BY THE WAYSIDE 
39 
r 
Lore December 20th. I saw I think 
! four red heads that day and I do not 
think four days have passed this win¬ 
ter without me seeing two or more of 
them. Acorns were a heavy crop here. 
Just a few rods from the house the 
ground is literally covered with them 
even now. We have quite a lot ol 
timber near us, mostly oaks, so 1 guess 
the Woodpeckers have fared unusually 
well. During my observations lasting 
over a period of seven years 1 have 
never seen the red-head in my vicinity 
t during winter before. We have had 
a mild winter and 1 have seen wild 
geese in December, January aud Feb¬ 
ruary. I also saw four Wilson snipe 
while taking the Christmas census, and 
a graclde. Scaup ducks were on the 
open waters of our lakes during the 
latter part of January, so you see we 
have a list of birds somewhat out of 
the ordinary. 
Yours truly, 
Lula Dunbar, 
(Continued from p. 33) 
lie never showed their absolute cer¬ 
tainty in arriving and departing; and 
though showing in every motion, how T 
young he was, he seemed to feel the 
same responsibility that the old birds 
did,—scolding and even trying to drive 
away any strange birds that came near 
the nest, and always showing great 
courage. He was the most charming 
little creature imaginable, with his soft 
speckled plumage, his bright eyes and 
pretty brave air of responsibility. 
The parents did not appear to pay 
him any attention, except that once, I 
thought the female showed a slight an¬ 
noyance when he came too near her. 
lie never begged his parents for food, 
as one sees young bluejays do, long af¬ 
ter they look old enough to take care 
of themselves. 
As the days went on, the little family 
in the plum thicket had their share of 
the trials that are so plentiful in the 
lives of birds. And one day 1 noticed 
