Applegater
BIRDMAN
Duck fans rally ‘round
BY TED A. GLOVER
It’s winter time and what better time to watch
water fowl. As you travel the Applegate you may see
birders gathered around lakes, ponds and marshes with
their spotting scopes and binoculars pointed at groups
of ducks.
Ducks are usually divided into “dabblers” and
“divers.” The dabblers feed on vegetation on the bottoms
and along the edges of shallow ponds and marshes. The
divers usually prefer deeper waters and feed by diving
underwater often 100 feet or more. In lifting off for
flight, the divers do not spring directly upward, but
patter along the water’s surface while getting underway.
Of course, like most avian behavior the dabblers
will occasionally dive and the divers will often dabble.
So it’s best to familiarize yourself with other identify-
ing marks to distinguish the many species visible here
in our area.
Of the diving ducks, the most common in our
area is the Ring-necked Duck, which interestingly
enough, leaps into flight like the dabblers. The male
is identified by the white “spur” on its side and by the
peaked crown and a white ring and black tip on its
bill. Other diving ducks to watch for include the small
Ruddy Duck and the Canvasback.
Among the dabbling ducks, the most often
seen is the mallard, usually in small groups or pairs.
The male sports a yel-
low bill, white collar
around the neck and a
flashy green head. Also
seen in abundance is the
unique Northern Shov-
eler, nicknamed “The
Spoonie” because of the very long and broad bill that
is distinctive on both males and females. The shovelers
can often be observed swirling around in circles while
feeding. This is a common feeding method known as
“pinwheeling.” Despite the odd-shaped bill, the male
shovelers are quite attractive with their dark green head
and snow-white chest.
Other dabbling ducks seen in the Applegate
include Northern Pintail, Gadwall, Green-winged and
Cinnamon Teal and the American Wigeon. Last year,
a Eurasian Wigeon visited the Provolt area.
Along the Applegate River, keep watch for the
mergansers, a duck that dives underwater and eats
mostly fish. The merganser’s bill is serrated and this aids
the duck in holding its slippery fish prey. The Common
Merganser, a large duck, has a dark green head, white
breast and sides and a red bill. The Hooded Merganser
is somewhat smaller then the Common Merganser
and has a shorter, thinner bill. The Hooded Merganser
also has a distinctive white
fan-shaped patch within its
crest —a truly magnificent
duck.
Be sure to watch
any ponds near you as
well as Applegate Lake and
River. This time of year is
great for ducks!
Ted A. Glover
541-846-0681
Photos clockwise from top
left:
Ring-necked duck (Aythya
collaris) by Stephen Tuttle,
USFWS
Hooded merganser (Lopho-
dytes cucullatus) by Lee
Karney, USFWS
Canvasback duck (Aythya
valisineria) William Vinge,
USFWS
Northern shoveler female
(Anas clypeata) Steve Hil-
lebrand, USFWS
DAM
overhead of people’s homes; in addition, we expect that
the extra height and capacity of the poles and wires will
necessitate clearing and cutting outside the bounds of the
right-of-way on private properties.
Finally, survey maps indicating the location of the
easement show that the present physical location of Pacific
Power’s poles does not conform to the described location
of the easement. In some cases, the easement falls in the
center of the road, in the river, or on the opposite side of
the road from the actual pole’s location. This means that
the right-of-way easements that currently exist on our
properties are non-conforming, and according to Jackson
County regulations, it is illegal to make a non-conforming
situation more non-conforming. In other words, the
proposed routing of high-voltage power poles is both
physically and legally problematic.
For these reasons as residents of Upper Applegate
Road and surroundings, we have repeatedly requested
that consideration be given to burying the power lines.
In response, the FERC report simply noted that the “con-
siderable expense” of burying the lines did not warrant
further consideration of this option. It is not acceptable
to us that in dismissing this option, FERC did not engage
our underlying concerns about safety, property values, and
aesthetics. Surely it is expensive to bury lines, but surely
too there are other options that might be considered, to
address these concerns. What about the possibility of
strategically burying the lines at points where the view
FROM PAGE 20
and residents’ homes would be most affected? What about
the possibility of restricting the height of the towers to
their current level (with the limitations on voltage this
would entail)? What about the possibility of re-routing
the easements in places?
In sum, given the uncertainties surrounding the
project’s implementation over the 15 miles between the
dam and the power sub-station, how can you feel that
you have sufficient information to make an informed
decision on the viability of this project?
The following statement was signed by over 100
Applegate Valley residents.
If —despite the uncertainties and lack of infor-
mation—you do approve the project, we would like
to be assured that concerned residents will have access
to the Pacific Power and/or Symbiotics engineers who
will make decisions about how the lines will be routed,
so that these decisions can be made in collaboration
with the residents who will be most affected.
On the morning of the hearing on September 21,
Symbiotics representative Erik Steimle (together with Sym-
biotics’ attorney Kirk Burkholder) met with Judge Han and
community members at Swayne Viewpoint overlooking
the Applegate Dam. They explained aspects of the proposed
hydroelectric project, and answered questions. A video of a
portion of this presentation is available on YouTube: http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cnQd6itlBE
Margaret della Santina • 541-899-9950
Winter 2011 21