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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate NEWS NOW Keeping an eye on Ashland's feathered friends ... Chamber programs inform, facilitate community conversation ... Quilt project's vision: An America with fewer gun deaths ... Keeping an eye on Ashland's feathered friends ... Chamber programs inform, facilitate community conversation ... Quilt project's vision: An America with fewer gun deaths ... ASHLAND PARKS & RECREATION Keeping an eye on Ashland's feathered friends Info from local gatherings feed into nationwide FeederWatch tally By Samantha Bruce For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Samantha Bruce For the Tidings Posted Jan. 11, 2016 @ 5:08 pm Updated at 5:11 PM By Samantha Bruce For the Tidings Posted Jan. 11, 2016 @ 5:08 pm Updated at 5:11 PM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> A dozen bird-watchers at Ashland's North Mountain Park on Saturday morning were doing more than just partaking in what's often seen as an esoteric hobby — they were doing their part to assist a nationwide bird-watching effort. Project FeederWatch, developed by the Cornell University’s Laboratory of Ornithology, conducts winter-long surveys of bird populations in communities across the continent. Attendees count birds as they appear at established count sites to eat food provided for them, and make note of the greatest number of each species at a given time. While the information is useful for bird-watchers at the local level, it is crucial to scientists at the national level. Scientists utilize the data gathered by groups just like these to study the movement of wintering birds and long-term trends of bird distribution throughout the continent, enabling them to create accurate maps of more than 100 bird species that winter in North America. Ashland residents have been partaking in the Project FeederWatch program, hosted by the Rogue Valley Audobon Society, for more than 10 years. Bird populations have remained stable recently, something which Ron Ketchum, the leader of Saturday morning’s birding event, believes can be attributed to the bird-friendly conditions at North Mountain Park. This information is comforting: downward trends can be a warning sign for an at-risk bird species. The Ashland area hosts a diverse population of birds. At North Mountain Park, sightings of towhees, blackbirds, hawks, woodpeckers and chickadees, among other birds, have been reported during Project FeederWatch. But without a doubt, sparrows are some of the most frequent visitors to the Rogue Valley. Fox sparrows and white-crowned sparrows are most commonly observed, but Ketchum hoped to see a swamp sparrow that morning — a bird that doesn’t appear in southern Oregon all too often. Though many of the bird-watchers, more colloquially called “birders,” were experienced, quite a few were new to the Project FeederWatch event. One of these newcomers was Ellen Carey, a longtime Rogue Valley resident who had been bird-watching in her backyard for many years before attending the bi-weekly event for the first time on Saturday. Most of the birders recognize different species on sight, but Parker Flickinger, a student at Southern Oregon University, credits much of that ability to extensive memorization, but says one other thing can help: listening to more experienced birders and learning to identify unfamiliar birds from them. One would expect bird-watching to be a silent activity, where people keep to themselves and engage in relatively little conversation. But the atmosphere at the Project FeederWatch gathering is light and friendly. Conversation is constant and revolves around one topic: the birds. The sense of community is overwhelming, and one cannot help but feel that they are among friends. And if you’ve never bird-watched before, don’t worry. Binoculars are provided and seasoned birders are happy to show newcomers the ropes. The Project FeederWatch program meets from 9 to 10 a.m. every other Saturday through March at the North Mountain Park Nature Center in Ashland. The program meets in Medford as well, convening on Thursdays and Fridays from noon to 1 p.m. at the Coyote Trails Nature Center. Both meetings are free to all. Pre-registration is not required. For details, go to bit.ly/1OnmKkc or call 541-488-5340. Tidings intern Samantha Bruce is a journalism student at Southern Oregon University. By Samantha Bruce For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Samantha Bruce For the Tidings Posted Jan. 11, 2016 @ 5:08 pm Updated at 5:11 PM » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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