1988 Walter D. Pöenig Melanerpes formicivorus Westgate HNHRE 9 May 1700. Watching. Still no clue as to a nest here. But they definitely have stores. 1720. 5 birds here! ⚪♂️♀️♀️♀️♀️ #1312. 1750. ⚪♂️♂️♀️/Bik-w/n(n) #1106, came and fed in a hole in the sycamore. They apparently have young babies. The hole is not going to be easy! 10 May 1000. Climbed the hole (!) and opened the nest: There were & babies, eyes not quite open but fat - about 7-8 days old, I'd guess. However, 1 of them - one of the biggest ones, too- was dead, for no obvious reason as far as I could tell. Thus, there are 5 babies here, ready to be banded about 24 May. 13 May 830. Set ambush at nest; trying to catch an ub bird. 25 May 500. Successfully ambushed at the high, non-nest hole, nabbing ⚪1106, ⚪1313, and an ub ♀️, now ♀️1571. This presumably means that ⚪1312 was on the nest, and could mean that there's only 1 ♀️ here. At least now we can watch and find out! 26 May 1845. Banded and bled the 5 babies here, who are big and bright and cute as buttons! 3 July 1015. Climbed the same nest hole, where they have 6 normal and 1 runt egg, for a total set of 7. 28 July 1030. Banded the 3 babies here as #1662-64. There are acorns remaining as well here.