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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 1962)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5. 19B2 BIRDING Which do you prefer . . . By JOSEPH HICKS MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFOHD. OREGON When the weather is on the chilly side, such as we have experienced this spring and summer, it apparently had little effect on the migratory instincts of birds, except when such weather increased or decreased the supplies of food avail able to the birds. The fall migration, including large numbers of young . birds, usually commences in late July and continues into Oc " tober and November. However, there have been some indications that the mi gration this year may have started earlier than usual. On July 18, there was a very large mixed flock of swallows . in the Hoover lake area, and two dozen least sandpipers dropped on Hoover lake to feed and rest. During the latter part of July, large congregations of swallows on electrical lines were evident throughout the valley. Both greater and lesser yellowlegs were on the river from about July 4 to July 20. They also may be preparing to migrate, for their winter migration lakes them to the Strait of Magellon, South America. The lesser yellowlegs can be distinguished from the larger, greater yellowlegs by its straight bill and its call of single or double "wheus," and its bill is slightly upturned. This is the first record of a lesser yellowlegs in this country. This year I was fortunate in making the trip to the, top of Mt. Ashland just after the road was cleared of snow. The final slope was covered with beautiful wild flowers. I noted . blue penstamon (variable), wallflower, dwarf and prostrate t ' lupin, and a deep pink penstamon (pride of the mountain), ? as well as other flowers unfamiliar to me. " Both rufous and calliope hummingbirds were busy feed ' Ing on the nectar of these flowers. Fox sparrows, green-tailed 1 , towhees, chipping sparrows, pine siskins, and purple finches also were seen near the top of the mountain. ; JT Many birds were still nesting during July. The tree -' sparrows and the house wrens both were busy with second '. ' broods. Young birds seen on the Rogue included hairy wood ." peckers, pileated woodpeckers, and one family of four or five ash-throated flycatchers. The latler are handsome fly ' . catchers with white thro.its and rufous tails. ; During July, H. Pringle reported a nesting pair of hermit ' warblers at Lake of the Woods. At Diamond lake, A. Butler - observed a nest of grey jays (Canada jay) near his cabin. : ' He also reported seeing an osprey giving chase to a bald : . eagle. Such action on the part of the osprey suggests the ; '. possibility of an osprey nest in that area as normally one would expect the eagle to be the pursuer. An article in a recent issue of the Audubon Field Notes ' ' explains why Bohemian waxwings and evening grosbeaks I were in abundance throughout the continent last winter. I These birds normally inhabit the northern part of the con- ' "' tinent. However, a lack of food in the form of winter seeds and berries, and a concurrent high population, caused these birds to spread across the United States. Both species were b." seen here in the valley. : In the western states the severity of the winter with a consequent scarcity of food also caused a mass exodus from the mountainous areas. Varied thrushes, robins, Townsend's - solitaires, and mountain bluebirds wore seen in abundance in -! the southwestern lowlands. Even the rugged Clark's nut- cracker deserted the high mountains for the lower mountain ! tides, and some even went as far east as Missouri. ' This mass movement explains why I saw Clark's nul v crackers at Bishop, Calif, about the middle of March. r The above doesn't explain the present shortage of Wesl- i ern flycatchers. F. Sturges has reported he heard one In the ' Ashland watershed area. Perhaps future Audobon Notes will i' have pertinent information. t" It won't be long before ducks and geese will be re J turning from their northern breeding grounds. Even now a trip to the wildlife refuge south of Klamath Falls is inter esting. There are still terns, gulls, egrets, pelicans, Western I and eared grebes, and some ducks and geese present on the " lakes. j Nuclear-Powered Generating Attracts j: Increased Interest New York - HIPP - In the past year, one plant joined the operating list of nuclear powered generating facilities developed by investor-owned electric companies in the United States, and changes In other figures show the high degree of interest he companies maintain in future developments in this field. Creating a nuclear-powered generating facility is not a rush job, and perhaps more significant than the figures or plants in operation are the changes shown from 1061 to 1962 in the numbers of plants under construction in preliminary planning, or un j nticiHoration. A recent report, from the; electric companies public in-1 . -,i-om wave some ; Measure of the activity, short and long range, shown by utilities in the growth of nuclear-powered generating. The report was issued as of June, 1962. Taken in compari son with the Ifst previous ed' tion, issued in April, 1961 or approximately 14 months earlier, here is what it showed: Fivt Plant To Start Latest addition to the oper ating reactor group was that of the 5.000-kilowatt experi mental Saxton reactor, at Sax ton Pa It was built by the General Public Utilities Corp. on the Pennsylvania Electric Co system. The Saxton reac tor went "critical'' last April 13 although full operation was not scheduled until later mis sinning. Five other reactor plants In which electric companies are participating are slated to go into operation in 1962 and another in early 1963. They are listed as under . construction or design. In 1961, Saxton was in this category, but has moved up to the operational group. In- eluding Saxton. last year sev en plants were listed as un der construction; in 1962 there are eight. The 1962 additions 1o this category are in wide ly separated parts of the country. The 4ft. nun kilowatt ' Peach Bottom reactor, being constructed on the Philadel phia Electric Co. system; and the 325,000 kilowatt Bodega Bay plant under design by Pa cific Gas and Electric Co. In the 1961 report, the Peach Bottom project was listed as under design. Southern California Project Listed in the 1962 category of preliminary planning or ne gotiation are a Southern Cali fornia Edison Co-San Diego Gas and Electric Co. project, a 375.000 kilowatt unit, and a New England Electric Sys tem project of 300.000 to 350. 000 kilowatts. A year ago the southern California project was under negotiations and the New England electric proj ect was in the planning stage. Two more now classed as 1 under consideration are the i iMuuncg tieciric lo.s atomic , project and the Jersey Central-New Jersey Power and Light companies. "Whether they will be built," said the report, "de pends upon competitive con siderations. Their significance lies in the fact that both are recent proposals for large scale plants, and as such, they may reflect an increasing in terest in commercial nuclear power projects." One project which was in the "under design" category ;in ine 1)KI listing, however, j fell by the wayside. 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