The Baiting Hollow Hummingbird Sanctuary: He's Here! arrival around 5.30 pm today april 29: bad vid

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).

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

He's Here! arrival around 5.30 pm today april 29: bad vid

A male hummingbird just showed up at my feeders. Late this afternoon the wind turned to the northeast from northwest, and I said to myself one might decide to stop, rather than fight the wind. At first I saw him perched very close to the feeder closest to the back cabin "Hummingbird Cottage" where I was sitting getting ready to leave, since it had turned cold and cloudy. Then he fed briefly at that feeder, and then switched to a feeder a little bit further away (see video) closer to the front cabin "Seagull Lodge". When I saw him perched silhouetted against the Sound it was quite unmistakably a hummingbird, almost certainly an adult male. I shot some poor video (2X slo-mo) which I post below. Now I will step outside despite the cold and try to get better video. Whoo-hoo!

Update: I could not stay long outside because it was too cold, so this out-of-focus video I shot from inside the cabin will have to do. At least it confirms it's an adult male.

3 comments:

AnonymousApril 29, 2015 at 9:10 PM
Hooray! He looks quite plump to me but I've an untrained eye. Happy day indeed!
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Paul AdamsApril 30, 2015 at 9:26 AM
YES, he looks plump to me too - possibly he has been around for longer than I thought, though I've been watching the feeders fairly closely, during the few hours I spent in Baiting Hollow. Once the weather warms up, perhaps this weekend, and my strength continues to improve, I will be spending more time out there. But I find the nakedness of the trees (visible on the vid) rather depressing.
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UnknownApril 30, 2015 at 9:48 PM
We saw our first Wednesday night as well, in Eastport. He was around this morning but haven't seen him since.
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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.