The Baiting Hollow Hummingbird Sanctuary: February 2017

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, February 7, 2017

North Fork Rufous Update; Calypso views

I'm happy to report that the 2 rufous hummingbirds that have adopted a North Fork backyard as their winter residence are doing fine. The devoted and tireless homeowner has been releasing live fruit-flies on warmer days, to provide the protein they need. At some point they will presumably head back across the country to their west coast breeding grounds, but the time is not yet ripe yet.
Here at Calypso I've been battling a nasty cold which has left me unable to do much, except enjoy sitting in the park-like grounds. Here are a few videos I shot yesterday showing some of the great variety of palms I have grown over the 25 years we've been coming here.

Here you see (from left to right) a purple Ti plant, a sabal palmetto, a Veitchia arecina, a Royal Palm, a Foxtail palm, a white banana-like Strelitizia nicolai and a pink oleander.

The second video shows the same group of palms etc on the left, and a bottle palm on the right, with a zoom to an oleander blossom.

A triangle palm in the foreground of the next clip.

Friday, February 3, 2017

Blue Boy

The adult male Bahama Woodstar hummingbird has a purple throat gorget, but in the gray light of a cool wet day like today, it looks almost blue. This guy is guarding a feeder just outside our window.

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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.