hummingbird garden partry

Before the garden party  the weather channel was predicting rain then as the day was getting closer the prediction about rain kept flip flopping and the night before the dire prediction was suggesting a soggy day. Somehow the planets were all aligned and we had a beautiful day and we were so happy to see how many people came out to enjoy the garden, butterflies  hummingbirds and songbirds .  Heather Willet and her daughter Leah did an amazing job introducing people to monarch butterflies and answered everyone's questions regarding this disappearing beauty from our gardens. hopefully inspired by holding them and seeing them up close  people will get out and try and  plant milkweed in their gardens and yards to help sustain the monarchs  that migrate this far north.

Heather Willet explaining  monarch tagging

  There was a moment that I cherished at the garden party

when I was looking around and saw kids  freshly face painted with monarchs on their arms  and smile bursting form cheek to cheek. I heard cheers of delight as a hummingbird resting in the hand leaped into the air buzzing over delighted and reassured onlookers. I then moved through our beautiful garden created by Deb Murray and cared for by so many volunteers and saw monarchs resting  on cone flowers milkweed and bee balm. In this moment I realized  how important our marsh is becoming to our community and how proud people are  to bring family and kids and grand kids  to give them a chance to connect or reconnect with nature. It was within this moment that I reflected on how far we have come  and how many more people we have yet to meet at the marsh. Thank you so much to all of our volunteers who



make such a huge difference . Thank you to all of you who came out to pursue your passion in nature and to those of you who want to pass this passion along to those you care so much about . It was in this brief cherished moment that I felt awe, contentment and a deep sense of joy and  hope for our common ecological future. A future  that we share with the hummingbirds, butterflies,birds and all the creatures that call this oasis in the North East their home . A place we call the Hilliardton Marsh.

Deb Murray gardener extraordinaire

To see more about the garden party visit our website and click on the video created by Mike Werner  you will understand the sense of awe I am  talking about . Well done mike!!!  www.thehilliardtonmarsh.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o4zywzwX5o&feature=youtu.be

listening to a hummers heart rate

To see more about the garden party visit our website and click on the video created by Mike Werner  you will understand the sense of awe I am  talking about . Well done mike!!!  www.thehilliardtonmarsh.com or check out the youtbe link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o4zywzwX5o&feature=youtu.be

are you feeling a sense of deja vu???


To enhance  our opportunity to show the public birds and to avoid catching  hummingbirds too early we decided to save the net opening until 9 so our numbers are a little lower then we may have anticipated on this date during the migration. Still we had lots of birds to show visitors . Happily the rain started 10 minutes after everything was put away. What a day!!!

birds banded Saturday Aug 13th nets opened at 9

ruby throated hummingbird 6
least flycatcher  7
alder flycatcher   3
Nashville warbler  2
Wilson warbler 1
american redstart 7
chestnut sided warbler  1
Philadelphia vireo 5
red eyed vireo   4
yellow warbler  5
mourning warbler  1
cape may warbler 1
purple finch  11
song sparrow  2
swamp sparrow  1
white throated sparrow  10
cedar waxwing   9
common grackle 1
veery 1


80 birds banded
19 species