1982 Walter D. Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Plague HNHR 20 October 945. Counted stores: Plague tree: 844 20 tree: 22 Tel pole: ~400 (see 21 Oct) Total: 1266 Almost all the stores are still old (left over from last year). Correction: I just climbed up into the low dead limb in the Plague tree and pulled a sample of 76 acorns, of which 56 (74%) were new! For the details on what I got, see back of sheet. These acorns were shelled immediately and put in the drying oven. 21 October 1000. Today I started an experiment here to (hopefully) show that the ability of the birds to get and store acorns is not a limiting factor. I opened the old roost hole in the Telephone Pole by the Chicken-coop, emptying out as many acorns as I could (the hole was already filled to the top with them). I was not able to get all the way to the bottom, but got as many as I could. The final count was Live Oak: 13 ? 317. [All these are fresh] Valley Oak: 304 The idea is for me to clear this hole out at regular intervals, assuming the birds continue to store here. 24 October 1600. Noticing that the roost hole in the telephone pole is already filled again (!), I went up and cleared it out to about the same degree as I did on the 21st. The final tally was Live Oak: 13 ? 350. These 350 acorns had a Valley Oak: 287 fresh, unshelled weight of 1.87 kg. Not bad for 3 days of storing!