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 25, 2016

New close-up hummer vids, new Sony Camera 4K camera and old HD Canon.

Today the light was brilliant and since there are till quite a few hummingbirds around I spent an hour filming. I was able to get very close to a patient perched youngster (I think a young male) - only about 4 feet away - and here is one of the results, filmed with my new Sony 4K camcorder. First version is real time, second is 4X slo-mo. In the slo-mo version you can clearly see the brief beak-opening (presumably corresponding to a brief "squeak") near the beginning, which is so quick it's almost impossible to catch on the real-time version. In fact, if you run the slo-mo version at 0.5 speed you can see he does a second brief beak-opening.  The movie was not shot at 4K resolution, but even the HD is much better on the Sony.





And here's a much longer sequence from the same set, in regular time, showing a general zoom-out at the end.



Here for comparison is a close-up of an adult male from a couple of years ago (though not quite as close) filmed with my Canon HD camcorder. 





Monday, September 12, 2016

NOW CLOSED for 2016! Hummer catches insect; hummers fighting


NOW CLOSED FOR THIS YEAR!
Next season (2017) will be our last!

Here's a video showing how a hummingbird catches an insect:


and another fight between 2 hummers (in slo mo - wait for the end):





Last three Open Days for 2016! Hummer catches insect; hummers fighting

NOW CLOSED FOR THE SEASON!
Next season (2017) will be our last!

Here's a video showing how a hummingbird catches and insect:


and another fight between 2 hummers (in slo mo - wait for the end):





Thursday, September 8, 2016

Visiting Opportunities; Something Completely Different

Currently Available Visiting Dates (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY: paul.adams^stonybrook.edu)

any time between am:(10-12.30) or pm : (3-5)
fri sept 9 pm only
monday sept 12, pm
tues sept 13 am,pm
wed sept 14 am only
thur sept 15 am,pm

all dates rain or shine; no early birds!
We then close for the year; next season (july 20 -sept 15 2017) will be our LAST!

Here's a hawk (probably a juvenile red-tailed) I filmed yesterday from the top of my bluff.






and here's a watching hummingbird


and a few more recent vids








How to Visit

PLEASE ONLY REQUEST APPOINTMENTS FOR A SPECIFIC, CURRENTLY POSTED, DATE AND TIME (AM OR PM), and state your first and last names. 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, or to make an appointment for an undefined person or period. THANKS! However, if you can or must WALK to the sanctuary (1/2 mile from Sound Ave) let me - we may have some flexibility.

We will be opening 3 1/2 days a week until sept 15. However, the exact future dates we will open may 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; NO EARLY BIRDS) you want to come, mentioning your name, if you have visited before, and the expected number in your ONE car, and whether ALL are good walkers (there are difficult trails).  I'll send you an email with directions and instructions, which you should read carefully. If you tell me 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. If the currently posted dates do not suit you, please wait for suitable dates to be posted - plenty more to come. Attempted visits without an appointment and signed waiver are TRESPASS.
Please don't ask for a future date, or ask me to pick a date - keeping track 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 with your choice and name.

The only exception 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). They can visit at any time (by appointment), preferably when we are NOT open, so I can give you my full attention. 










Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Hermine batters the sanctuary but so far no bluff erosion; hummers coping

Currently Available Visiting Dates (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY: paul.adams^stonybrook.edu

any time between am:(10-12.30) or pm : (3-5)

CLOSED LABOR DAY
thur sept 8, am,pm
fri sept 9 pm only
sunday, sept 11, pm
monday sept 12, pm
tues sept 13 am,pm
wed sept 14 am only
thur sept 15 am,pm

all dates rain or shine; no early birds!
We then close for the year; next season (july 20 -sept 15 2017) will be our LAST!

Winds yesterday evening and during the night were very strong (we are completely exposed to northeast winds) and big waves are breaking on the beach below. I went down the bluff at 7.45 this morning and was relieved to see that although the waves came almost to the bluff toe, they did not quite reach it, so there is, so far, no erosion (unlike during Sandy). But the beach itself has been scoured clean and for once looks like a real beach, not a Nascar track. Here are a couple of videos.







More important, the hummingbirds seem to be more or less coping with the difficult conditions, though the flowers and feeder are taking some damage.  

How to Visit

PLEASE ONLY REQUEST APPOINTMENTS FOR A SPECIFIC, CURRENTLY POSTED, DATE AND TIME (AM OR PM), and state your first and last names. 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, or to make an appointment for an undefined person or period. THANKS! However, if you can or must WALK to the sanctuary (1/2 mile from Sound Ave) let me - we may have some flexibility.

We will be opening 3 1/2 days a week until sept 15. However, the exact future dates we will open may 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; NO EARLY BIRDS) you want to come, mentioning your name, if you have visited before, and the expected number in your ONE car, and whether ALL are good walkers (there are difficult trails).  I'll send you an email with directions and instructions, which you should read carefully. If you tell me 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. If the currently posted dates do not suit you, please wait for suitable dates to be posted - plenty more to come. Attempted visits without an appointment and signed waiver are TRESPASS.
Please don't ask for a future date, or ask me to pick a date - keeping track 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 with your choice and name.

The only exception 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). They can visit at any time (by appointment), preferably when we are NOT open, so I can give you my full attention. 











Monday, September 5, 2016

Good availability for visiting; more hummingbirds in the rain

Currently Available Visiting Dates (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY: paul.adams^stonybrook.edu)

any time between am:(10-12.30) or pm : (3-5)

CLOSED LABOR DAY
tues sept 6, am, pm
wed sept 7, am only
thur sept 8, am,pm
friday pm only
sat or sunday: half-day TBA
tuesday sept 13 am,pm
wed sept 14 am only
thur sept 15: am, pm
all dates rain or shine; no early birds!
We then close for the year; next season (july 20 -sept 15 2017) will be our LAST!

Sept 1 it rained in the morning and was damp and gray in the afternoon, but the hummingbirds were very active throughout, and my hardy visitors (general in the morning and personal friends in the afternoon) enjoyed a good show. Here's some more examples in the rain. 



Here the flower is pink porterweed.



and here lavender porterweed




and here a close-up of a hummer at Salvia guaranitica (Aniseed sage; 2X slo-mo)


and another one


How to Visit

PLEASE ONLY REQUEST APPOINTMENTS FOR A SPECIFIC, CURRENTLY POSTED, DATE AND TIME (AM OR PM), and state your first and last names. 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, or to make an appointment for an undefined person or period. THANKS! However, if you can or must WALK to the sanctuary (1/2 mile from Sound Ave) let me - we may have some flexibility.

We will be opening 3 1/2 days a week until sept 15. However, the exact future dates we will open may 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; NO EARLY BIRDS) you want to come, mentioning your name, if you have visited before, and the expected number in your ONE car, and whether ALL are good walkers (there are difficult trails).  I'll send you an email with directions and instructions, which you should read carefully. If you tell me 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. If the currently posted dates do not suit you, please wait for suitable dates to be posted - plenty more to come. Attempted visits without an appointment and signed waiver are TRESPASS.
Please don't ask for a future date, or ask me to pick a date - keeping track 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 with your choice and name.

The only exception 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). They can visit at any time (by appointment), preferably when we are NOT open, so I can give you my full attention. 











Thursday, September 1, 2016

Visiting Slots; hummers in the rain

Currently Available Visiting Dates (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY: paul.adams^stonybrook.edu

any time between am:(10-12.30) or pm : (3-5)

CLOSED LABOR DAY
tues sept 6 am, pm
wed sept 7 am only
thur sept 8 am,pm
friday pm only
sat or sunday: half-day TBA
tuesday sept 13 am,pm
wed sept 14 am only
thur sept 15: am, pm
all dates rain or shine; no early birds!
We then close for the year; next season (july 20 -sept 15 2017) will be our LAST!

Today (sept 1) it rained in the morning and was damp and gray in the afternoon, but the hummingbirds were very active throughout, and my hardy visitors (general in the morning and personal friends in the afternoon) enjoyed a good show. Here's some examples in the rain. The first one shows a clash between 4 hummingbirds, after one of them enjoys a peaceful though rather wet feeding. To see the details of the fight, run the video at 0.25 X speeds using the little Youtube cogwheel. The flowers are the tall, willowy sky-blue flowers of bog sage, and the pink flowers of bog sage.




How to Visit

PLEASE ONLY REQUEST APPOINTMENTS FOR A SPECIFIC, CURRENTLY POSTED, DATE AND TIME (AM OR PM), and state your first and last names. 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, or to make an appointment for an undefined person or period. THANKS! However, if you can or must WALK to the sanctuary (1/2 mile from Sound Ave) let me - we may have some flexibility.

We will be opening 3 1/2 days a week until sept 15. However, the exact future dates we will open may 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; NO EARLY BIRDS) you want to come, mentioning your name, if you have visited before, and the expected number in your ONE car, and whether ALL are good walkers (there are difficult trails).  I'll send you an email with directions and instructions, which you should read carefully. If you tell me 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. If the currently posted dates do not suit you, please wait for suitable dates to be posted - plenty more to come. Attempted visits without an appointment and signed waiver are TRESPASS.
Please don't ask for a future date, or ask me to pick a date - keeping track 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 with your choice and name.

The only exception 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). They can visit at any time (by appointment), preferably when we are NOT open, so I can give you my full attention.