1982 R.L. Mumme Melanerpes formicivorus Plaque (16 April) 0801, $496$ enters, stays 30 secs, leaves with wood chips, not with an egg! Shit! 0810, Leslie relieving me. Anyway, she reports that despite one more wood chip visit by $496$, it is $521$ entered about 0845 and removed the egg: Fate of the egg was unknown: Not carried to the same branch nearby, but downhill toward the granary area. All of this, of course, makes no sense whatsoever. Hopefully, this will turn out to be an aborted nest. What will happen tomorrow? 17 April Answer: Things are getting worse. Basically, Both $99$ laid today, and $473$ threw out what was probably $496$'s egg. As a change, I put the watch details on back: [Anyway, at 0830, only 1 egg, fairly certainly laid by $494$, remained in the nest, Leslie watched the hole 0830-1100, during which time all 4 breeders entered the hole but no eggs were thrown out. Egg Removal could be Over here. Most unfortunate. We'll have to see tomorrow. 1220, getting a bit of pre-nesting behavior data. See reverse. SOS, $494$ followed by both $8$. Only interesting thing is that both $521$ + $496$ entered a hole in the Valley Oak by Jim's office 18 April Well, as I feared, both $494$ + $496$ laid eggs today, thereby bringing to an end (?) this unfortunate series of egg removals. Details of the watch are on the back