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).

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Neutrino has left; salvias bloom on


I got back to the sanctuary on saturday morning, and was disappointed, though not surprised, to find that Neutrino, my last hummingbird of 2015 has left. No hummer activity at all over the last 3 days. Lots of salvias in bloom, but no customers. Here is a video I shot to show the rosebud salvias, viewed from my favorite corner of the front deck. You can also glimpse red maples turning scarlet on the opposite hillside. I was fllming into the glare of the low sun, which accounts for the splotches of light 9and probbly my lens needs cleaning)  Sorry about the 'background" noise (leaf-blowers and a very noisy hedge trimmer) coming up from the valley below. "Landscapers" were hard at work all day, from 10 am to 6.15 pm (after sunset) making sure no leaves from the surrounding forest were left on my neighbor's small lot. Tomorrow will bring new leaves, and perhaps more "landscaping", but I will not be here. A sisyphean, pointless and cacophonous routine, almost all year round. It's at times like this when I dream of England, where no-one would be rude enough to use a leaf-blower. But there are no hummingbirds either there.

8 comments:

  1. Still seeing one here in Holbrook 10/14/15. Arrived 10/10/15 after a one week absence.

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  2. Female hummingbird here in Babylon for the past 2 days (11/8/15). I think it's very late. Never saw one this late in the season. Hope she starts moving south soon!

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  3. Pat - very interesting! Do you see any trace of brown/rust/red on this bird? Please try and get a picture. Is she visiting flowers or feeders? This late in the season it might be a rufous. - Paul

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  4. She is definitely a ruby throat. Saw her again this morning at the feeder. We have only a few flowers left, so I assume she is feeding only at feeder.

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  5. Female ruby throat is still visiting our feeder as of 11/14/15. Not sure if I should keep refilling feeder..

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    1. Pat - Is she still around? I just saw a hummingbird in Baiting Hollow, and a rosebud salvia flower! (nov 17, just before 1 pm). I quickly put up a couple of feeders - and you should keep yours going too, it cannot harm and may help - Paul

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    2. Pat - Is she still around? I just saw a hummingbird in Baiting Hollow, and a rosebud salvia flower! (nov 17, just before 1 pm). I quickly put up a couple of feeders - and you should keep yours going too, it cannot harm and may help - Paul

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  6. Last siting was on Sunday, but haven't really been outside much, so might still be ariund. Will keep the feeders up for at least 2 more weeks unless we see more.. I wonder why they are so late this year?

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