Here's a recent photo by Ken Eddy with a hummingbird approaching a 4 star favorite, cardinal flower. This is a Long Island native perennial that grows along the banks of rivers such as the Nissequoge, the Peconic, the Carmans and the Connetquot. Wherever it grows (along the river or in your yard) you are likely to see hummingbirds.
We are open today thur aug 15 both am (9.30-12.30) and pm (3-5.30) BUT ONLY TO THOSE WITH A COMPLETED WAIVER. We will be open tomorrow (friday aug 16) am but not pm. The opening on saturday will honor Dennis Puleston, the great Long Island AngloAmerican naturalist and bird painter.
I never met Dennis but I have (or had) several friends who did, including Charlie Wurster, who used to be a neighbor on Crane Neck (Old Field, L.I.). Charlie lived in what used to be the gardener's house on the Childs estate, and we in the chauffeur's Sears-Roebuck cottage. Puleston and Wurster founded the Environmental Defense Fund, and were insrumental in saving the osprey from DDT (the DDT issue is a complicated one best addressed elsewhere). However I first learned about Dennis from Marion Homire, a wonderful old lady (and expert birder) who also lived nearby, and who passed away at almost 100 more than a decade ago. Perhaps somewhere I still have her memoir "My Grandmother Burned Peach-Pits" about her childhood on a farm on the fabled and now-vanished Hempstead Plains, which was I believe the largest prairie east of the mid-West. It's now Levitt-town.
Will you be open today......Thu,Aug 15th?
ReplyDeleteYes, we are open today am and pm
DeleteI spent many an hour watching the osprey cam which was located on Dennis Puleston's property........miss it.
DeleteThank you for letting us enjoy your slice of paradise yesterday afternoon! Although we were able to only stay a little over a half hour, we saw plenty of activity with numerous of these darling birds zipping about, lapping nectar from flowers or feeders and perching on branches looking down on us.
ReplyDeleteWhat is your estimate of how many hummers peruse your sanctuary?
As a sidenote, I mentioned having a hummer female visiting us in Eastern Nassau. She is still here today, Thursday, and drained every last blossom of the Black-and-Blue Salvia.
Irena - good to know you are getting regular hummer visits in Nassau County. Of course planting "BLack and Blue" salvia helps greatly!
DeleteI know of enthusiasts who get hummers everyday in Valley Stream (western Nassau). The only thing it takes to get regular visits anywhere on Long Island is the strong desire to do so, and some effort.
Glad you enjoyed your recent visit to the sanctuary. A rough rule of thumb is if you see x hummers simultaneously (not in quick succession) you have 4x different birds visiting that area. The most I have seen together so far this year is 3, so we might have 12 hummers altogether, or perhaps even more over the whole property. The most I have ever seen SIMULTANEOUSLY here (i.e. in the same field of view) is 5.
The only way to be sure is to band/number all the birds on a given day. I have read that when experienced hummer-banders spend a day at a property whose owner thinks they have just 1 bird, every bird they band (often 10 or more) is a different hummer. I will write about banding and the interesting data obtained therefrom in future posts.
I really would like to visit the sanctuary, but I never received the waiver form. I requested on Monday, 8/12. How long does it usually take to receive it?
ReplyDeleteWe operated modestly and quietly for 15 years without requiring liability waivers. However since the Newsday article appeared we have been inundated with visitors - sometimes more than the road or parking lot can handle. Riverhead Town officials recommended that we require liability waivers, and this is probably a good idea: one accident and slick lawyer could not only kill the sanctuary but bankrupt me. So now we require that all visitors bring one. However, for the moment I am limiting the issue of these waivers on a first-come first serve basis, in order to limit the number of visitors and ensure that everyone has a good experience. Unfortunately large numbers of people are ignoring this new requirement (sometimes because they have not yet received theirs, sometimes just out of ignorance or laziness, and continuing to cause difficulties for everyone. As soon as all our visitors come equipped with the proper pre-signed waivers, I will be able to issue additional waivers, but at the moment there is a backlog. But showing up without waivers just slows the whole process up, and is not fair to those that understand our need to proceed cautiously. Newsday compunded the problem by erroneously stating that we are open "daily" during august. I had carefully explained to the reporter (and it was also clearly stated at bhhummer.blogspot.com, which she did cite in the article) that we are only open SELECTED DAYS (those posted at the blog). In the past we usually posted opening dates several days in advance, but since N-day we must carefully titrate the posting of open times so as to regulate the flow of visitors.
DeleteI admit I had not anticipated the high level of interest that would be generated by the Newsday piece. However, it should be possible for all those interested to visit this season, and I ask everyone to be patient. Waivers will be issued to everyone over the next week.
Paul,
DeleteThank you so much for your reply. I totally understand your situation.
I look forward to receivng the form soon.
Trying to plan ahead; do you expect to be open Saturday and Sunday? Weather should be perfect.
ReplyDeleteIf you read the post carefully you will see the answer to your question. The weather being perfect is part of the problem: too many visitors!
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