1988 Welter D Koenig Melanerpes formicivorus Murf HNEB 27 May 715. Back watching hole, with ambush set. ♂ in hole now. 812. 8966 came. 915. Giving up for now. So far only 8966 and ♂1338 have incubated. 1345. Back again. ♀ in hole. What the hell - here goes. 1400. Got her! Checked the nest: 8 eggs, 4 of which are big and long and 4 short and squat. When Steinback checked it earlier it was 3/3 - and the last 2 laid (not marked) were 1/1. Hence it would appear highly likely that the mix here is even between the ♀♀ at 4 eggs apiece. Now - speaking of the ♀, who I bled, etc, and stuck in the cage. She turns out to be 9648. 9648 is one of 3 ♀♀ that moved together to Blomone in spring 1981 (with 9649, 9650). Later 2 of these birds sort of wandered off, leaving one that Susan eventually shot (9649) for an experimental removal. In any case, 9650 was seen at Prairie Home Field in spring 1985 - the same year that 91144, the other ♀ here at Murf - was born. Hence it is likely that 9648 was at Murf that year also, and both (or rather all 3) were probably sisters from PHF. If this is true, then 9648 is presumably an older sibling of 91144, and I mean much older, since 9648 could not have been born later than 1980, and hence is at least 5 years older than 91144! Wow! She's now free, at least until Sunday.