Two words: VEGAS BABY!
This phrase has been drunkenly uttered every time I boarded a Spirit Airlines flight to Las Vegas, Nevada.
I’m serious! I kept a record!
When I was 14 years old, my father took a job in Las Vegas as a firefighter. While I lived full-time in Pennsylvania with my mother, I spent the summers in Vegas. This led to many direct flights from Pittsburgh to the Sin City. I hated this four-hour journey. The plane was always filled with obnoxious people. It smelled of booze and body odor. Las Vegas was not much better. The constant noise and crazy atmosphere of the city tired me out.
Growing up, my father often told me that there was no place that he hated more than Vegas. He declared that he would never set foot in the city, or participate in the ‘stupidness’ that draws millions of visitors every year. Ironically, this was the only place in the nation that he could find a job. Funny how that works, right?
Since my dad hated everything about the city, he would always find reasons to escape on the weekends. He would take us on short day trips to scenic areas, or camping trips in the mountains. Our favorite spot was Mt. Charleston. We would spend hours roaming the pine forests, identifying wildflowers, and listening to the faint chirps of the Mountain Bluebird.
Image by East Idaho News
The Mountian Bluebird was named the Nevada state bird in 1967. Many consider the bird to be one of the most beautiful in the West due to its stunning blue feathers.
These birds like to live out in the open. They are often found in mountainous terrains but have been spotted in prairie lands and deserts. Female birds take charge when deciding where to build a nest. These nests are usually built in any type of cavity, whether this is in trees, cliffs, or dirt banks. It has been speculated that the female bluebirds do most of the work when building a nest. In a humorous observation, male birds are often seen ‘pretending’ to help, yet frequently lose the nest-building materials.
The American Bird Conservancy compares the forging of the Mountian Bluebird to that of a Falcon. These birds feed on the ground, snatching various insects and berries. Their unique feeding behavior sets them apart from similar species.
Image by Birdwatching Daily
Sadly, the population of Moutain Bluebirds is steadily declining at a rate of 21%. This is largely due to the plastic PVC piping system found throughout the West. Since the birds nest in cavities, they often see these pipes as potential homes. When exploring, they become trapped and eventually die from dehydration. Many petitions have surfaced, demanding the USDA Forest Service to take action and save the Mountain Bluebirds. Hopefully, changes occur so Nevada natives can continue to connect to nature by listening to the Mountain Bluebirds chirp.