I try to avoid writing about politics, tragedy or misfortune; the news and daily life gives us more than our fair share of this, but today I am going to make an exception.

For those of you who have spoken to me previously, you know that I am an avid animal lover, especially when it comes to my favorite creature of all – birds. I often share stories of my birds’ antics with clients and friends and one of our favorite places to visit whenever we have a shoot at Floyd Lamb Park or The Grove is the Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary (aka Gilcrease Bird Preserve) on Las Vegas’ north side.  Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary / Bird Preserve is located literally next door to The Grove and we often chuckle at how we can hear the birds during wedding ceremonies, as if they are part of the audience or choir.

It’s a welcome break from Las Vegas life in that there are no slot machines or roulette tables; just an organization far from the strip that is solely dedicated to helping animals that have been mistreated, abandoned or otherwise unable to care for themselves. 

With every subsequent visit, the staff at Gilcrease and the interaction with its animal residents helps maintain my cheerful optimism.  More importantly, it provides a uniquely fun and educational experience for children in a city best known for hedonistic pursuits for ages 21 and up.

I just learned that tragedy has struck Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary / Bird Preserve in the form of a fire that swept through the tiny buildings and taking the lives of hundreds of these beautiful creatures, including the majority of the beautiful white peacocks and cockatoos.  When I think about all those birds trapped in a cage while a fire raged around and through them, I am chilled to the bone.  Even more so is the irony that many of the birds that passed on were special cases – animals that have had hard lives of neglect or abuse and came to the shelter to seek the love and care of Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary / Bird Preserve’s experienced staff.

As the owner of three cockatiels and two parakeets, I believe that birds may be the most anthropomorphic creatures in existence; perhaps even more so than dogs and cats.  Their little personalities are all so individual and unique that, having spent so long among them, I can practically hear what they’re saying even when they aren’t mimicking speech.  A good example of birds’ human qualities is “Mr. Crow”, who lives close by the farm animals at the Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary / Bird Preserve. 

“Mr. Crow” is likely is not his given name, but a moniker that I created for him. As you walk past his cage, Mr. Crow will follow you not only with his eyes, but his entire body as he gracefully hops from one perch to the next.  Spend too much time with the cockatoo on the other side of him (who always yells “what’s the matter?”) and Mr. Crow will begin vying for your affection. 

On our last trip, Mr. Crow began giving me ‘gifts’ through the bars of his cage – pieces of fruit, twigs, anything to keep me there.  A borderline germaphobe taking mushy half eaten fruit from a bird is…..difficult….but to an animal, giving food to another animal is the highest form of love and respect.  Animals almost *never* share food when they don’t have to, so I gladly accepted his gifts and shook his very strong beak with my finger in gratitude. 

Birds are curious, sweet loving animals with high intelligence and affection that are eager to please their humans, so news of the fire hit me like a ton of bricks and demolished any ideas I may have had about getting work done.

The following images were never meant for public display, so the composition and focus are likely a bit off and they certainly aren’t going to win any awards.  Animals in cages are very difficult to photograph, as it is difficult to achieve good focus by auto or manual means with bars in the way.  I had shot them on the quick just to have for myself, but now I would like to share just a few of them with you.

This is the importance of photography, people.  Everything and everyone passes eventually and you never know when it’s going to happen, but digital photographs are eternal.  Having just wrote that, even I wish I would have spent a bit more time, taken a few hundred more shots spent more time interviewing the friendly staff.  Even I was caught unawares by the tragedy befalling the Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary / Bird Preserve.

I strongly encourage anyone in the Las Vegas area that has experience with birds to donate your time and homes to helping out these wonderful animals with a place to stay in the interim.  I’m almost positive that new cages, food, water dishes and donations would also be quite welcome. As I write this, I am also preparing to do the same.

In the meantime, stay safe everyone.  Take care of yourselves and each other.
-Deacon Tyler