The Baiting Hollow Hummingbird Sanctuary: Back at the sanctuary

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).

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Back at the sanctuary - 2 hummingbirds sighted; Mepkin Abbey

I'm back at the sanctuary, and have already sighted 2 hummingbirds - a male and a female. The male is perching a lot near a feeder between the 2 cabins, and the female is dashing briefly to a feeder on the edge of the bluff - very typical behaviors at this time of year. I will try to get video but in the mean time here are some clips I recently filmed during our visit to the garden at Mepkin Abbey, on the Cooper river north of Charleston. It's a Trappist (= silent) monastery and suitably quiet, as you can appreciate on the soundtrack.
I can't believe it's nearly 2 months since my last post, my only excuse is the rather limited bandwidth in Eleuthera and then during our weeklong drive north from Fort Lauderdale to Stony Brook, via Wilmington N.C.

2 comments:

UnknownMay 19, 2017 at 8:07 PM
So gorgeous!!! Love the perfect sounds of nature!! Thank you for sharing!!
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Paul AdamsMay 20, 2017 at 9:40 PM
Happy you enjoyed the videos - and thanks for commenting!
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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.