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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 Students flock to Ashland schools Since You Asked: Coaches, OSAA say when it's OK to play Proposed Phoenix employment hub gets boost from state Emergency Services Smoke expected to clear out Monday afternoon Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services Saturday riot lands 7 in jail More smoke and stingy fire activity expected Sunday Emergency Services Medford woman grazed by bullet while doing laundry Politics and Elections Senate race could be expensive Talent to consider taxing recreational, but not medicinal marijuana Candidate files false statements Just one seat will be contested for Central Point council Gold Hill mayor faces challenger; other races have one candidate each Education Students flock to Ashland schools Central Point launches language immersion program UPDATED: Medford school bus in crash; no students hurt, officials say Free TED talk simulcast in Ashland Bear spotted near Central Point school Environment Dredgers might return to the Rogue next year Dubs' auction preview draws bidders and gawkers OR-7's pups are true wolves ODFW director Elicker will step down Medford hunter's exotic collection goes on sale State news Nation - World Obituaries Joseph Henry Bowden Jr. Thomas Vern Quinnin Irving �Ike� Eisenstein Duane George Daniels IN MEMORY Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories 49ers cruise to win over Cowboys Horschel holds on for title at BMW Championship Serena wins third straight U.S. Open Beavers have a defense this year, and that gives them hope Timbers rally to tie Earthquakes Varsity 541 College Sports Beavers have a defense this year, and that gives them hope Mariota sets school TD record as Oregon rallies past Michigan State Oregon State holds on to beat Hawaii 38-30 Virginia Tech stuns No. 8 Ohio State 35-21 Big game, big records for Mariota Pro Sports 49ers cruise to win over Cowboys Horschel holds on for title at BMW Championship Serena wins third straight U.S. Open Timbers rally to tie Earthquakes Rejuvenated Sky challenge Mercury in WNBA Finals Community Sports Barry fires back into SOGC finals Super seniors strong at SOGC Crenshaw pulls off upset in SOGC Murphy claims victory in Stroke Play Championships South Korea downs Chicago for World Series title Business Latest Stories Pleasant weather, stable interest rates spurred summer home sales Sustainable Valley receives $50,000 SBA grant Blog: And the Award Goes to... 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Business briefs Real Estate News Pleasant weather, stable interest rates spurred summer home sales People In Business Transportation Agriculture 1-800-Flowers.com buying Harry & David for $142.5 million Earlier than normal pear harvest coming up short of expectations Weisinger's Winery has earliest crush on record Amy's Kitchen begins expansion in White City Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, Sept. 8 Other Views: The time is now to start disaster planning Catherine Rampell: Congress' whopper of a mess Dana Milbank: Proving trickle-down wrong Letters to the Editor, Sept. 7 Editorials Other Views: The time is now to start disaster planning Harry & David: the next chapter An unresolved conflict; A judge declines to say if county laws trump city laws Cheers and jeers Our View: Make property owners pay for cleanup Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Sept. 8 Letters to the Editor, Sept. 7 Letters to the Editor, Sept. 5 Letters to the Editor, Sept. 4 Letters to the Editor, Sept. 3 Guest Opinions Hazardous fuel treatments vital to protection from severe wildfires Wilderness for Kalmiopsis has served us well The summer of my discontent: An open letter to Bill Rauch The power of local philanthropy Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: We Need to Talk Oregon's Top 5 wilderness areas Origin Story: 3 a.m. New Arrivals Puget Sound's south end offers solitude Food Community blog: 'Crispy Treats' a cut above rice-cereal originals The peace potential of cobblers and crisps Lunchbox recipes Community blog: Try this sweet treat for back-to-school snacking Put your kids through the school of good eats Home and Garden Trees aren't always the best companions for plants Hot tips for a cool (shade) garden An August checklist for your garden Green Scene: Diagnosing common tomato troubles Lawn talk Health Community blog: We Need to Talk Down-size is the right size Oregon Health Policy Board to meet in Medford Community blog: Health is More than Meets the Eye 'Super-Agers' are coming fast Hiking Faith Religion briefs Religion briefs Community Blog: Is Peace Possible in the Middle East - Part three of four Milestones and Achievements New Arrivals Engagement Wedding: Gibson-Hodnefield New Arrivals Engagements Columnist for a Day Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Ashland Contemporary Theatre gets dialectic with "Freud's Last Session" Live Music in Local Clubs Keith Greeninger and Matt Hill at the Rogue Theatre Jennifer Nettles plays Britt Rob Zombie plays Lithia Amphitheater Theater Ashland Contemporary Theatre gets dialectic with "Freud's Last Session" 'Freud's Last Session" at Ashland Contemporary Theatre OSF presents 'The Alchemy of Gender' Randall Theatre extends 'Godspell' 'Pump Boys & Dinettes' opens at Camelot Theatre Music Live Music in Local Clubs Keith Greeninger and Matt Hill at the Rogue Theatre Jennifer Nettles plays Britt Rob Zombie plays Lithia Amphitheater Britt Festivals adds to indoor fall concert lineup Community Events Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists 5 Things to Do This Weekend From business professor to artist Shady Cove Tie Days Swap Meet 'Prints From the Plateau' at the Rogue Gallery Dining Ami Sushi serves up Asian dishes Wild River Brewing & Pizza Co. NW Raw Kelly's Crepes Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Expect delays on I-5 near exit 43 ... OR-7's pups are true wolves ... A pair of recent arsons in northeast Medford have the attention of police ... Expect delays on I-5 near exit 43 ... OR-7's pups are true wolves ... A pair of recent arsons in northeast Medford have the attention of police ... ENVIRONMENT Elusive owls get new home in Cascades Klamath Bird Observatory members erect and install new nesting platforms for a pair of uncommon and elusive great gray owls. By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 31, 2014 @ 12:01 am By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 31, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News ASHLAND — With its huge round face and menacing stare, a great gray owl's appearance belies its neighborly nature. While other owl species' intense territorial nature causes them to clash, these largest of the owls are so docile they won't present themselves to bird calls that would send a barred owl crashing in to see what's up. "It's quite easy to walk right past them," Ashland birder Harry Fuller says. "They're not territorial at all. They don't screech. They don't fly away. You would never know a 3-foot-tall owl was staring at you." Trouble is, they have the construction sense of poets, making nesting success one of the main pitfalls for North America's tallest owls, which are relatively uncommon in Southern Oregon. That's why a pair of these owls found squatting in an old raven's nest this summer high in the Cascades are getting some new digs, complete with furniture. Two nesting platforms installed this week on private land in the High Cascades will give the two great gray owls a proper home for their next set of owlets next spring. The two platforms will provide a new address of choice for the owls, which don’t make their own nests so they must either commandeer one from another bird or eke out life in a tree snag. This Habitat By Humanity project is courtesy of the Ashland-based Klamath Bird Observatory, which is giving a helping hand to some of Jackson County's estimated 300 to 500 great gray owls, one of the largest documented population hubs on the West Coast. The platforms actually are redwood planters that nature photographer Peter Thiemann fastened to tree branches for stability. Forester Marty Main then scaled about 35 feet up a thick white fir to screw the contraption into the trunk. A collection of lichen and small sticks from nearby trees will provide bedding for the pair and, eventually, for the female and owlets that will stay together full-time while the male hunts for them until the young fledge. They will be on display as part of the local birding circuit as well. Great gray owls have been somewhat of an enigma to Oregon birders for decades, largely because they are so difficult to find and monitor, Fuller says. They weren’t even thought to be nesting in Oregon until around World War II. These particular owls were “discovered” nine years ago when Willow-Witt Ranch owners Suzanne Willow and Lanita Witt hired the KBO for a bird survey on their ranch off Shale City Road east of Ashland. That’s when they were first heard, but not seen, Willow says. A family member first spied one of the owls two years ago, but the nest site wasn’t discovered until a camper awoke under the nest to see a big face staring back, she says. The couple’s ranch is ideal for great gray owls, which require large trees and open understories for nesting and nearby wet meadows for hunting mice, shrews and other small mammals. Their large, disc-like face acts as a satellite dish, funneling sound to their ears so they can hear little animals scurrying underground from more than 100 feet away. They also don’t migrate much, with the pair living year-round in the Cascades and likely not ever moving more than 10 miles, says Fuller, who is president of KBO's board of directors. Fuller and other birders monitored their previous nest this summer, noting that it appeared too small for the female and owlet. “We think it’s probably an old raven’s nest because it’s so ratty,” Fuller says. “I can’t imagine it would be any good next spring.” But there’s no assurance these owls will accept either of their rent-free offerings. Main installed a similar platform 13 years ago on private land near Howard Prairie, he says. That went unused for a decade before owls nested there last year and this year, he says. The southern Cascades population is the largest in the southern end of the owls' range, other than an isolated population in and around California’s Yosemite National Park. A subgroup found in the upper Applegate River Basin is the only known population west of Interstate 5. The KBO plans to collect donations to build and install more nesting platforms, thereby upgrading their known neighborhoods. “They’re great birds,” Fuller says. “We’re actually quite lucky to have them.”  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 Aug. 31, 2014 @ 12:01 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 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. 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