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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Since You Asked: Will the new county HHS building save the county money? Get Up & Go: Jan. 3 Laser strike on jet entering Medford delays flight Emergency services Sight for sore eyes Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Laser strike on jet entering Medford delays flight Emergency services VIDEO: Wrap Up, week of Jan. 2 Man on parole for robbery arrested after crashing stolen truck Car crashes into Medford yard New Year's Eve Politics and Elections Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Time running out for O&C funds GMO vote recount still shows little change Education Ashland schools to implement chickenpox precautions Traveling artist sets the stage for Ruch School amphitheater Ruch school class focuses on the natural environment Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Logos may offer students 'fifth year' at RCC or SOU Environment Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure Bird flu discovered in Winston backyard flock Jackson County holds back on enforcing GMO ban for now No fish, no funding for problem dams State News Oregon fans get married Rose Bowl parking lot Earthquake off coast shakes Humboldt County Stranded sea turtle recovers at Oregon aquarium Oregon minimum wage rises to $9.25 Storm brings snow, cold to West Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Dianne Sarvis Marri Young-Wellbaum Severta Shipley Death Notices Jeannine Gardiner Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? Sports Latest Stories Late 3-pointers again derail Panthers Ashland falls to Marist in MWL debut Cowboys run roughshod over Huskies NCU putback beats buzzer, sinks SOU Rondo comes back to haunt Celts Varsity 541 College Sports Cowboys run roughshod over Huskies NCU putback beats buzzer, sinks SOU Utes rout Trojans in Pac-12 opener Tyner’s Time It’ll be Ducks, Bucks in the ‘Spread Bowl’ Pro Sports Rondo comes back to haunt Celts Watt, Gronkowski unanimous All-Pro picks Rose, Bulls down Nuggets Capitals top Blackhawks 3-2 in Winter Classic LeBron to miss two weeks with injuries Community Sports Business Latest Stories Irrigation system upgrade gets a forum Ride & Drive: 2015 Honda Crosstour Positive Steps Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Real Estate News Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Rental owners group reports 2.48 percent vacancy rate People In Business Transportation Falling gas prices help spur travel at Medford airport Agriculture Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers K-BAR ignites agriculture boom beneath Table Rocks Opinion Latest Other Views: Oregon's GMO battle is far from over Granlund cartoon: Palestine statehood bid Michelle Teheux: Lucky to be alive (and white?) Our View: Meeting in the middle keeps a mill open Michael Gerson: Clear choice, or clear trauma? Editorials Other Views: Oregon's GMO battle is far from over Our View: Meeting in the middle keeps a mill open Our View: Help clear the air for the new year Our View: Caves expansion worth the wait Other Views: Oregon incomes still lag behind Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor. Jan. 2 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 1 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 31 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 30 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Loved one chose death with dignity in Oregon Guest Opinion: Forest thinning means water for the future Guest Opinion: Suit threatens family farms and democratic vote Guest Opinion: SOU pool decision short-sighted Guest Opinion: It's time for biologists to let OR-7 go dark Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: Get the New Year off to a Great Start Hobart Bluff offers top-notch views Fishing report: Jan. 2, 2015 'Wild' about hiking Churches start new year with messages of hope Food Community blog: Ring in new flavors with year's last appetizers Food for Thought: Tips for cooking when you have food allergies Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Kitchen Call: The comfort of creamy soups Community blog: Baking contest finalists combine cookies, candies Home and Garden Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Dear Monty: Can a rookie real estate agent be a good choice? Bathtub or shower: What’s best for you? Home Help: Home safety tips for a safe and happy winter season How NOT to install drywall Health Community blog: We Don't Have To Conspire Against Good Health HealthStyle: New year, new you Health Watch: Build up your glutes in the off-season Dr. Jeff Hersh: What's a monoclonal antibody? Dr. Murray Feingold: Have a happy and stress-free holiday Hiking Biking Faith Churches start new year with messages of hope (No heading) Churches, synagogs host seasonal events Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Milestones and Achievements Little Yaretzi is county's first baby of 2015 Local landowners see no public good in proposed pipeline Pear Blossom queen has open heart surgery Hundreds enjoy Christmas dinner, gifts at St. Vincent de Paul SinceYou Asked: SBA would work with Mt. Ashland Ski Area about loan Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Live Music in Local Clubs Generation Jones plays Paddy Brannan's Pete Herzog and Dennis Walker play 2Hawk Winery Paul Turnipseed Trio at Belle Fiore Jefferson State Choral Coalition presents 'Reason for the Season' Theater Camelot's 'Fiddler' is a charmer ACT presents reading of 'The Quality of Life' Meet the real Jacob Marley This Nutcracker ballet will have a superhero twist Plumbing the depths of meaning Music Live Music in Local Clubs Generation Jones plays Paddy Brannan's Pete Herzog and Dennis Walker play 2Hawk Winery Paul Turnipseed Trio at Belle Fiore Jefferson State Choral Coalition presents 'Reason for the Season' Community Events New Schneider Museum exhibits highlight First Friday Celebrate winter solstice with the Bad Film Society Tomaseen Foley's "A Celtic Christmas" returns to the Craterian Theater Stefan Baumann and Eugene Bennett highlight Third Fridays Dancing People Company celebrates the solstice Dining Jackson Creek Pizza Co. is a good downtown haunt Dobra Tea menu offers hundreds of brews Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Coffee shops roll out holiday-inspired drinks Over Easy serves 'pop-up' brunch Sundays Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Laser strike on jet entering Medford delays flight ... Ashland schools to implement chickenpox precautions ... 2014 set weather records in the Rogue Valley ... Laser strike on jet entering Medford delays flight ... Ashland schools to implement chickenpox precautions ... 2014 set weather records in the Rogue Valley ... OUTDOOR JOURNAL Wild Bird Photo Contest winners capture stunning shots Comment By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 26, 2014 @ 2:00 am By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 26, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Social News Sitting on her back porch overlooking the Rogue River last spring, Christine Pitto was snapping her usual few hundred images when a male evening gosbeak with two young chicks appeared on one of her feeders. She'd noticed in the past year of focusing on photographing birds that a surprisingly large number of males help feed their young and this particular dad had his wings full with this pair. "They were vying over which one would get the food," Pitto recalls. "They were ridiculously cute. I was just trying to capture the moment." A frame of the adult feeding an obviously delighted female chick not only captured that moment, it captured the eyes of Oregon Outdoors Wild Bird Photo Contest enough that it earned Pitto top honors in the 15th annual contest. "Oh my God, that only took five years," says Pitto, a regular entrant. This all-paperless contest is open annually to amateur photographers who either shoot images in Oregon or are Oregonians shooting outside of the state or both — as long as the Oregon connection is there. This year's contest drew 275 submissions from 89 separate photographers limited to up to five entered images apiece. Second place went to a photo of an Anna's hummingbird defending its territory shot by Jesse Hodges of Ashland. Third place went to Thomas Ommen of Jacksonville for his photo cedar waxwing feeding on Possum Haw berries shot in Georgetown, Tex. And honorable mention place went to Melvin Clements of Ashland for his closeup of a mature bald eagle captured at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, a hotbed for wintering eagles. The coveted "People's Choice Award" based on online reader voting went to Randy Shipley for his photo capturing more than a bird. He harnessed irony when he shot a bald eagle perched next to a national wildlife refuge sign warning waterfowlers that there is no legal hunting from that particular dike. As for Pitto, her winning image says a lot about where she lives, what she does and what she covets. A contract worker on construction design and a contributor to the Upper Rogue Independent weekly newspaper, Pitto's often home and that means she's in her backyard two to three hours a day armed with her Canon 70D. "It's kind of what I do all day every day," Pitto says. She lives on the Rogue near Trail, so the river's rich riparian zone is her stage and the avian actors her players. That's especially true in spring, when myriad birds hunt amid the massive hatches of large insects like stoneflies. Pitto often shoots 400 to 900 images a day attempting to document that. "We're on the Rogue River," she says. "We have so much in our own backyard and I try to prove it." She also seeks out evening gosbeaks, which were the favorite bird of her mother, who annually brought her the Oregon Outdoors section that launches that particular year's photo contest. Pitto's mother died in 2012, and shooting evening gosbeaks creates a connection for her. Being able to win her first contest with a photo of her mother's favorite bird brings Pitto's win in full circle. "Winning this contest really means a lot to me," she says. "My mom always wanted me to enter this contest." Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman . By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 26, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » 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 MailTribune.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 Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. 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