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).

Monday, August 29, 2016

Kids and Hummingbirds; Visiting

Currently Available Visiting Dates (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY: paul.adams^stonybrook.edu

any time between am:(10-12.30) and pm : (3-5)

tues sept 6 am, pm
wed sept 7 am only
thur sept 8 am,pm
sat or sunday: half-day TBA
tuesday sept 13 am,pm
wed sept 14 am only
thur sept 15: am, pm

Then we close till the 2016 season, which will be our last (as agreed in the recent lawsuit settlement). More details at the end of this post.

One of the greatest pleasures of the summer is seeing the delight children take in the hummingbirds at the sanctuary.  Indeed encouraging children's interest in nature is one of the reasons I open the sanctuary to visitors, and it's sad that after next year I have to close the sanctuary to general visitors. A wonderful summer nature camp for kids (grades K-6), enthusiastically and knowledgeably led by the marvelous musician/artist/naturalist duo Johnny and Kristen Cuomo, has visited the sanctuary for many years and here's a sample of the children's art work from their visit this year.














How to Visit

PLEASE ONLY REQUEST APPOINTMENTS FOR A SPECIFIC, CURRENTLY POSTED, DATE AND TIME (AM OR PM), and state your first and last names. I CANNOT ANSWER EMAILS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE THESE ESSENTIAL DETAILS! PLENTY OF MORE DATES WILL BE POSTED, BUT YOU MUST WAIT AND CHOOSE A SPECIFIC, ANNOUNCED, DATE/TIME. DO NOT ASK FOR RANDOM FUTURE DATES, or to make an appointment for an undefined person or period. THANKS! However, if you can or must WALK to the sanctuary (1/2 mile from Sound Ave) let me - we may have some flexibility.

We will be opening 3 1/2 days a week until sept 15. However, the exact future dates we will open may not yet been decided (depends partly on weather). Please do not request an appointment for days other than those announced at this blog (see above). Requests for undefined not-yet-posted dates will be ignored: I simply cannot keep track of your requests, you have to keep track of my available dates as they are posted (typically a few days ahead). If you want a date in, say, mid-august (eg aug 15) please wait until (and if) that date is posted (probably some time around aug 10-12). Taking reservations on a rolling, as available, basis works best for me (e.g. allows for weather, unforeseen circumstances etc), makes it more likely you will actually show for your appointment (no-shows reduce the limited visiting opportunities for others). Email me (paul.adams%stonybrook.edu)  which of the available (i.e. posted) "slots" (dates and times; visits are either 10-12.30 or 3-5; NO EARLY BIRDS) you want to come, mentioning your name, if you have visited before, and the expected number in your ONE car, and whether ALL are good walkers (there are difficult trails).  I'll send you an email with directions and instructions, which you should read carefully. If you tell me you can conform with these instructions,  I'll then send a confirmation of your appointed visit, with the necessary liability waiver form, which you must sign and bring with you. If the currently posted dates do not suit you, please wait for suitable dates to be posted - plenty more to come. Attempted visits without an appointment and signed waiver are TRESPASS.
Please don't ask for a future date, or ask me to pick a date - keeping track just gets too complicated. Once the quota for each "slot" is filled, I'll immediately remove the posting - so, just before you email me, check for the current available dates/times. This is the system I used the last 2 years, and once you get the hang of it, it's a cinch: just wait for the date/time (am/pm)  you want then email me with your choice and name.

The only exception is for my personal friends, who, unlike the general public, are not subject to the quotas imposed by the recent lawsuit settlement (of which I'll be writing more soon). They can visit at any time (by appointment), preferably when we are NOT open, so I can give you my full attention. 







Kids and Hummingbirds; Visiting

Currently Available Visiting Dates (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY: paul.adams^stonybrook.edu

any time between am:(10-12.30) or pm : (3-5)

CLOSED LABOR DAY
tues sept 6 am, pm
wed sept 7 am only
thur sept 8 am,pm
friday pm only
sat or sunday: half-day TBA
tuesday sept 13 am,pm
wed sept 14 am only
thur sept 15: am, pm
all dates rain or shine; no early birds!
We then close for the year; next season (july 20 -sept 15 2017) will be our LAST!


One of the greatest pleasures of the summer is seeing the delight children take in the hummingbirds at the sanctuary.  Indeed encouraging children's interest in nature is one of the reasons I open the sanctuary to visitors, and it's sad that after next year I have to close the sanctuary to general visitors. A wonderful summer nature camp for kids (grades K-6), enthusiastically and knowledgeably led by the marvelous musician/artist/naturalist duo Johnny and Kristen Cuomo, has visited the sanctuary for many years and here's a sample of the children's art work from their visit this year.















Friday, August 26, 2016

Another challenge; another canna clip; visiting

Current Visiting Opportunities
am:(10-12.30) and pm : (3-5)

monday aug 29, am
tues aug 30, pm only
thur sept 1, am only
fri sept 2 am only
To Be Announced (depending on wind direction): one morning or afternoon sept 3 or 4.


Here's a couple of today's clips. The first shows  3 seconds in the life of a hummingbird, feeding peaceably at the blue flowers of Salvia guarantica "Black and Blue" and suddenly challenged by a close-flying attacker. Note the feeding hummer quickly turns, spread his tail feathers aggressively, and opens his bill to emit a quick warning squeak. This all happens in less than a second. The video is in 4X slo mo, and you can set it to play 4x more slowly again, so 1 second of real time lasts 16 seconds, and the individual wing-beats can be clearly seen. The actual attack occurs at the 10 sec mark (= after 2.5 seconds real time).


The second vid shows a more leisurely feeding at a red canna flower. It's set at normal speed but you can play it back at 0.25 speed using the little cogwheel and see the individual wingbeats.


How to Visit

PLEASE ONLY REQUEST APPOINTMENTS FOR A SPECIFIC, CURRENTLY POSTED, DATE AND TIME (AM OR PM), and state your first and last names. I CANNOT ANSWER EMAILS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE THESE ESSENTIAL DETAILS! PLENTY OF MORE DATES WILL BE POSTED, BUT YOU MUST WAIT AND CHOOSE A SPECIFIC, ANNOUNCED, DATE/TIME. DO NOT ASK FOR RANDOM FUTURE DATES, or to make an appointment for an undefined person or period. THANKS! However, if you can or must WALK to the sanctuary (1/2 mile from Sound Ave) let me - we may have some flexibility.

We will be opening 3 1/2 days a week until sept 15. However, the exact future dates we will open may not yet been decided (depends partly on weather). Please do not request an appointment for days other than those announced at this blog (see above). Requests for undefined not-yet-posted dates will be ignored: I simply cannot keep track of your requests, you have to keep track of my available dates as they are posted (typically a few days ahead). If you want a date in, say, mid-august (eg aug 15) please wait until (and if) that date is posted (probably some time around aug 10-12). Taking reservations on a rolling, as available, basis works best for me (e.g. allows for weather, unforeseen circumstances etc), makes it more likely you will actually show for your appointment (no-shows reduce the limited visiting opportunities for others). Email me (paul.adams%stonybrook.edu)  which of the available (i.e. posted) "slots" (dates and times; visits are either 10-12.30 or 3-5; NO EARLY BIRDS) you want to come, mentioning your name, if you have visited before, and the expected number in your ONE car, and whether ALL are good walkers (there are difficult trails).  I'll send you an email with directions and instructions, which you should read carefully. If you tell me you can conform with these instructions,  I'll then send a confirmation of your appointed visit, with the necessary liability waiver form, which you must sign and bring with you. If the currently posted dates do not suit you, please wait for suitable dates to be posted - plenty more to come. Attempted visits without an appointment and signed waiver are TRESPASS.
Please don't ask for a future date, or ask me to pick a date - keeping track just gets too complicated. Once the quota for each "slot" is filled, I'll immediately remove the posting - so, just before you email me, check for the current available dates/times. This is the system I used the last 2 years, and once you get the hang of it, it's a cinch: just wait for the date/time (am/pm)  you want then email me with your choice and name.

The only exception is for my personal friends, who, unlike the general public, are not subject to the quotas imposed by the recent lawsuit settlement (of which I'll be writing more soon). They can visit at any time (by appointment), preferably when we are NOT open, so I can give you my full attention. 






Thursday, August 25, 2016

Food Fight over Canna Flowers; New Visiting Times; Procedures


Hummingbirds were very active today. In this clip, filmed today, you see a hummingbird feeding at a brilliant red old-fashioned canna flower (a favorite) then abruptly attacked by another. You can see more details by playing back at 0.25 speed, using the youtube cogwheel icon.
Here are 2 more, longer, clips, shot at the same time.



Current Visiting Opportunities
am:(10-12.30) and pm : (3-5)

aug 29, am
aug 30 am, pm
sept 1, am only
sept 2 am only
To Be Announced: one morning or afternoon sept 3 or 4.



Lots more dates in the following 2 weeks to come (including another weekend slot) ! See Visiting Details at the end of this post.

How to Visit

PLEASE ONLY REQUEST APPOINTMENTS FOR A SPECIFIC, CURRENTLY POSTED, DATE AND TIME (AM OR PM), and state your first and last names. I CANNOT ANSWER EMAILS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE THESE ESSENTIAL DETAILS! PLENTY OF MORE DATES WILL BE POSTED, BUT YOU MUST WAIT AND CHOOSE A SPECIFIC, ANNOUNCED, DATE/TIME. DO NOT ASK FOR RANDOM FUTURE DATES, or to make an appointment for an undefined person or period. THANKS! However, if you can or must WALK to the sanctuary (1/2 mile from Sound Ave) let me - we may have some flexibility.

We will be opening 3 1/2 days a week until sept 15. However, the exact future dates we will open may not yet been decided (depends partly on weather). Please do not request an appointment for days other than those announced at this blog (see above). Requests for undefined not-yet-posted dates will be ignored: I simply cannot keep track of your requests, you have to keep track of my available dates as they are posted (typically a few days ahead). If you want a date in, say, mid-august (eg aug 15) please wait until (and if) that date is posted (probably some time around aug 10-12). Taking reservations on a rolling, as available, basis works best for me (e.g. allows for weather, unforeseen circumstances etc), makes it more likely you will actually show for your appointment (no-shows reduce the limited visiting opportunities for others). Email me (paul.adams%stonybrook.edu)  which of the available (i.e. posted) "slots" (dates and times; visits are either 10-12.30 or 3-5; NO EARLY BIRDS) you want to come, mentioning your name, if you have visited before, and the expected number in your ONE car, and whether ALL are good walkers (there are difficult trails).  I'll send you an email with directions and instructions, which you should read carefully. If you tell me you can conform with these instructions,  I'll then send a confirmation of your appointed visit, with the necessary liability waiver form, which you must sign and bring with you. If the currently posted dates do not suit you, please wait for suitable dates to be posted - plenty more to come. Attempted visits without an appointment and signed waiver are TRESPASS.
Please don't ask for a future date, or ask me to pick a date - keeping track just gets too complicated. Once the quota for each "slot" is filled, I'll immediately remove the posting - so, just before you email me, check for the current available dates/times. This is the system I used the last 2 years, and once you get the hang of it, it's a cinch: just wait for the date/time (am/pm)  you want then email me with your choice and name.

The only exception is for my personal friends, who, unlike the general public, are not subject to the quotas imposed by the recent lawsuit settlement (of which I'll be writing more soon). They can visit at any time (by appointment), preferably when we are NOT open, so I can give you my full attention. 





Friday, August 19, 2016

visiting slots; bathing beauty

Current Visiting Opportunity

am:(10-12.30) and pm : (3-5)

aug 29, am
aug 30 am, pm
sept 1, am
sept 2 am, pm
To Be Announced: one morning or afternoon sept 3 or 4.

Lots more dates in the following 2 weeks to come (including another weekend slot) ! See Visiting Details at the end of this post.

Sometimes when I'm spraying water a hummingbird comes to play in the droplets and bathe on a wet leaf. Here's an example I filmed today.


here are a couple of other clips from the same session. All 4X slo-mo


In this clip the hummer itself releases a few silvery droplets!


In this clip if you play back at 0.25 speed, i.e. at 16 X slo-mo (use the little clockwork Youtube icon) you can really see details of the wing motion, which is normally a blur. This is because it was shot, in HD,  at 100 frames a second using 1/2000 shutter speed. However, I still need to use an even faster shutter speed, in bright sunlight.

How to Visit

PLEASE ONLY REQUEST APPOINTMENTS FOR A SPECIFIC, CURRENTLY POSTED, DATE AND TIME (AM OR PM), and state your first and last names. I CANNOT ANSWER EMAILS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE THESE ESSENTIAL DETAILS! PLENTY OF MORE DATES WILL BE POSTED, BUT YOU MUST WAIT AND CHOOSE A SPECIFIC, ANNOUNCED, DATE/TIME. DO NOT ASK FOR RANDOM FUTURE DATES, or to make an appointment for an undefined person or period. THANKS! However, if you can or must WALK to the sanctuary (1/2 mile from Sound Ave) let me - we may have some flexibility.

We will be opening 3 1/2 days a week until sept 15. However, the exact future dates we will open may not yet been decided (depends partly on weather). Please do not request an appointment for days other than those announced at this blog (see above). Requests for undefined not-yet-posted dates will be ignored: I simply cannot keep track of your requests, you have to keep track of my available dates as they are posted (typically a few days ahead). If you want a date in, say, mid-august (eg aug 15) please wait until (and if) that date is posted (probably some time around aug 10-12). Taking reservations on a rolling, as available, basis works best for me (e.g. allows for weather, unforeseen circumstances etc), makes it more likely you will actually show for your appointment (no-shows reduce the limited visiting opportunities for others). Email me (paul.adams%stonybrook.edu)  which of the available (i.e. posted) "slots" (dates and times; visits are either 10-12.30 or 3-5; NO EARLY BIRDS) you want to come, mentioning your name, if you have visited before, and the expected number in your ONE car, and whether ALL are good walkers (there are difficult trails).  I'll send you an email with directions and instructions, which you should read carefully. If you tell me you can conform with these instructions,  I'll then send a confirmation of your appointed visit, with the necessary liability waiver form, which you must sign and bring with you. If the currently posted dates do not suit you, please wait for suitable dates to be posted - plenty more to come. Attempted visits without an appointment and signed waiver are TRESPASS.
Please don't ask for a future date, or ask me to pick a date - keeping track just gets too complicated. Once the quota for each "slot" is filled, I'll immediately remove the posting - so, just before you email me, check for the current available dates/times. This is the system I used the last 2 years, and once you get the hang of it, it's a cinch: just wait for the date/time (am/pm)  you want then email me with your choice and name.

The only exception is for my personal friends, who, unlike the general public, are not subject to the quotas imposed by the recent lawsuit settlement (of which I'll be writing more soon). They can visit at any time (by appointment), preferably when we are NOT open, so I can give you my full attention. 


Tuesday, August 16, 2016

New Visiting Slots Available; Drought! (of rain, not hummers)

Current Visiting Opportunity
am:(10-12.30) and pm : (3-5)
Tuesday Aug 23 pm only
Wed aug 24 am, pm
Thur aug 25 am,pm
Fri aug 26 am only
No weekend opportunity.
Lots more dates in the following 3 weeks to come (including 2 weekend slots) !

In the past 4 months there has been a total of 4.45 inches of rain at the Reeves Beach Weather Station, slightly east of the Sanctuary. I have never known such a dry summer here. A desert receives only slightly less (3.3 inches in 4 months). Of course it's made worse by the high temperatures.

The stunning photos below were taken recently at the sanctuary by Wayne Shen.





The first 2 feature rosebud sage (Salvia involucrata "Bethellii"), a top hummer plant  (still available at Long Island Hummingbird Plants ), and the bottom one aniseed sage "Black and Blue" (S. guarantica cultivar). Note the silvery tongue protruding in the third photo. Still 2 months of hummer activity to go! (and 1 month of visiting to the sanctuary).

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Visiting Next Week ; New Photos by Hong NI

Current Visiting Opportunities

am (10-12.30) and pm (3-5)
Thur  am only 

No Weekend Opening this week 
Many more opportunities next week and thereafter, TBA!









Hong Ni is a talented photographer and came all the way from New Jersey! The first and last photos are particularly interesting because they show a juvenile male with the ruby-red throat just beginning to form.
I will wait a bit to post opening opportunities for next week until the weather predictions are clearer. We open for 3 days during the week, and the aug 17 morning is already booked by a garden club.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

New Videos; How to Visit

No Currently Available Dates

Many more openings will be posted in subsequent weeks, until sept 15.

Here are a couple of my recent video clips. The first (in 4X slo-mo) shows a segment of typical aerial combat 2 (and at one point 3) hummingbirds. Of course the combination of rapid acceleration, sudden swerves, tiny size, wide area and intense background make it almost impossible to capture the full scope of these acrobatic battles.


The second clip (2X slo-mo) is more peaceful, and shows close-ups of a hummer feeding at one of their favorite plants, the royal blue Salvia guaranitica (Aniseed sage). At the bottom of this post I show 8X slo-mo versions of both these clips. in the battle clip, you can see how very close - apparently touching - the hummer are during their lunges. But even at this very slow replay speed, it's difficult to see exactly what's happening during these brief contacts.


How to Visit

PLEASE ONLY REQUEST APPOINTMENTS FOR A SPECIFIC, CURRENTLY POSTED, DATE AND TIME (AM OR PM). I CANNOT ANSWER EMAILS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE THESE ESSENTIAL DETAILS! PLENTY OF MORE DATES WILL BE POSTED, BUT YOU MUST WAIT AND CHOOSE A SPECIFIC, ANNOUNCED, DATE/TIME. DO NOT ASK FOR RANDOM FUTURE DATES. THANKS!

We will be opening 3 1/2 days a week until sept 15. However, the exact future dates we will open have not yet been decided (depends partly on weather). Please do not request an appointment for days other than those announced at this blog (see above). Requests for undefined not-yet-posted dates will be ignored: I simply cannot keep track of your requests, you have to keep track of my available dates as they are posted (typically a few days ahead). If you want a date in, say, mid-august (eg aug 15) please wait until (and if) that date is posted (probably some time around aug 10-12). Taking reservations on a rolling, as available, basis works best for me (e.g. allows for weather, unforeseen circumstances etc), makes it more likely you will actually show for your appointment (no-shows reduce the limited visiting opportunities for others). Email me (paul.adams%stonybrook.edu)  which of the available (i.e. posted) "slots" (dates and times; visits are either 10-12.30 or 3-5; NO EARLY BIRDS) you want to come, mentioning your name, if you have visited before, and the expected number in your one car, and whether all are good walkers.  I'll send you an email with directions and instructions, which you should read carefully. If you feel you can conform with these instructions,  I'll then send a confirmation of your appointed visit, with the necessary liability waiver form, which you must sign and bring with you. If the currently posted dates do not suit you, please wait for suitable dates to be posted - plenty more to come.
Please don't ask for a future date, or ask me to pick a date - keeping track just gets too complicated. Once the quota for each "slot" is filled, I'll immediately remove the posting - so, just before you email me, check for the current available dates/times. This is the system I used the last 2 years, and once you get the hang of it, it's a cinch: just wait for the date/time (am/pm)  you want then email me.

The only exception is for my personal friends, who, unlike the general public, are not subject to the quotas imposed by the recent lawsuit settlement (of which I'll be writing more soon). They can visit at any time (by appointment), preferably when we are NOT open to the public. 









Sunday, August 7, 2016

Available Slots; Some Recent Photos; How to Visit

Currently Available Dates
monday aug 8, am (10-12.30) only
wednesday aug 10, am and pm (3-5).
thur aug 11 pm only
 Many more openings will be posted in subsequent weeks, until sept 15.

Here are some recent photos, taken by  visitors.


Kyle Kusa

Cathi Forrester




Sheldon Pollack

Thanks for your beautiful pictures, and to all my very nice visitors and new friends.

How to Visit

PLEASE ONLY REQUEST APPOINTMENTS FOR A SPECIFIC, CURRENTLY POSTED, DATE AND TIME (AM OR PM). I CANNOT ANSWER EMAILS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE THESE ESSENTIAL DETAILS! PLENTY OF MORE DATES WILL BE POSTED, BUT YOU MUST WAIT AND CHOOSE A SPECIFIC, ANNOUNCED, DATE/TIME. DO NOT ASK FOR RANDOM FUTURE DATES. THANKS!

We will be opening 3 1/2 days a week until sept 15. However, the exact future dates we will open have not yet been decided (depends partly on weather). Please do not request an appointment for days other than those announced at this blog (see above). Requests for undefined not-yet-posted dates will be ignored: I simply cannot keep track of your requests, you have to keep track of my available dates as they are posted (typically a few days ahead). If you want a date in, say, mid-august (eg aug 15) please wait until (and if) that date is posted (probably some time around aug 10-12). Taking reservations on a rolling, as available, basis works best for me (e.g. allows for weather, unforeseen circumstances etc), makes it more likely you will actually show for your appointment (no-shows reduce the limited visiting opportunities for others). Email me (paul.adams%stonybrook.edu)  which of the available (i.e. posted) "slots" (dates and times; visits are either 10-12.30 or 3-5; NO EARLY BIRDS) you want to come, mentioning our name, if you have visited before, and the expected number in your one car.  I'll send you an email with directions and instructions, which you should read carefully. If you feel you can conform with these instructions,  I'll then send a confirmation of your appointed visit, with the necessary liability waiver form, which you must sign and bring with you.
Please don't ask for a future date, or ask me to pick a date - it just gets too complicated. Once the quota for each "slot" is filled, I'll immediately remove the posting - so, just before you email me, check for the current available dates/times. This is the system I used the last 2 years, and once you get the hang of it, it's a cinch: just wait for the date/time (am/pm)  you want then email me.

The only exception to this is for my personal friends, who, unlike the general public, are not subject to the quotas imposed by the recent lawsuit settlement (of which I'll be writing more soon). If the currently posted dates do not suit you, please wait for suitable dates to be posted - plenty more to come.




Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Dates; Chicks have fledged! Eric's blog ; Butterfly Vids; Visiting Procedures

Currently Available Dates (based on today's weather predictions for the coming week):
monday aug 8, am (10-12.30) only
wednesday aug 10, pm only
thur aug 11 pm only
 Many more openings will be posted in subsequent weeks, until sept 15.

Some recent butterfly vids.




and also this from Constantine Abatzides (son of my friend Steve, the greek baker):

Empty Nest

Saturday morning when I last visited the E. Quogue property, and filmed the active hummingbird nest, it was clear that the chicks were near fledging. Indeed Eric (the owner) informed me sunday that one of the chicks was already half out of the nest, and both were flapping their wings a lot. I was hoping that early monday they would still be in the nest, but just before I set off to film again, Eric informed me that the nest was now empty! I decided a filming trip to the nest would be pointless.  I suggested he look carefully in the vicinity of the nest to see if the chicks were close by and being fed by the mother. Indeed later yesterday he wrote to me:

"You were absolutely right. They were both in the vicinity -- one quite near the nest, the other, already a strong flyer, in another Red Cedar a short distance away. And mom was feeding them. The most amusing part was when she came back after the first one or two feedings and the stronger flyer had already moved off somewhere. She went right to the spot where he/she was and then circled around, apparently looking for his missing offspring."

 I suspect today they will all be more widely dispersed, and perhaps impossible to spot, though the mother will continue to feed the chicks for a few days, as they rapidly learn to care for themselves. Then the mother is very unlikely to attempt another nest. Most likely she will now focus on her own need to fatten up in preparation for the arduous migration south ahead.

Now the nest is empty I think I can reveal the identity of the kind, generous and remarkable man who hosted the hummer family on his marvelous property facing Weesuck Creek in East Quogue, across which lies the splendid Nature Conservancy Pine Neck Preserve (where perhaps the mother foraged for food). He is Eric Salzman, a distinguished composer and musical-theater impresario. He was a member of a group of avant-garde composers such as Pierre Boulez, Luciano Berio and Peter Maxwell Davies. You can hear a fine example of Eric's work here:

Eric is also well known in the local birding community as an expert birder and specialist in bird calls, especially of rails (as in "thin as rail"). You can also read his excellent nature blog "The View from Weesuck Creek".

One of the joys of operating my "Hummingbird Sanctuary" has been to get to know so many interesting people from all walks of life, all who share an interest in the natural beauties and fleeting quiet of Long Island, once a paradise and now mostly a suburban purgatory (but see this). 

How to Visit

PLEASE ONLY REQUEST APPOINTMENTS FOR A SPECIFIC, CURRENTLY POSTED, DATE AND TIME (AM OR PM). I CANNOT ANSWER EMAILS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE THESE ESSENTIAL DETAILS! PLENTY OF MORE DATES WILL BE POSTED, BUT YOU MUST WAIT AND CHOOSE A SPECIFIC, ANNOUNCED, DATE/TIME. DO NOT ASK FOR RANDOM FUTURE DATES. THANKS!

We will be opening 3 1/2 days a week until sept 15. However, the exact future dates we will open have not yet been decided (depends partly on weather). Please do not request an appointment for days other than those announced at this blog (see above). Requests for undefined not-yet-posted dates will be ignored: I simply cannot keep track of your requests, you have to keep track of my available dates as they are posted (typically a few days ahead). If you want a date in, say, mid-august (eg aug 15) please wait until (and if) that date is posted (probably some time around aug 10-12). Taking reservations on a rolling, as available, basis works best for me (e.g. allows for weather, unforeseen circumstances etc), makes it more likely you will actually show for your appointment (no-shows reduce the limited visiting opportunities for others). Email me (paul.adams%stonybrook.edu)  which of the available (i.e. posted) "slots" (dates and times; visits are either 10-12.30 or 3-5) you want to come, mentioning if you have visited before, and the expected number in your one car.  I'll send you an email with directions and instructions, which you should read carefully. If you feel you can conform with these instructions,  I'll then send a confirmation of your appointed visit, with the necessary liability waiver form, which you must sign and bring with you.
Please don't ask for a future date, or ask me to pick a date - it just gets too complicated. Once the quota for each "slot" is filled, I'll immediately remove the posting - so, just before you email me, check for the current available dates/times. This is the system I used the last 2 years, and once you get the hang of it, it's a cinch: just wait for the date/time (am/pm)  you want then email me. If the currently posted dates do not suit you, please wait for suitable dates to be posted - plenty more to come.

The only exception is for my personal friends, who, unlike the general public, are not subject to the quotas imposed by the recent lawsuit settlement (of which I'll be writing more soon).