Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 2004)
Page 8 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, February 18, 2004 The population of birds in Illinois Valley during winter is not the same as summer. There are some birds, such as vul- tures, that migrate south during the winter. Another group, which in- cludes white-crowned sparrows, are more northern residents and only spend the winter in our area. A third group contains vertical migrators and spend the winter in valleys and at the beginning of the summer move back into the moun- tains. This group would include Oregon Juncos, which are small and gray, but have black heads. In the last category are the permanent residents living in the area year-round. Woodpeckers, as a group, do little migrating. Some vertical movement takes place seasonally, and woodpeck- ers in the eastern states do move north and south some. Western woodpeckers are usually year-round resi- dents. The woodpecker family, Picadae, is based on “pici,” which is Latin for woodpecker. They are unique among birds in many ways. They all have chisel-shaped beaks for pecking wood and stiff tail feathers used as props while on trees. They also have two toes in front and two in the back of each foot for hanging onto trees, and an extremely long tongue for probing in insect tunnels for food. Another characteristic is their method of communicating by drum- ming on trees with their beaks. A final trait similar in all woodpeckers is their undulating flight pattern, which is an up-and-down motion that looks like an ocean wave. The largest woodpecker in North America, by a large margin, is the Red-Headed Pileated woodpecker. They are about the size of crows, and dig oblong holes in dead trees in search of food, but their nest holes are always round. The next largest woodpecker is the Northern Flicker. They are about the size of jays, and have a bright white patch at the base of their tail, which is very visible while they are in flight. The variety of flicker in the western United States has a red-to-pink color on the underside of their wings. The eastern form has yellow. The flicker of our area also has a black bib under its neck, and the male has a red moustache on each side of its mouth. Flickers spend more time on the ground than any other woodpecker. The reason is that their primary food source is ants. Their long tongues probe into anthills for ants, and their digestive system has special enzymes to counteract the acid contained in ants. They also eat beetles, and other insects, and even fruits and berries at times. In the winter they will on occasion visit bird feeders when the insect population is hard to find. Like most woodpeckers, flickers excavate nest holes in dead and decaying trees, but they have been found in fence posts, haystacks, and even in holes in the ground. Squirrels, starlings, and screech owls will occasionally take over their hole, usually during the construction phase. After an incubation period of 11 to 14 days, the eggs hatch and the baby birds are cared for by both parents. Unlike most birds however, the female gradually becomes less attentive and more care needs to be provided by the male. Flickers, considered permanent residents, do not al- ways stay in the same area, but move around the forest in order to find new food sources and nesting trees. This be- havior is not seasonal and occurs all year-round so it is not considered migration. They are beautiful birds and add a nice variety of color during the winter. Lovejoy gets grant to hold bereavement for youths Josephine County Lovejoy Hospice was re- cently awarded several grants to establish a be- reavement program for children. Hospice offers pro- grams which provide holis- tic end-of-life care for peo- ple and their families in Josephine County. T h e t w o gr a n t s awarded were from the Gordon Elwood Founda- tion, $10,000; and Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation, $4,000. Hospice will conduct an appeal to raise addi- tional funds to complete the project. “The grants give Lovejoy Hospice the op- portunity to provide a be- reavement support pro- gram specifically for chil- dren for the first time in Cave Junction,” said Christina Snell, executive director. “This program will include assessments, group support, counseling, and referrals for children by professional Lovejoy staff members and trained vol- unteers,” said Snell. To help, contact Bar- bara Knox or the Lovejoy Hospice bereavement co- ordinator at (541) 474- 1193 or (888) 758-8569. TOP MOVIES 1. Win a Date with Tad Hamilton starring Josh Du- hamel Rated: PG-13 2. Big Fish, Ewan McGregor PG-13 3. The Big Bounce, Owen Wilson PG-13 4. The Butterfly Effect, Ashton Kutcher R 5. Cold Mountain, Jude Law R 6. Monster, Charlize Theron R 7. Along Came, Polly Ben Stiller PG-13 8. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Elijah Wood PG-13 9. Cheaper by the Dozen, Steve Martin PG 10. Something's Gotta Give, Jack Nicholson PG-13 (c) 2004 DBR Media, Inc. HEARTFELT VALENTINE MESSAGE - Deede Tausaga (right), a waitress at Junction Inn Restaurant, received a ‘Valentune’ courtesy of her loving husband, Lefi, on Val- entine’s Day morning, much to the delight of patrons. The I.V. High School Swing Choir, directed by T. Lund, delivered ‘Valentunes’ around the valley during its an- nual fund-raiser. Blue Marlin Inn was among other establishments visited by the choir. You’re invited to meet and greet CHERRYL WALKER for County Commissioner Cave Junction County Building 102 S. Redwood Hwy., Cave Junction Monday, Feb. 23 - 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. ENERGY. EXPERIENCE. RESULTS. Cherryl Walker… ...as independent as you are. P.O. Box 167, Murphy, OR. 97533 (541) 862-2093 molehill@terragon.com OMSI FUN SATURDAY - Many children attended the seventh annual OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science & Industry) event at Dome School on Feb. 14. Participants ex- plored forensics, geology, physics and noise pollution. (Photos by Dome School) Special filings deadline set Josephine County As- sessor’s office released deadlines to file for prop- erty to qualify under spe- cial Assessment Programs for the current tax year. April 1: *Real and Personal Property Tax Exemptions for Specific Organizations. *Farm Special Assess- ment. *Forest Special As- sessment. *Veterans’ Property Tax Exemption. April 15: *Senior and Disabled Citizens’ Property Tax Deferral.
