"The Walk to the Paradise Garden"; the lawsuit

Yesterday in the rain, by Bob Immoor. New slots posted (see to the right of this post)

My title today is that of a wonderful piece of classical music by Frederick Delius. It makesme think of the sanctuary Woodland Trail that starts at the yellow minibridge and ends at the main hummingbird viewing area near the cottages and the bluff overlooking Long Island Sound. Many visitors compare the sanctuary to paradise, though I usually respond that's it's a cross between that and a junkyard. Indeed, the land here was for many years used as a farmers' garbage dump, and whenever I plant something I come up with old bottles and shoes, rusted-out engines and bedsteads (one of which still adorns the woodland trail) and so forth. Of course when the neighbors' "landscaping" team are here it's more like hell than heaven.

The Youtube video painting captures a bit of the flavor. It's by Atkinson Grimshaw who was born in and worked in Yorkshire, along with Delius and yours truly (all within a few miles of each other). The piece is an interlude from Delius's opera "A Village Romeo and Juliet", and the "Paradise Garden" is just the name of a seedy pub where the lovers meet. Again rather appropriate! One of the comments on this video (Barbirolli conducting) refers accurately to "sumptuous dream music".

Delius spent several years in the US around 1900, residing in Florida on the St John's river, and also in Danville, Virginia, both rather pretty places - back then. Claire and I once spent an afternoon searching for his orange plantation in Florida - as did the violinist and Delian Tasmin Little:

The good citizens of Danbury recently organized a celebration of his stay there. He often visited Burleigh Plantation, just over the North Carolina border. Delius finally settled in Grez-sur-Loing (near Paris). There's a marvelous Ken Russell video about his life:

Here's another wonderful piece he wrote in response to his garden in Grez.

I keep intending to write about the ongoing lawsuit seeking to close the hummingbird sanctuary, and the corresponding Town action, but the whole subject is so unpleasant that words seem, uncharacteristically, to fail me. But I will write something soon,  to update everyone. But there are no big surprises.

Minor disaster in Stony Brook delays responding to emails; Update

At the height of today's storm, at around 8 am, a large branch fell on our roof in Stony Brook. I rushed over and found that while the branch did not crush the roof, its jagged tip penetrated the roof and water was dripping inside the living room. It also smashed a window. We could not remove the offending branch, but managed to get a tarp over the relevant part of the roof, until repairs can be done, after clearing a lot of smaller branches with my small, quiet but trusty Ryobi lithium chainsaw. I will be a bit delayed in answering your requests for appointments, but will tackle them in the order received.
I had not been to Stony Brook since the big storm 10 days ago, and it was impressive, and rather daunting, to see all the debris still everywhere.
I should be back on track in Baiting Hollow tonight. Luckily, because of the rain, all today's visitors canceled. However, at 7.30 am I sat on the front porch, dry in the then light rain, and happily observed the hummers braving the drops to feed. The gray wet background was quite magical, and the heavy rain that came later very welcome.

The above photo is from a few days ago, by Bill Milanese. The flower is lavender porterweed ("hummer cocaine")

UPDATE: I'm back at the sanctuary, and have cleared the backlog of requests. My friend Bob Immoor was here in the rain and reports: "It was both an exhilarating and frustrating experience today. As you have said, the birds come out in the rain, sometimes swarming competitively in groups of up to four, and sometimes just hovering over my head. Unfortunately though, the numbers meant that as soon as one began to feed, another or others chased it away. I did get a few photos of the birds and flowers in the rain though".  Here's one of them, more tomorrow.

The flower is bog sage (Salvia uliginosa)

Lots of Slots; Hoping for rain; quick summary of visiting process

Lots of slots available, especially wed pm.
I've posted some more slots, and will continue to do throughout august, but you must ask for specific posted slots, not ones that are not yet posted. A one-line email with your name and the size of your party and requested slot date/time (i.e. am or pm) will do it, and anything else just slows and complicates for all concerned. Then if still available (almost always is) I will send an approval email with basic instructions, plus the vital waiver form, and directions. You must read this email, and make sure all in your party are aware of these basic procedures.

Photo by Greg Olanoff

I'm looking forward to much-needed rain tomorrow, and I suspect the hummers are too.

Jumpstart 2015; new visiting slots

Current visiting slots: mon,tues,wed, thur this week. See righthand column for details and procedures.

Friday evening there was an Arts Festival "JumpStart" in downtown Riverhead, and Claire and I spent part of the evening strolling around and enjoying some of the many activities, both outside and in. It was great to see downtown vibrant and once again it reminded us of the immense potential, and the positive signs that the sleeping beauty is awakening. Of course what's needed is more things to do (shops, gardens restaurants, galleries, bridge over the river etc) along the Riverfront, but the first things to do is multistory parking! Many good locations for this, but of course it needs some local government initiative. But Riverhead is  stalwart Republican, and therefore completely opposed to any type of public investment, however beneficial. Indeed, given their anti-Government attitude, I cannot see why they are always so eager to govern!

For a report on this exciting event, see http://www.riverheadlocal.com/2015/08/08/downtown-riverhead-celebrates-the-arts-scenes-from-jumpstart-2015/

Another perfect day at the sanctuary. Here are some more recent images, from Ken Eddy.

The middle image is the Great Spangled Fritillary

ALWAYS CLOSED 12.30-3; Available (by appointment) times ("slots" ) for visits are posted in the right hand column of the blog

Some of you email me with requests for specific times (e.g. 12.30 pm or 4 pm). However, you may come/leave any time within your appointed slot (either 9.30-12.30 or 3-5.30), but you must have an appointment, which is only available for specific dates posted at this blog (in the right hand column),by emailrequest. Please do not request times other than those posted at the time you make your request: I cannot reserve specific dates/times in advance of those posted. Thanks for your cooperation!

This recent photo is by Janet Rudolph. The plant is shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeeana), a 3-star hummer plant. Note the bract is red, but the nectar is in the white flower.

another great day at the sanctuary; separating the boys and girls

Another beautiful day here, with well-behaved visitors who all got an eye

full of good hummer activity. Many visitors ask how one can tell apart the male and female juveniles, since they both have the silver throat and flat tail of the adult females. Often one cannot, but sometimes the boys already have a spot red under the chin -what I call the "drop of blood". Janet Rudolph took this great photo today, which shows this very well. The red spot is made up of several  tiny ruby individual throat feathers. Sometimes it has only 1 feather and is very difficult to see, and sometimes there are several red spots, or none. The males develop their complete ruby-throat during their winters in Central America.  Of course even though only the adult males have the full ruby-red throat, all members of this species belong to the "ruby-throats", and this is the only hummingbird species that breeds on the east coast, or even east of the Mississippi. The flower is rosebud sage, with bog sage in the background. Fred Junior?

More available slots posted to the right, and many more to come soon. Please,  only ask for an AVAILABLE, POSTED, slots.

where to see hummingbirds on Long Island; more slots posted

Above are a couple of recent photos by Bridgette Kistinger, taken at Bayard Cutting Arboretum. The flower is trumpet creeper. Other good places are Mashomack Preserve (Shelter Island), Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge, Avalon Park (Stony Brook/Head of the harbor), and Alley Pond (Queens). But of course the best place is the BHHS! Here are some recent photographs.

Jose Munoz, Lavender Porterweed ("hummer cocaine")

                                      Greg Olanoff - rosebud salvia

Robert Imoor - Salvia guarantica

more to follow (and more available slot postings)

More slots posted - and many more to come

Another aug 1 photo by Mike Chachkes rosebud salvia.

Today we had quite a few visitors (including 2 excellent photographers - some of their images soon to come). It was quite spectular on the back deck: there was a prolonged (and still ongoing) aerial combat between the resident adult male (probably Fred) and a young hummer (male or female) who both wanted to own the flowers in pots there. They kept weaving between us, above us and all around us. It all looked quite playful but I think it was in deadly earnest - you don't want to mess with Fred, but the youngster won't give up. I shot a lot of video some of which I hope caught the action - and others took a lot of stills. More to come.

IF YOU SUCCESSFULLY ASK FOR AN APPOINTMENT to visit at your chosen slot time you will receive an approval email with various instructions. Please ensure that ALL IN YOU PARTY follow these key instructions.
And if you cannot understand, after carefully reading the column (to the right of this post) titled "Visiting in August", how to ask for an appointment please don't email me guessing, or assuming, or asking or imploring me. There are more people who want to come than can come and I give preference to those who understand and follow the rules. These rules have been established to make my life, and my neighbors', easier. I'm delighted to welcome hummingbird enthusiasts, and many of you follow the rules and quickly receive an appointment.
Additional available slots have been posted in the right-hand column of this blog, and many more will be, gradually and on a rolling basis. 

another beautiful day; great spangled fritillary; please follow the rules!

choices, choices.... rosebud or bog? Salvia uliginosa on the right, S. involucrata on the left, and Archilochus colubris in the middle. Another great photo by Mike Chachkes, from aug 1.

IF YOU SUCCESSFULLY ASK FOR AN APPOINTMENT to visit at your chosen slot time you will receive an approval email with various instructions. Please ensure that ALL IN YOU PARTY follow these key instructions.
And if you cannot understand, after carefully reading the column (to the right of this post) titled "August Visiting", how to ask for an appointment please don't email me guessing, or assuming, or asking me. There are more people who want to come than can come and I give preference to those who understand and follow the rules. These rules have been established to make my life, and my neighbors',  easier.

Another beautiful day sunday at the sanctuary, with more visitors to enjoy it than yesterday. 2 of them spotted this gorgeous large orange butterfly, feeding on buddleia, and later identified it as a Great Spangled Fritillary. We get lots of butterflies, drawn by the nectiferous plantings, mostly swallowtails (tiger and spicebush), monarchs, sulphurs, skippers and painted ladies. This one was unusual - thanks Carole for the photo.

I've posted additional slots.

Opening Day quiet! - but good hummer activity

Our opening day today was very quiet, with only 1 visitor, the excellent photographer and old friend Michael Chachkes. He saw quite a bit of activity on the front deck, and here are some of the results. Thanks Mike!

It was a perfect day, warm but fairly dry, with a wonderful westerly breeze.

rosebud sage (S. involucrata "Bethelii") - a hummer magnet.

All visits are by private invitation only - for details, see the righthand column of this blog.

bog sage (Salvia uliginosa)

shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeeana)

More to follow......