1987 Walter Coening Melanerpes formicivorus 2 1800 HNHR (8 May) The others I marked #4 & 5. 8770, by the way, is doing fine at home. patch. 9 May 1030. 8770 released with brown dots on forehead; nest still with 5 eggs. [8770 removed 6 May 1215 - 9 May 1030.] Eggs should hatch on or about 14 May. 12 May Watches here seemed to be going normally until this morning, when Cindy reported no activity here at all. Stanback climbed this afternoon and found only 2 eggs. Very bad news. I don't see how I can weasel out of this one, although I don't understand why, if 8770 did go bonkers, he didn't toss all the eggs. And why would they abandon? All in all, it just doesn't make a lot of sense. Maybe something strange has happened to the group, or maybe a predator got them; hell, I don't know. Maybe I'll watch in the morning and try to find out what I can. In any case, this is totally depressing. It means that, for all practical purposes, several eggs did get tossed or destroyed, and my control (the best I have so far) is more in favor of the "freaked out" hypothesis than the alternative. 13 May 600. Checked hole: 1 egg left. Watching The tree. (40.0)♀ R-W / M #787 here. A fair amount of activity, apparently due to a ♀ intruder. (♀ Mouse? / ?el ) ① 8770 here. 700. 8774 here, pecking 8770 and hopping on his back to do so (!) Meanwhile, 8770 was giving submissive calls. This would certainly indicate that I really screw