The Baiting Hollow Hummingbird Sanctuary: We plan to Open Aug 1 and many days thereafter

BASICS

BASICS: "Hummingbirds.....where is the person, I ask, who, on observing this glittering fragment of the rainbow, would not pause, admire, and turn his mind with reverence..." (J. J. Audubon).

This is a blog about my summer life at the Baiting Hollow Hummingbird Sanctuary, at my winter garden, Calypso, in the Bahamas, and aspects of life in general.

This private sanctuary is now permanently closed to the general public, as a result of a lawsuit brought by a neighbor. Only my friends and personal guests may visit (paul.adams%stonybrook.edu).

Friday, July 26, 2013

We plan to Open Aug 1 and many days thereafter

I'm back at the sanctuary after 10 days of interesting work and garden- (and relative-) visiting in the UK. I'll write a bit about some of these English gardens in a future post (none had hummingbirds of course). While I was away a wonderful small team of dedicated helpers came regularly to water plants and keep the feeders topped up. I thank them all heartily for their time, dedication and patience. Several additional people volunteered to help and I thank them also - probably I will ask all these volunteers for future help. Specifically, I am hoping that we can remain open this year well into september, when I resume work, and I will need volunteers who know the sanctuary well just to be here during opening hours. Just before leaving I was interviewed by a reporter from Newsday, and apparently an article about us will come out there soon. If you would like to visit the sanctuary please keep an eye on this blog for details of opening dates and times: there will be plenty of opportunities but I cannot promise we will be open every day. And we are ALWAYS closed from 12.30 to 3.

I'm seeing a bit more hummer activity than when I left, but still quiet. Tomorrow I will try to get new photos but in the mean time here are a couple from last year. The first shows a hummer feeding from Rosebay Salvia, a great favorite, with LI Sound in the background.

The next shot shows red and purple Salvia splendens, with an Abyssinian Banana in the background.

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FAQs

1. How can I visit? Unless you are an invited friend or personal guest of the owner, Paul Adams, you cannot. The sanctuary is now permanently closed to the general public.

2.Why did the sanctuary close? The sanctuary opened, on a very limited basis, during 1998-2017. However, a neighbor, Kamal Bherwani, and 2 former neighbors, Fred Terry and Shawn Hamilton, brought a $3 million lawsuit, and forced complete and permanent closing. The plaintiffs claimed, incorrectly, that the sanctuary was a "commercial business". Though no evidence for this claim was, or could be, produced, the owner decided to settle the lawsuit and permanently close.

3. When do the hummingbirds arrive and leave, and where do they go for the winter?

They arrive on Long Island late april, and early may. They leave between aug 1 and oct 1. The adult males arrive and leave first, then the adult females, then the young, in order of fledging. They all go to central America via the Gulf of Mexico.

3. What varieties do we have at the sanctuary?

Only the ruby-throat (only the adult male has the ruby throat). This is the only one that breeds east of the Mississipi. The US has about 9 other species but they are all western.

4. Why are there rocks in the trees? How long have you had this place?

I have had the property for 27 years and each year I put a new rock to mark the beginning of a new hummingbird season (may 1).

5. What is the best place to sit to see hummingbirds?

On your bottom! Since you may have to wait a bit choose the spot that best suits you.

6. How can I attract hummers to my yard?

Plant cardinal flower (right variety!) and black-and-blue salvia, maintain a couple of small clean feeders, both placed where you spend a lot of time outdoors (or in front of a picture window). Read this blog or lihummer.org for further suggestions.

BASICS

Friday, July 26, 2013

We plan to Open Aug 1 and many days thereafter

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