day (nothing at all had happened there by 1700). But, during Ron's later watch he did see the ?9 hanging around the other hole, so with luck they'll finally get together and lay there tomorrow. Once again, however, the hole in the Black Oak is empty; the one in the Valley Oak most likely was 1 egg. 20-21 April I wasn't here these 2 days, but on the 20th 9383 laid an egg in the Black Oak which was immediately tossed by 9269, following which 9269 finally laid in the same hole.