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, July 17, 2016

How to Visit; New Videos

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 open for visits (10-12.30 or 3-5), by appointment only, starting july 20, and then also july 21, 22. We will also be open saturday 23, but only in the morning (10-12.30). We will then 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 (currently ONLY july 20-23). Requests for indefined 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 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 unforeseen circumstances), makes it more likely you will actually show for your appointment (no-shows reduce the limited visiting opportunities for others). Once I know which of the available (i.e. posted) "slots" (dates and times) you want to come (visits are either 10-12.30 or 3-5), 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.

To initiate the process, simply send me an email (paul.adams%stonybrook.edu) specifying which ONE of the AVAILABLE and POSTED dates/times you would like to visit. 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, 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).

Currently Available Dates/Times: july 20, 21, 22 either am (10-12.30) or pm (3-5), and july 23 (am only), by appointment only.

Late this sunday afternoon, wearing my excellent (though far from perfect) BOSE noise-canceling headphones, I sat in the din of the Hamptons air traffic
to relax after my garden chores, to try and film hummingbirds, which are still in short supply here. Here are 2 clips I got of what is (or are) females or juveniles. I suspect the first (feeding) is an adult female and the second (perching) a juvenile male. Note how the latter near the clip beginning briefly opens his beak, presumably to emit a "chip" or squeak. The orange in the backgroud are trumpet creeper flowers.






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