The Baiting Hollow Hummingbird Sanctuary: soon back on Long Island

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, May 3, 2016

soon back on Long Island

We will soon be back on Long Island, and I'm eager to see whether hummers have returned to Baiting Hollow - friends have been maintaining feeders there for several weeks but I do not yet have reports of hummer sightings. In the mean time I'm posting a few snaps from last summer - specifically from Danny Hauben's visits. Danny is an artist from the Bronx, who spent a summer residency at Riverhead's East End Arts Center. Here's one of the scenes he did.

And here's the result in progress

a close-up

another scene

2 comments:

Jamie AdamsMay 5, 2016 at 5:18 AM
You have been immortalized in art! Safe travels back.
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UnknownMay 5, 2016 at 9:05 PM
I saw my first hummingbird of the season this evening. He was a beautiful mature male. He was trying to drink from my feeder, but it was so full of water from all the rain. I quickly refilled it and he came back twice to feed. So delighted. I am in Bayport, LI, and it was about 7 pm when he visited.
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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.