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Red Bird Days 



For some three years, six congenial 

 friends — all lovers of God's great big out- 

 of-doors — have spent some hours each 

 week in field and wood, at delightful 

 study and observation of bird-life in and 

 about our beautiful little city of Fair- 

 mont, located near the Iowa line, in south- 

 central Minnesota. Our lakes are nu- 

 erous, and many of them are lined with 

 native groves of oak, elm, basswood, 

 hackberry, ash, poplar, black walnut, 

 and a few red cedar trees. The under- 

 brush consists, for the most part, of wild 

 gooseberry, hazel, sumac, elderberry, 

 thorn-apple, and a few wild currant bushes 

 and plum trees. With water, woods, and 

 prairie so closely associated, and all so 

 generously distributed throughout the 

 county, birds of all the three groups, 

 water, woods, and prairie, find condi- 

 tions favorable for domestic activities. 

 This brings "to our very door" all the 

 species naturally found in this latitude, 

 and also occasionally a stranger from dis- 

 tant parts, far removed from home and 

 kin. 



While the male members of the sextette 

 were out for a Christmas Census, a few 

 days after December 25, one of them. Dr. 

 T. P. Hagerty, observed a flutter of red 

 in some willows ten rods ahead of us. 

 The doctor became excited at the sight 

 of the unusual bird and gave vent to a 

 series of wild yells. His companions, 

 somewhat shocked at the doctor's antics, 

 remarked that "seeing red" was common 

 experience with some folk, but for a man 

 of his habits was rather strange. They 

 spoke to him soothingly and cautioned 

 him against the dangers of apoplexy 

 from such uncontrolled excitement. 



All three advanced a few steps when, 

 suddenly, another series of yells broke 

 upon the stillness of the quiet afternoon. 

 This time it was Dr. Luedtke, who "saw 

 red" with the above consequences. Mr. 

 Sprague, who was on the other side of 



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the hedge, saw the form of the disappear- 

 ing bird, but could not see the color, so 

 his mental poise remained unchallenged. 

 All sorts of derogatory accusations and 

 charges were hurled at the two doctors. 

 The very next week the three visited the 

 same spot, and this time John Sprague 

 also "saw red," and yelled as the others 

 had done. The word "yell" may not be 

 the best or most elegant English, but it is 

 the only word that expresses what 

 actually took place. 



On our way home from our "Census" 

 walk, we deliberated at length as to what 

 the bird we saw might be, and finally 

 concluded to report him as an American 

 Crossbill; although we were not satisfied 

 with that classification, for he seemed too 

 large and altogether too brilliant and too 

 wild. The next week, about the middle 

 of January, 19 14, Dr. Hagerty and John 

 Sprague saw our new friend again, and 

 this time discovered a distinct crest on 

 his head. He was too far away to note 

 other markings distinctly. The two 

 declared it to be a Cardinal. The boys 

 were somewhat piqued because the rest 

 of the "family" did not accept their 

 diagnosis as final and without question, 

 but they hid their feelings, expecting that 

 time would vindicate their position. A 

 few days later, Dr. Luedtke received a 

 telephone call from Mrs. John Lowe, who 

 lives in the bit of wood where the red 

 bird had been seen. She too had "seen 

 red," and the echo of the characteristic 

 yells were still sufiiciently strong to be 

 detected by the doctor's listening ears, 

 so that he knew what had happened. In 

 a rather excited tone Mrs. Lowe told of 

 seeing "the most wonderful bird" right 

 near her house, from one of the upstairs' 

 windows. It was fiery red all over, and 

 had a crest and a black throat, and she 

 wished to know what it was. That prac- 

 tically settled the identity, but, being of a 

 conservative nature, we some of us post- 

 poned positive opinion until the bird 

 was actually observed by our own eyes. 



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