1982 R.L. Mumme Melanerpes formicivorus Blom Two 3 March Alan watching here 0915-1000, reports at least one and maybe two ♂NB's here. Uh-oh! 1017, while Alan watches from the usual spot, I sneak over to the granary. I immediately find a ♂NB and ♀478, Metal/DBlue-Or. So it looks bad for ♂493. I just watched at Blom-one, and saw no evidence of three birds there. Acorns still present here, but not any great number. 5 March 1130, Alan may well be correct about 2 ♂NB here. I find 2♂8, one certainly UB, in a Valley Oak 75 m N of the granary. 1200 Absolutely! 1 ♂NB has a smooth white line, left side of face, the second has a nice dark whisker. (Confirm 2♂8 here. ♀478 also seen. Will have to catch these devils! 1205, both in the granary-nest tree together. 10 March ** GROUP UPDATE ** ♂493 disappeared 15 Jan 1982 ± 6 weeks Last seen on 20 Nov 1981. New ♂♂ present on 3 March had obviously been here for some time. ♂♂ 858, 859 move to Blom 2 15 Jan 1982 ± 6 weeks These ♂♂ probably did not boot ♂493 off. ♂493 definitely gone, or we would have seen him back at Blom 1 or 1500. 8 April Alan had reported starlings in the 1980 nest hole here, so I climbed up to take a peek. It was free of all starling debris, but after coming down I saw a starling fly into (+ stay in) the hole above. Acorns still present. At roosting it seemed like 1 bird roasted in the nest hole + two roasted in the "other" (more westerly) hole branch in the same tree