Many thanks to the 2 birders who made this filming possible! The nest is about 8 feet high in a red cedar tree. It was first spotted july 8, when the mother was already sitting on her eggs. At the start of the video you can see the lichen-covered nest with the beaks of the 2 chicks peeking above the rim. The beak on the left is fairly obvious but to the right you can see the tip of the tongue of the other chick occasionally flicking upward just above the rim. Then the mother arrives and starts jabbing the one on the right, regurgitating the slurry of insects she has pre-digested. She then feeds the one on the left.
She was away from the nest for much of the time, and on returning approached the nest very cautiously, eying me and my birder companion warily, and perching nearby, before finally concluding it was probably safe to go to the nest. All this behavior is very typical.
I've only ever found 2 nests near the sanctuary, neither actually on my property. The nests were very difficult to spot, and in recent years I've not attempted to find one, confining my attention to the nests of Bahama Woodstar hummingbirds at our place in Eleuthera. However, the behavior of the 2 species is identical.
Open Days/Times for This Week
monday july 25 pm only (i.e. 3-5)
tuesday july 26 am (10-12.30) and pm
wednesday july 27 am and pm
thursday july 28 am only
How to Visit
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 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 (see above). Requests for undefined 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 (and if) 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 weather, unforeseen circumstances etc), makes it more likely you will actually show for your appointment (no-shows reduce the limited visiting opportunities for others). Email me (paul.adams%stonybrook.edu) which of the available (i.e. posted) "slots" (dates and times; visits are either 10-12.30 or 3-5) you want to come, mentioning if you have visited before, and the expected number in your one car. 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.
Please 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, just 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). If the currently posted dates do not suit you, please wait for suitable dates to be posted - plenty more to come.
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