Wings in the Wildlife Garden

Harvest Time

Suddenly summer is on the wane, asters, goldenrods and cool season grasses are blooming. Time to look back on the summer that was. I garden for the birds and the bees. An all out effort for hummingbirds the last two years has made my yard a riot of Salvias and Lobelias.  

Salvia "Oxford Blue" A stunning plant!

Fennel, parsley and milkweeds are larval hosts for Swallowtails and Monarchs respectively, and as a volunteer for the Long Island Native Plant Initiative, I have spent the last four years adding many Long Island Ecotypic plants to the mix. To make room for these, I have extirpated aggressive and invasive plants that provided no wildlife value. If it doesn't attract buzz or flutter,  it wont grow here for long..

Salvia cocinea provides dramatic accents.

Was the yard a riot of butterflies? Not so much. Sadly there were many fewer than in previous years. I did see two species I had never seen in the garden before. There were however ,myriad bumble bees and other pollinators. A family of Yellow Jackets has also moved in..We'll see about that, I am trying to coexist, and so far so good.

Little Wood Satyr, Megisto cymela.  New to me and to the garden.

Great Spangled Fritillary, Speyeria cybele, a first for the garden.

Tiger Swallowtail, papilio glaucus, a little the worse for wear.

Black Swallowtails , Papilo polyxenes, breed in the garden every year.
Here, nectaring on Long Island ecotypic Asclepias tuberosa, aptly named "Butterfly Weed".

Silver Spotted Skipper, Epargyrus clarus, were the only plentiful butterflies.

Even Cabbage Whites, Pieris rapae , were scarce this year.

Northern Pearl Crescent, Phyciodes selenis.

Only two Monarchs, Danus plexippus, were spotted, 
here nectaring here on native Liatris aspera.

Each one was precious. No Caterpillars this year.

The stars of this years garden were the two female Ruby Throated Hummingbirds, Archilocus colubrus, that visited almost daily during July and August. Mission Hummingbird was a success! Not only Lobeliaa and Salvias, but Cardinal Climber, Scarlet Runner Bean, Hyacinth Bean Vines, Monarda Jacob Cline and Zinnias were planted to attract them. I'd know they were coming by their staccato chirps and buzzing wings. Sometimes they would come right up to me.

Hummingbird attraction tower (top of an eight foot trellis).

By far the favorite was Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis.

Enjoying some Cardinal Climber nectar (Ipomea sloteri)

Red was the preferred color, but they were pretty in pink.

Enjoying a sip of Agastache species

There was one feeder, but natural foods were greatly preferred.

A favorite perch was the pea trellis.

This is not a Hummingbird..
Strawberry Clearwing Moth, Heymeris thysbe.

This is not a Hummingbird either, teeny, tiny Bufo americanus.

A young Bluejay, Cyanosita cristata.
Many fledged in the woods surrounding the garden, 
encouraged by plentiful feeders.

"All good things must end someday..

Autmn leaves must fall"...

Same time next year?

If people were superior to animals, they would take care of the world~ Winnie the Pooh

Baiting Hollow Hummingbird Sanctuary

This charming cabin greets you after
your woodland walk to the sanctuary.

I have known of the existence of The Baiting Hollow Hummingbird Sanctuary for some time, but had never visited. This year however, I was determined, would be the "Year of the hummingbird"..and next year too..and the year after..well, you get the idea! 

Previously I  would see one hummigbird, once a year in my garden, if I was lucky..At least I knew they came through. This year I planted Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) and Salvia coccinea (Red Salvia), both native plants, and the hummers came..and stayed. I had daily sightings over a three week period. In the midst of that excitement, I decided to up the thrill and learning levels and visit the Hummingbird Sanctuary..I was not disappointed!

You proceed around (or through) the cabin,
 to a deck perched on the cliffs overlooking Long Island Sound.

The sanctuary is privately run and opened to the public free of charge during the month of August, other times by appointment. If you are on Long Island, or plan to be in the area at that time of year, here is a link to sanctuary information. http://lihummer.org/

You have to check the blog http://bhhummer.blogspot.com/ day-of  to be sure the sanctuary is opened and you will have to sign a liability waiver, due to legal issues with neighbors, I believe..I am new to all this too..so please read carefully! Even if you are not planning to visit,  the sanctuary website and accompanying blog provides a wealth of information..such as lists of hummingbird-friendly plants and sources to obtain them. 

One has to admire, and be grateful to, Professor Paul Adams,  of Stony Brook University, who provides this selfless service to birds, humans and the environment.

Gardens are stunningly designed to accent the location.

Hummer banquet all around.

There are also lower gardens. Unfortunately, due to Sandy's erosion, one can no longer descend the cliffs to the beach. That doesn't matter however, because there are garden chairs everywhere, and you are here to watch the hummingbirds..and the butterflies..

Here's one now!
(Feeding on Salvia greggii..I think)

And another!

The only humming bird that breeds on Long Island is the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird ( Archillocus colubris). These birds do not form mating pairs..the male comes early in the spring to stake out a territory. When the females arrive, the males go a-courtin'. Then the males leave (tsk!) and the females build the nests and tend the young. This may explain why I have never been lucky enough to see an adult male..

The beautiful Salvia uliginosa or Bog Sage, 

Chosen not only for the hummers, 
but because it matches the sky and the sea!

Look! Another Hummer!
A juvenile male I think..

Hello!!

Butterflies too! On Pink Porterweed (Stachytarpheta mutablis)
A four star hummer plant accoding to the sanctuary blog.

Giant Swallowtail, a "lifer" butterfly for me!

I feel pretty!

One of six Monarchs I have seen all summer.

Yes, I know you are seeing Butterfly Bush in this post, and yes, I know it is invasive..and no, in my opinion, we shouldn't plant it..but that is an entire topic in itself..

Did I mention I had hummers in my garden?
On Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

On Salvia coccinea

"Hummingbird don't fly away, fly away.."

A flash of harmless lightning, A mist of rainbow dyes, The burnished sunbeams brigtening, From flower to flower she flies~John Banister Tabb