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About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2012)
12 Fall 2012 Applegater BIRDMAN Summer visitors move on bY TED A. GLOVER As the fall season arrives, birds are on the move again. Many birds have left already, especially the beautiful rufous hummingbirds, and others will follow soon, including the Western tanager, the black-headed grosbeak, most of the swallows, the strikingly handsome lazuli bunting, most of the wood warblers, and almost all of the flycatchers, including the ash-throated flycatcher. We have seen, or mostly heard, the crested species of the tyrant flycatcher family around our house all summer. The ash-throated flycatcher is a mostly brown bird above with a whitish-gray throat and chest and very pale yellow on his belly. While they dwell mostly along forest edges or in open habitats, they can be spotted as they fly from their perch to catch any flying insect. But what we recognize first is their unusual call, which reminds us of a police whistle! This summer we had most of the woodpeckers that inhabit our area right in our own yard, visiting our sunflower feeders and helping themselves to our supply of suet. (Interestingly, woodpeckers do not rely solely on insects they find on trees, they also catch flies and eat fruits and seeds.) We had a chance to watch some of the newborns as well. The most common woodpecker in this area is the acorn woodpecker with its clear black back and vibrant red on its crown. It also has a white forehead and cheek, with a hint of yellow on its throat, giving it a somewhat clownish look. In fact, it’s very vocal and its loud call seems almost like it is laughing. Of course, its favorite food is the acorn and it can be seen and heard drilling holes in trees, utility poles and even structures to store the acorns and other nuts for later use. We were visited regularly by a family of hairy woodpeckers along with their smaller cousins, the downy woodpeckers. Both of these woodpeckers have a white patch in the middle of their Ted A. Glover back and unmarked whitish flanks. The woodpeckers are year-round residents in our area—watch for them as they climb trees using their sharp bills to hammer and chisel beneath the bark for various bugs. Ted A. Glover • 541-846-0681 tedglover9@gmail.com Photos clockwise: Western tanager, a medium-sized American songbird, was formerly placed in the tanager family, but it and other members of this genus are now classified in the cardinal family (Gary Kramer, fws.org); black-headed grosbeak (Dave Menke, fws.org); lazuli buntings, named after the gemstone lapis lazuli, migrate to southeastern Arizona and Mexico (fws.org); ash-throated flycatcher (Gary Kramer, fws.org); downy woodpecker, the smallest of North America’s woodpeckers (David Brezinski, fws.org); acorn woodpecker (Gary Kramer, fws.org). DISCLAIMER The Applegater reserves the right to edit, categorize, revise, or refuse any classified advertisement. In addition, Applegater has the right to terminate any ad at any time for any reason. Parties posting ads are responsible for the accuracy and content of their ads. Applegater will not be liable for any damages arising out of errors or omissions. Fourth annual AAUW fall garden tour The American Association of University Women (AAUW) Medford will hold its fourth annual fall garden tour, “Garden Inspirations,” from 11 am to 4 pm, Sunday, September 16. The tour includes six gardens varying in size and type from small lots to large estates. Visitors will see water-wise, deer- resistant, and low-maintenance gardens; water features including fountains and koi ponds; vegetables, herbs, perennials, and aquatic plants; woodland and view settings, greenhouses and birdhouses; and much more. One of the gardens is actually multiple gardens in the Rogue Valley Manor (RVM) Resident Garden Area off Mira Mar Avenue. Garden tour signs at RVM will direct you there. Tickets and maps to the gardens will be available at RVM and at all the gardens the day of the tour. Proceeds will fund local scholarships for women and girls. Cost is $12 per person, free for children. Advance tickets are available at all Grange Co-ops and Wild Birds Unlimited. For more information and maps, go to http://www.aauwmedford.org or call Barbara Basden at 541-772-0579 or 541-499-8586. NEW! Classified Advertising Puppies need homes. Lab/husky mix. 5 girls/5 boys. Born July 1. Sweet mom on-site. Must spay/neuter. 541-890-0147. Advertising salesperson for Josephine County. Applegater Newspaper. Generous commission. 541-846-7736. Wanted. Reasonably priced apple-cider press with chopper (preferably motorized) in excellent condition. 541-846-7736. Place an ad! Contact Sally Buttshaw at 541- 646-8419 or sallybuttshaw@ymail. com. $12 for three lines of text (approximately 120 characters and spaces). Advance payment required (payment accepted online at www. applegater.org).
