Open today fri am/pm; garage sales; monarchs

We will be open today 3-5.30. However, hummer activity is quite low. Yesterday afternoon was fairly busy but I think everyone saw quite a bit of hummingbird activity. I enjoyed seeing old friends, and new friends bearing small gifts. Most needed are old but sturdy garden seats (plastic is fine). If you happen to spot something at a garage sale at a low price, think of us. You are welcome to drop such items off in the back (main) parking lot, even when we are not open - we will find them!
Parking is of course very limited, and located quite far from the main viewing areas; if any member of your party has great difficulty walking, please email me (see lihummer.org) and I will authorize you to park in the much closer accessory ("by permission only") lot.
I'm afraid today's picture (by Michelle Neacy) is another insect one (don't worry, plenty more hummer images to come), but I could not resist these graceful flowers decorated with a monarch. Monarchs are apparently (according to Wikipedia) the only butterfly that makes a bird-like southern/northern migration, but unlike birds this is done over several generations. The final destination of the eastern monarchs is a small area of pine-oak forest just 60 miles north of Mexico City! - about the same distance from Baiting Hollow to NY City.

Open Today (thur) am/pm; hummingbird moths

We are open today 9.30-12.30 and 3-5.30. We always close 12.30-3. Yesterday  started with a strong northwest wind and almost no hummingbird activity, but later in the morning activity picked up again. The wind has greatly dropped but is now more in the north (and it is rather chilly), so I expect low activity to start with. Perhaps it will again improves as the day advances. I expect tomorrow to be a good day, especially in the  afternoon.
The photo, by Doug MacLean, shows a "hummingbird moth", also known as a common clearwing moth, Hemaris thysbe (see this Mass Audubon article: hummingbird moth; I thank John Turner for the definitive identification). It looks like a cross between a bee and a hummingbird (but is completely different from the bee hummingbird, the world's smallest bird). But there are various other types of hummingbird moth, such as the sphinx hummingbird moth (or whitelined sphinx), which looks quite different, but also has hummingbird-like behavior. I mostly see the clearwing moth during the day, and the sphinx moth at dusk. Some people tell me they get hummingbirds, but only after sunset. I have to tell them these are moths not hummers (which disappear at sunset). Others tell me they see only "very tiny" hummingbirds during the day, but they may be seeing moths instead.

open today (wed) 9.30-12.30 only; adult male

We will be open this morning 9.30-12.30 but I expect rather low levels of hummingbird activity because the wind is now squarely in the north and quite strong, so most birds will be moving southwards. We will probably be open thursday both am and pm, but pm will probably be better as the wind moves back to the west and then southwest. We are always closed 12.30 - 3 pm, and if you tell your friends about us please make that fact clear, and insist that they go to the blog for info before coming out -yesterday someone rudely interrupted my vital nap!

It's possible we will be open on a few sporadic occasions after Sept 4, but don't count on it.

The photo, by Fung Wan Kwong, shows an adult male. He has lost some throat feathers, and is probably molting (they acquire a new set each year, mostly during their tropical winter) but he might also have suffered wear after a summer of combat.

Open today (tues) and tomorrow am; golden crown

We will be open today from 9.30-12.30 and 3 to 5.30 and tomorrow (morning only, from 9.30 - 12.30). However, there is now a srong northwest wind (later shifting north) which triggers southward departure, and viewing conditions are not favorable. I expect new birds to gradually arrive in the north, so thur may be better (and we will probably open for a few more days before our definitive closure for the season).
The photo is by Chris Corradino (christography.com). Note the little patch of golden pollen on the bird's forehead. Hummingbirds are very efficient pollinators, and for some plants (such as Cardinal Flower) the main one.

closed today (monday); probably open tues pm.

We are closed today and tomorrow morning, but we hope to open tuesday afternoon - check this blog for confirmation.
Yesterday the northwest wind brought a quiet morning, but activity started to pick up later in the afternoon. We were honored, and pleasantly surprised, to see John Turner and his family here. John is a pre-eminent Long Island naturalist, who wrote "The Other Island", perhaps the best guide to the natural communities and rhythms of our beautiful but abused island.  He also runs alulatrips.com, which organizes birding outings, mostly on Long Island. I was excited to learn that he is writing a new guide to natural Long Island, which should fill the urgent need for a comprehensive survey of the remaining fragmented and scattered (but often magnificent) natural places on the Island. There is no better way to recharge one's batteries and refresh the soul than immersion in Nature, where everything is spontaneous, harmonious, beautiful and......quiet.
The image, showing a hummingbird at bog sage, Salvia uliginosa, is by Charleen Turner.

Open today (sunday) am/pm; few hummers, no bell; heli rally

We will be open both 9.30-12.30 and 3-5.30 today sunday. However, hummingbird activity is low, because the wind is strongly in the north east, triggering southward departure. Do not ring the bell today. Please wear sensible shoes, suitable for steep trails and rough ground. You enter the property AT YOUR OWN RISK. Children are welcome and encouraged, but please watch them closely.
Directions etc can be found to the right of this post. There are 2 main viewing areas at the sanctuary, the Upper and Lower gardens. The latter is accessed by a steep narrow path, and has many steep trails; if you have any difficulty walking (or inappropriate shoes) please take the main driveway approach to the viewing gardens, and stay in the upper garden. But if you are secure on your feet cross the yellow minibridge and follow the Woodland Path (where you might also say hummingbirds). Doing this minimizes impact on neighbors and qualifies you to descend to the lower gardens, which are less crowded. Note that hummers can be seen equally well in both gardens. Those who have great difficulty walking can request permission to park in our "handicap" area, much closer to the viewing gardens.
Reminder: if you tell your friends about us, make sure that they consult the blog before coming out.
There's an antinoise rally at East Hampton airport this afternoon (4.30-6.30) - of course those who live off the south fork would have to helicopter in, which rather defeats the purpose of the rally. I attended an EH airport noise meeting in Southampton on thursday evening, and outward traffic was still backed up all the way to Bridgehampton even at 7 pm. Like all the previous meetings, lots of angry residents and lots of polite, verbose but totally ineffective (and mostly clueless) politicians. See quietskiescoalition.org for more info on this important issue so vital to the continued operation of the sanctuary.

Today's photo is by Greg Olanoff. It shows a hummingbird dining at rosebud salvia (S. involucrata), a great favorite, with bog sage and Long Island Sound in the background.

Open today (sat) but only newbies; bell, shoes and binoculars

We will be open today both 9.30-12.30 and 3-5.30 BUT ONLY TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT YET VISITED THIS SEASON (of your group the majority should be "newbies"). For directions, info etc see to the  right of this post. Tomorrow we will probably open to those who have never ever visited. Our parking is very limited, so please if the lot is full please return later - you could explore the new nature preserve at the Sound Ave end of Terry Farm Rd, or the stores at Baiting Hollow Commons (500 feet from the bottom of Terry Farm) or the nearby farmstands, vineyards etc.
Please do not ring the bell today. And remember to wear sensible shoes - all our paths are steep and narrow, and safety is paramount. While hummingbirds can come very close  and you do not need binoculars, a compact pair is quite useful for observing their interesting behavior while perched in a tree.
The photo, by Patrice Ellert, shows a hummer vainly exploring the colored bracts of a rosebud salvia. They have to learn to feed from flowers, since the shapes are very variable and often confusing, and young hummers spend a lot of time exploring and testing.

Open today fri am/pm; painted ladies

We are open today friday 9.30-12.30 and 3-5.30. We will be open tomorrow (and probably sunday)  but only to "newbies" - those that have not yet visited this year. We will also open tues pm and probably thur and fri next week. But we are starting to wind down (though there are still plenty of hummingbirds around). Check this blog for details.

Today's photo, by Michelle Neacy, shows a butterfly for a change - the "painted lady", Vanessa cardui, on butterfly bush (Buddleia). This is the "regular" painted lady, which can be found worldwide. At first glance they look like half-size monarchs. There is also an American painted lady, V. virginiensis. The most obvious difference is on the paler "underneath" or ventral, wing: the former has 4 small eyespots, the latter 2 large ones. The American is found in small but fairly constant numbers but the "regular" occurrs more irregularly, and this year they are in great abundance everywhere (including here and almost certainly your yard).
We also get many other butterflies, drawn by the nectiferous plants that attract hummers. However, butterflies very rarely go to sugar-water feeders, and hummers don't much visit  plants that butterflies love, even butterfly bush itself. I see that on my plant rating page on the lihummer.org website I give butterfly bush 2 stars (out of a possible 5) but now I would tend to downrate it to 1 star. The only thing that gets 5 stars is the "bottomless" plastic feeder (as long as it's kept clear, insect-free and full of fresh "nectar").
Amongst the spectacular large butterflies you will see here are momarchs, the very similar viceroys, and the tiger, spicebush and black swallowtails (which include the largest of all butterflies). I will feature these in later posts.

Open today am/pm; article about us; heli meeting; coral honeysuckle,

We will be open today both 9.30 to 12.30 and 3 to 5.30. We will almost certainly open tomorrow, and also at the weekend (though possibly only to newbies). We will be closed monday next week, probably open tues pm, closed wed, and probably open thur, fri and very early september. We will then be open less and less, and probably not at all after mid september.
There's a nice, and nicely written, blog article about us at an interesting local gardening blog here; see also our link list to the right.
Many of you have noticed the noisy helicopter traffic here, mostly commuting from Manhattan to East Hampton. It makes normal outdoor conversation difficult or impossible, let alone enjoyment of the subtle sounds of the birds.  A study by East Hampton a few years back revealed the obvious: that the noise annoyance could easily be limited to just a few people (mostly those causing the noise) by routing traffic down the Atlantic Ocean and into the airport via Georgica Pond and then over industrial land. Instead the traffic was routed down the North Shore and then over the North Fork and Southampton, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. There will be an IMPORTANT MEETING tonight at 7 with congressman Tim Bishop at the Bridgehampton Community Center. It would be great if any of you can go to express your annoyance with these incredibly arrogant insensitive fat cats roaring over our heads.
Today's picture, by Richard Matteson, shows a hummingbird at coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens, a 3-star hummer native northeastern perennial plant. It is blooming when hummers arrive on may 1, and keeps blooming throughout their season. It's a hummingbird garden MUST.

Open today wed am and pm; firespike in slo mo

We are open today (wed) 9.30-12.30 and 3-5.30. We will be open tomorrow also, am and pm. Looks like a beautiful day - why not combine your visit with one to the new Butterfly Exhibit next to the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead? It's only 5 minutes away. Let us know who has more butterflies! -and tell them the Hummingbird Sanctuary sent you.
I show another Linda Sullivan photo of a hummer at firespike (Odontonema strictum), And here is a link to a youtube slo mo video that a visitor made of a hummer at this same  firespike:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SF0KUZtr7I
I'll post more slo-mo video links soon.