Document text
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 Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Pizza driver in Ashland robbery says she was shocked with stun gun ... Wolf delisting bill heads to Oregon Senate for final vote ... Man faces sex trafficking, promoting prostitution charges ... Pizza driver in Ashland robbery says she was shocked with stun gun ... Wolf delisting bill heads to Oregon Senate for final vote ... Man faces sex trafficking, promoting prostitution charges ... WILDLIFE Rogue River osprey get new room with a view Moving nest will require a 4-hour power outage early Friday Comment By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Feb. 23, 2016 at 2:41 PM Updated at 4:05 PM By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Feb. 23, 2016 at 2:41 PM Updated at 4:05 PM --> Osprey (pandion haliaetus) The osprey is one of the world’s most wide-ranging birds of prey, present around the globe. Because it is the only species of its genus... » Read more X Osprey ( pandion haliaetus ) The osprey is one of the world’s most wide-ranging birds of prey, present around the globe. Because it is the only species of its genus, birds in Oregon are identical to those in Africa. DESCRIPTION: Dark-brown upper parts and white underparts make it disappear against the sky. A dark face "mask” reduces glare from the water while it hunts fish. SIZE: Adults are 22 to 25 inches long, with wingspans up to 6 feet. HABITAT: Inland rivers, lakes and reservoirs. RANGE IN OREGON: Statewide. Very common summer breeders and local migrants. Rare in winter, when they normally migrate to South America. DIET : Mostly fish that it plucks from the water with its talons. NESTING: Large nests atop snags or poles, usually at the same site annually. VOICE: A piercing "chewk-chewk-chewk” and far-crying "kip-kip-kip.” Pairs are very vocal in spring near nest sites. » Social News A pair of osprey heading home to roost will find their old digs have been given a new look with an even better bird's-eye view of downtown Rogue River. The pair's nest, which sits precariously atop a Pacific Power pole, will be plucked from its perch early Friday and placed on a new platform eight feet above to ensure the birds don't get electrocuted and knock out power to the neighborhood. "We want to take away that electrocution risk," says Eric Casprzak, a Pacific Power environmental analyst overseeing the aerie reconstruction on the pole at Pine Street near the railroad tracks adjacent to Interstate 5. Caring for these Rogue River icons comes at a price: About 1,750 Pacific Power customers will lose electricity for about four hours shortly after midnight Friday morning while the delicate work is done, says Monte Mendenhall, Pacific Power's regional business manager. So residents might want to set their smartphone alarms for Friday morning if they live along Wards Creek Road, Savage Creek Road, Foothill Boulevard, Rogue River Highway or in downtown Rogue River. "We want to protect the birds from the wires and the wires from birds," Mendenhall says. "This short-term interruption allows us to do what is best for the osprey while maintaining reliability for all the customers." And it comes just in the nick of time. Osprey and other migrants are making their way north and should arrive soon, and osprey typically return to the same nests every year. This nest surfaced in spring 2014 when the ospreys began placing sticks on top of the pole, prompting Pacific Power crews to place covers over the insulators and wires there to "avian-proof" the pole, Casprzak says. Pacific Power, which relocated eight nests and built eight new platforms in Oregon last year, decided the permanent fix will look very similar to the platforms that have become common sights along Oregon waterways for decades. The 8-foot extension will give the birds plenty of distance to avoid the wires, but the old covers will remain just in case a fledgling flops onto them while learning to fly, Casprzak says. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman . By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Feb. 23, 2016 at 2:41 PM Updated at 4:05 PM » 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events 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 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501