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).

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Open today (sunday) with limits; no bell; Grand Prize


We are open today 3-5.30 only to those who have not yet visited this season. The day started very quiet but activity did pick up later in the morning.  It's the weekend, so please do not ring the bell. Yesterday hummingbird activity was again rather low, although we did see some 3-bird chases, and all those who were a bit patient had several sightings, some quite prolonged. When activity is low, it's best to sit, anywhere you prefer, enjoy the view and atmosphere, keep an eye out, and they will materialize. They spend a lot of time perching, to conserve energy and build fat reserves for the long journey south, and are then quite difficult to spot. But they are not resting, instead constantly scrutinizing their patch of flowers to detect an interloper, who they will immediately attack. They are like toddlers with toys: they will not share! You will also often see them chasing each other  at high speed through the tree tops, sometimes with incredible bursts of acceleration (up to 9G).
Directions and info are to the right of this post. If you are sure on your feet, please take the Woodland Path, starting at the yellow minibridge, but if you have any difficulty walking follow the driveway to the right (east) of the minibridge. If you (or one of your party) have great difficulty walking, email me (via lihummer.org) to request permission to park in the closer small parking area.
We welcome any nice images you take (please try to include a hummer somewhere!) ; submission is taken as permission to post on the blog, with acknowledgements.
Today's image is by John Ward, part of the wonderful nature photography group NWPLI that came earlier in the season. You see a hummer at rosebud sage (Salvia involucrata), with bog sage in the background. At the end of the season I will select a Grand Prize winner from all the posted submissions; the reward will be your own personal private afternoon or morning at the sanctuary next season!

No comments:

Post a Comment