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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (July 2, 2003)
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, July 2, 2003 Page 9 The Savvy Senior by Carol Martin OSU Press ‘Birds of Oregon’ available now Oregon State Univer- sity (OSU) Press has pub- lished the “mother of all Oregon bird books” -- a comprehensive, 768-page reference guide to the 486 bird species known to in- habit the state. The new book, "Birds of Oregon: A General Ref- erence," was co-edited by David B. Marshall, Mat- thew G. Hunter, and Alan L. Contreras. It offers information on each species of bird, and their habitats and life histories. More than 100 contrib- uting authors volunteered their work and expertise for "Birds of Oregon," which includes line draw- ings by wildlife artist Elva Hamerstrom Paulson and data from the Oregon Breeding Bird Atlas Pro- ject. The editors say they hope the factual nature of the book transcends politi- cal polarization to provide Oregonians with important facts on the diversity of birds in the state. In the preface, Mar- shall wrote, "One of my hopes is that the book will dampen some of the rheto- ric and misunderstanding that have emerged from resource extractors on one side, and environmentalists on the other, regarding the needs of controversial spe- cies.” "And by describing habitat requirements,” he said, “we also show that habitat destruction for one group of species invariably creates habitat for another group; yet maintaining habitat diversity is neces- sary to sustain all of the state's birds." This is the first com- prehensive reference to Oregon's birds published since Ira N. Gabrielson and Stanley G. Jewett's land- mark book of the same name, "Birds of Oregon," published in 1940, also by OSU, according to Tom Booth, marketing manager for OSU Press. "It really is an incredi- ble resource," Booth said. "Bird watching and identi- fication, or 'birding,’ is one of the fastest-growing ac- tivities around, and it cer- tainly has become popular in Oregon in recent years. This new book should prove to be an invaluable reference guide for birders of all levels, as well as bi- ologists, students and wild- life enthusiasts in general." Since Gabrielson and Jewett's work, another 150 species have been added to the official list of state birds, maintained by the Oregon Birds Records Committee. Most of those species comprises "vagrants" found at various times by the increasing number of birders, the editors point out, but other species have expanded their territory into Oregon either as mi- grants, breeders or a com- bination of both. One of the most spec- tacular examples of new species is the cattle egret, which came to the Ameri- cas from Africa, landing first on the East Coast, eventually migrating to Oregon. Also moving westward into Oregon were the barred owl and grasshop- per sparrow. From the northeast came the Franklin's gull, least flycatcher and north- ern waterthrush. And from California came the white-tailed kite, red-shouldered hawk, Anna's hummingbird, black Phoebe and blue- gray gnatcatcher. Some of the biggest changes since 1940 have been in the number of birds. Oregon has been "inundated" by the Euro- pean starling, the editors say, and the northwestern part of the state has be- come a haven for the west- ern scrub jay and the house finch. The world's largest Caspian tern colony now lives on manmade islands near the mouth of the Co- lumbia River, where none historically had nested. Another dramatic change has been the ap- pearance of hundreds of thousands of Canada geese that now winter in Oregon, primarily in Willamette Valley, but also in the Co- lumbia Basin east of the Cascades. "Much to the conster- nation of farmers, the geese are attracted to the Willamette Valley by the grass seed industry that developed after World War II," Marshall said. Success stories in Ore- gon include population increases of bald eagles and ospreys, and the re- establishment of peregrine falcons after their popula- tion had been decimated, primarily because of the widespread use of the in- secticide DDT. Oregon also has had some losses, the book re- veals. Two formerly com- mon breeding species -- the yellow-billed cuckoo and the sharp-tailed grouse -- have disappeared, though attempts are being made to reintroduce the grouse. The state's upland sandpiper population, once among the largest in the West, is all but gone. And several other spe- cies -- including the can- vasback, snowy plover, blue grouse, mountain quail, yellow warbler, horned lark, and others -- are in serious decline for a variety of reasons. Habitat loss or change, hunting pressure, preda- tion, disease, and loss of food sources can all result in the decline of species. Contributors to "Birds of Oregon" ranged in age from 17 to 77, and are from all over Oregon. More than two-dozen individuals or organiza- tions helped sponsor "Birds of Oregon," includ- ing federal agencies, tim- ber companies, environ- mental groups, scientists, and utilities. "Birds of Oregon" is available at bookstores or phone 1 (800) 426-3797. United Seniors Association Chairman and Chief Executive Charles W. Jarvis urged Democrats and Republicans to join together to pass respon- sible Prescription Drug legislation for seniors, like that passed by the House in 2002. The United Seniors' Health Care Freedom ad cam- paign features Art Linkletter, recipient of the 2003 Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement. "Our friends at the AARP have had Members of Congress sign a pledge on a prescription drug benefit, but seniors can't take paper pledges to the pharmacy. United Seniors Association is in- terested in creating tangible results for seniors NOW," said Mr. Jarvis. "The critics of the House-passed plan must be asked a simple question: 'Why are you willing to allow millions of seniors to suffer for two, three, or four years before receiving benefits when they could have them this year?'" questioned Jarvis. "Prescription drugs are a major concern for sen- iors. President Bush has been extraordinarily focused on helping seniors in the area of pre- scription drugs," continued Jarvis. "The House of Representatives has answered the call for help twice in the past three years by passing legisla- tion establishing a prescription drug benefit with choices under Medicare. That kind of dedication to creating results, not just rhetoric, is supported by the vast majority of senior Americans." The USA Health Care Freedom Project is a posi- tive multi-year effort focused on educating, moti- vating, and activating seniors and their families in support of policies that make sense economi- cally and provide effective and efficient health options. USA's television and radio ad campaign on prescription drug legislation is a part of that effort to encourage policies that are economi- cally wise and deliver tangible health results to millions of seniors quickly. "Seniors strongly supported the 2002 House- passed legislation because it produced tangible results in the areas of greatest concern for sen- iors: affordability, accessibility, choices, less red tape, fiscal responsibility, and respect for the doctor-patient relationship," said Mr. Jarvis. "Seniors want personal health care choices now, not more layers of bureaucracy and rhetoric." (c) 2003 DBR Media, Inc. IVHS ALUMNI AND FRIENDS An Association of IVHS & KUHS Alumni and Their Friends PO Box 2086, Cave Junction OR 97523 PLUS Full Breakfast by Cave Junction Cares $4.25 & $3.25 (kids) Suggested Donation Cave Junction Cares gives 10% to our Scholarship Fund Info: Arnold 541-592-4378 IV Golf Club 541-592-3151 Info: Jay Miller (‘70) 541-597-2325 Bring your Donated Stuff for this Fun Fundraiser! Info: Sharon Benge Rodgers (‘51)541-476-5128 MEET THE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS Enjoy the Marathon Talkathon 205 Watkins St., Cave Junction 592-3333 Bakery & Deli 592-6898
