The Podcast: Exotic Birds of Bham
Exotic Birds of B-ham (part 2)
More Exotic Birds… this time mostly psittacines, or parrots if you’re nasty.
Summary
This episode is called Exotic birds in Bham (Take 2) OR — If these birds could talk… OR… Bellinghistory out of the mouths of parrots and sucklings??
At any rate, this episode is about exotic birds as pets… particularly parrots, with weird parrot stories we’ve collected from BellingHISTORY. Today’s historical selections are not likely to be found in the history books… and really, they are of no real consequence when it comes to Bellinghistory, but surprisingly stories of our chatty feathered friends have come up again and again in research of other things. So we thought we would string a few together for your entertainment.
You’ll meet a few Pollys and a parrot thankfully named Mildred, hear the stories of beer guzzling bar birds and Whatcom County’s oldest feathered friend.
Squawk!
Listen
Or… listen to the episode at …
Ephemera
Headline from Bellingham Herald, June 30, 1908.
The Daylight Building, as pictured in the Puget Sound American in 1905. Fred Ault (or Alt) and his parrot ran a saloon in this building in 1908. The building is on the corner of State and Chestnut Streets in Bellingham today.
As appeared in the Bellingham Herald, Aug 7, 1907. Reads: “Opened in Basement of Daylight Building, Wine and Liquor House. Fred Alt, Proprietor. We Sell B.B. Beer. Everything Up-to-Date.“
Image from Herald article about a 36-year old parrot named “Polly” October 23, 1949. Clarence White and Polly ae pictured sitting on wooden steps outside their home at 1122 Jersey Street.
Headline and image from Seattle Daily Times article, June 21, 1961. Mrs. William Durgin and Mildred the Parrot, reportedly 128 years of age.
Image from article about Mildred the parrot printed in the Herald April 25, 1963. Shows Mrs. William Durgin holding Mildred on a perch.
Obituary of Mildred the parrot as appeared in teh Bellingham Herald on October 31, 1974. A grainy black and white photo of the deceased bird.
Resources
“Alt’s Parrot Returns.” Bellingham Herald, July 1, 1908.
American Federation of Aviculture: Established in 1974. Website accessed April 2023. https://afabirds.org/2018_WordPress/
“The Bird with the Largest Vocabulary in the World.” Nature’s Scrapbook, April 2023. http://naturesscrapbook.blogspot.com/2012/02/bird-with-largest-vocabulary-in-world.htm
Burtt, Edward H., Max R. Schroeder, Lauren A. SMith, Jenna E Sroka, and Kevin J. McGraw. “Colourful parrot feathers resist bacterial degradation.” Biology Letters. April 23, 2011:7(2):214-6. Published online Oct 6, 1910. Accessed April 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3061162/
Daniel, Bev. “Mildred the Parrot Has Welcomed Lots of New Years.” Bellingham Herald, December 30, 1968.
Donahue, Michelle Z. “14 Fun Facts About Parrots.” Smithsonian Magazine. January 5, 2016. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/14-fun-facts-about-parrots-180957714/
Eardley, Carole. “County Resident May Have Been Born 150 Years Ago.” Bellingham Herald, April 25, 1963.
“Fred Ault is Found Dead in Bed.” Bellingham Herald, December 30, 1911.
“John Charles Daly.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, April 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Charles_Daly
Kovalchik, Kara. “Why Do We Call Parrots ‘Polly’?” Mental Floss. March 4, 2014. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/55350/why-do-we-call-parrots-polly
McManman, Don. “Shopsquawk: Bird Lovers Just Wacky About Beasts.” Bellingham Herald, September 30, 1985
“Parrot.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, April 18, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrot
“Polly Loves to Talk, Sing but Is Sometimes Exasperating.” Bellingham Herald, Oct 23, 1949.
Reddin, John J. “Parrot, 128, Has Crush On TV Newscaster. Faces of the City.” Seattle Daily Times, June 21, 1961.
“Squawk.” Bellingham Herald, October 31, 1974 (Obituary of Mildred the Parrot)
“Thief Elopes With Ault’s Parrott (sic): Fred Is in the Dumps and Cannot be Consoled.” Bellingham Herald, June 30, 1908.
“What’s Wrong with Caged Birds? How Birds SUffer in the Pet Trade.” People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Website accessed April 2023. https://www.peta.org/issues/animal-companion-issues/cruel-practices/caging-birds/
Aaaand….
We are pleased to now know that The Underground is still a thing! So if you want to go party at the site of Fred Alt/Ault’s bar and pour one out for him and Polly, you can!
Just for fun, see why Mildred was crushing on John Daly:
What’s My Line - Fred Astaire (Apr 3, 1955) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feLh7iKQ9bU
Finally, a gallery of vintage postcards featuring parrots for your amusement:
Sometimes I talk myself into trouble - then I have to talk myself out of it.
I’m only a suffragette. (Polly sez) “Votes for Women”
I’ve got a parrot that can swear and a monkey that smokes cigarettes. What do I need with a young man?
Polly want a cracker
Lady: “Yes, I’d like to buy that parrot - but does it swear?”
Sailor: “No, this one don’t, mum - but for five bob more I’ll get yer one what swears beautiful!”
“Percy, if you don’t stop pinching, I’ll scream!”
“And you naughty little polly, you just close your mouth up tight, or I’ll simply have to put you far away and out of sight.”
Gray parrot for sale. The property of a soldier. Good tempered and amusing with a marvelous flow of language.
We want to thank Devin Champlin and the late, great, Lucas Hicks for the use of the ol’ Gallus Brothers tune “Too Bad West Coast Blues.” You can find that tune and more on bandcamp at https://thegallusbrothers.bandcamp.com/ and https://devinchamplin.bandcamp.com/ and you can find Devin at Champlin Guitars in Bellingham! <3 <3 <3
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