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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 Traffic stop nets half-pound of meth, $11,700 in cash 170 structures threatened in Oregon Gulch fire Oregon Gulch fire 11,000 acres and growing Changing winds saved Pinehurst Inn from Oregon Gulch fire Medford police have arrested a second arsonist Crime, Courts and Emergency Services 5,000-acre wildfire forces evacuations in Greensprings Emergency Services Man cited for DUII after drifting into an oncoming lane of Interstate 5 and hitting a truck head-on Two-bit crime spree yields $866 in quarters Community blog: ARSON-FROM WORRY TO RELIEF Politics and Elections Medford council veterans plan exit Medical marijuana patients run for council seat Former colleagues laud Atiyeh's 'practical' leadership Bates-Dotterrer race called critical to Senate control Richardson challenges Kitzhaber during debate Education Migrant student numbers soar $21 million Science Building upgrades begin at SOU Eagle Point district mulls fate of Trail school SOU Provost James Klein plans to retire Poverty standard hurts Central Point schools State news Nation - World Obituaries Don Mallaghan Ethel Iris McCoy Margaret Elizabeth Powell Van Lynn LaMaster Jack Jerry Ansures (Tooter) Weather Photo Galleries Videos Sports Latest Stories Another decent start for Tiger Lynch ends holdout with Seahawks Coach Riley prepares Beavers for fall camp Coaches rank UO fourth in first poll Flurry of trades prior to deadline Varsity 541 College Sports Coach Riley prepares Beavers for fall camp Mannion, Beavers look to close the gap Riley's coaching longevity bucks the trend in Pac-12 His own Gary Payton Beavers hope new diet plans give them bite Pro Sports Judge OKs record-setting $2B sale of Clippers Recovered from illness, Serena ready for return Darvish, Rangers drop Yanks Even after payday, Seattle's Sherman hungry as ever Fists flying at Philly practices Community Sports LOCAL REPORT Cowden, Hunt power Mavericks in win Medford Mustangs stay hot LOCAL REPORT Rogues come up short against Bells Business Latest Stories Blog: Part 2: How to Stay Cool in 100 Degree Weather Avista requests rate hike of 9.7% Blog: Study finds Oregon's exports slow to recover Contractor sweep nets 34 violations in S. 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Dining India Palace Taco Riendo Uber Herbal Coquina Restaurant Home State BBQ Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living NEWS NOW This bird isn't always among the pines "The uniquely patterned white-headed woodpecker is restricted to mixed coniferous forests dominated by pines..." So goes the text in the authoritative set of volumes entitled the "Birds of North America." This series summarizes all that is known about each species. The only problem with volumes like this is that birds can't read. By Stewart Janes MailTribune.com By Stewart Janes Posted Aug. 1, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Aug 1, 2014 at 10:39 AM By Stewart Janes Posted Aug. 1, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Aug 1, 2014 at 10:39 AM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> "The uniquely patterned white-headed woodpecker is restricted to mixed coniferous forests dominated by pines..." So goes the text in the authoritative set of volumes entitled the "Birds of North America." This series summarizes all that is known about each species. The only problem with volumes like this is that birds can't read. Not that there isn't considerable truth in the statement. White-headed woodpeckers are "uniquely patterned," with a coal-black body and a bright white head. The male also has a red mark on the back of its neck where the white head meets the black body. It's one of the few birds that is impossible to mistake for any other. The part of the statement in the "Birds of North America" about being "restricted to ... pines" is also mostly true. If you travel east of the Cascades to Klamath and Deschutes counties, you can find them among mature stands of Ponderosa pine. You will find them in similar habitat from British Columbia to Southern California. Like most woodpeckers, they drill into dead wood seeking beetle grubs to eat. They also occasionally fly out to take an insect out of the air and even feed on a little sap. What sets them apart from most other woodpeckers is their fondness for the large seeds encased in the cones of pines. They spend an incredible amount of time carefully dismantling cones to get at each of the seeds. However, there is one exception to the rule, one area where they abandon the pines, and it's right in our backyard. To see these unique birds, take a drive up Mount Ashland. As you leave behind the oaks near the valley floor, you first pass through the mixed conifer/hardwood forest dominated by Douglas fir. There are some pines mixed in, including scattered Ponderosa and sugar pine, but not many. There are no white-headed woodpeckers here. Keep driving up the mountain. At about 5,000 feet in elevation, the Douglas fir and the other trees of the mixed forest give way to white fir. Higher still, near the ski area, Shasta red fir appears along with the white fir. It is here among the white and red fir you can find white-headed woodpeckers. They occur along the spine of the Siskiyous from Mount Ashland west to Preston Peak, and they are not rare. For several years a pair nested in a snag right next to the ski lodge. If white-headed woodpeckers are "restricted" to pines, where are the pines? If you search real hard you might find a western white pine or two, but nothing to sustain a white-headed woodpecker. Then why are they here? The experts have made the pilgrimage to the Siskiyous to try to make sense of the odd situation, but after chasing them about they have gone home without answers. These woodpeckers are simply different from the rest of their kin, with their own ideas about what makes a suitable home. It's observing small mysteries like this that keep me lacing up my boots and heading into the woods. If you wish to read up on white-headed woodpeckers or another bird, you can find the "Birds of North America" series in Hannon Library on the Southern Oregon University campus. Stewart Janes is a biology professor at Southern Oregon University. He can be reached at [email protected]. By Stewart Janes MailTribune.com By Stewart Janes Posted Aug. 1, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Aug 1, 2014 at 10:39 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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