The Ridge (2)
Header Image: Brown-headed Nuthatch
“Rubber Ducky!”
We were meandering along the forest road toward Lake Godwin, a small lake surrounded by Longleaf Pine trees and Saw Palmetto understory. Gini’s sharp ears heard the squeaky calls of Brown-headed Nuthatches as they foraged among the tops of the pines. Late summer finds these gregarous birds remaining in loose family groups, sometimes with two or three families intermingled. In typical nuthatch fashion, the little birds ran down tree trunks and hung upside down to investigate pine cones for an insect snack.
Our morning in the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest continued to be a relaxing, slow-motion type of exploration and discovery. Lake Godwin is our “brunch spot”. After our snack we breathed deeply and realized this could easily become our “take a nap spot”. In the distance we (mostly Gini) could hear the calls of Sandhill Cranes, Red-headed/Red-bellied/Downy woodpeckers, White-eyed Vireos and the non-stop admonition of Eastern Towhees to “drink-your-teeeeeaaa”. Natural pine air freshener seems so different than the concoction sprayed from a can.
Flowers were the highlight of the day. In another few weeks, migratory birds will begin to arrive in small numbers and by October there will be over 50 species of birds enjoying all the forest has to offer. In the meantime, resident birds and an incredibly diverse selection of blooms and bugs will suit us just fine.
Our day in the forest has been so rewarding. Forgotten is the hectic pace demanded of one on a crowded highway, in a supermarket, keeping up with current events. Instead, our focus on Nature has united our souls in a common bond of appreciation and serenity.
More Ridge adventures ahead.
Enjoy your search for a natural place and come back for a visit!
Our Natural Places 
For a change I saw flowers with which I am locally familiar. Although a different species that we have here,the Meadow Beauty was just that…familiar and a beauty. Although I know what a sweat bee does I have never experienced what a sweat bee does. Have you or Gini? Nature is the provider of sanity in our modern insane world.
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Like you, I have not yet caught a sweat bee enjoying actual sweat. To be fair, our mosquitoes likely keep them from getting near us.
Your last line is quite profound.
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What beautiful photos! You are right, in just a few short weeks we will be sending our birds down to you to spend the winter. We will be left with a few hearty featured friends to entertain us.
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Thank you so much!
We’ll take good care of your birds and send ’em back with full tummies and sun tans.
We appreciate your visit.
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That’s a beautiful photo of the Rhexia, which I learned to call Maryland Meadowbeauty. It’s always been hard for me to get everything in focus when looking at the flower from the front; this is splendid. I was interested in the Carolina Redroot, too. Its fuzziness brought to mind Snake Cotton: Froelichia floridana, which you have, too. I see it most often in the piney woods of east Texas, although it also shows up at Lost Pines in Bastrop county: an environment that’s as sandy and pine-y as farther east. That metallic bee is gorgeous. If I had plenty of capital and was a half-century younger, I might start an insects-as-jewelry business.
I’d never heard of American Bluehearts. Once I studied the petals, I ‘got’ the common name. Our Blue Stars often match the color in your last photo, but the flowers are — well, they’re more star-like. I’d say life on the ridge is rich, indeed. There’s even a song that celebrates ridges.
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Meadowbeauty has been abundant this year. We love those long bright yellow stamens which always seem to be reaching out for our attention.
Snake Cotton seems more like a grass until you examine it up close. The Redroot certainly is a magnet for a wide variety of pollinators.
If Gini had her way, the dragons we find would stock her version of your business. At least the heads, with the kaleidoscope eyes.
Whoa! Jeruselum Ridge is a superb performance! Thank you.
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That little emerald bee looks imaginary with his wonderful balance of vivid colors and shapes. Your Ridge is a real high point!
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We love any place where we focus on the trees which lead us to focus on the birds which lead us to focus on the insects which leaves us to focus on the blooms which leads us to focus on — Life. It Is Good.
Thank you, Sam.
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A very welcome distraction after a stressful 24 hours – thank you, Wally. By way of explanation, had to take Lindsay to A&E yesterday morning with a hernia. She passed out about 10 minutes after we got there. They operated on her to repair the damage last night and all now seems OK. Hoping to fetch her home again this evening. A brief message, but I know that you’ll be understanding.
Take good care – – – Richard
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Richard!
Our thoughts and prayers are with you both.
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Love the Bluehearts. Never seen before.
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They range in color from the white ones we found to many different shades of blue. We’ll keep our eyes out for more so we can compare.
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“Natural pine air freshener seems so different than the concoction sprayed from a can.” Back in the 1960s, and perhaps still now, in upstate New York you could buy little incense cones that gave off a wonderful pine fragrance.
Iridescent green bees are always fun to see. I get the impression pickerelwed is an under-appreciated native wildflower. As you know, it grows in Texas, too.
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I seem to remember those little cones. We were in Syracuse in the late 1960’s.
So many fascinating bugs to be seen. So little time. Long before I was interested in cameras, I spent a lot of time fishing. I appreciated pickerelweed because I knew it provided cover for many fishy species.
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Natural pine air freshener IS so different than the concoction sprayed from a can. And the natural world is a wonderful antidote to the problems that ail us. Thank you and Gini for sharing it so generously.
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Pop over any time, EC, and we’ll lgive you all the antidote you can take.
Gini and I truly hope you are feeling well in the middle of another week.
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Thank you for sharing another wonderful selection of birds, blooms, and bugs. One never tires of seeing, hearing, and smelling more. I would love to be able to inhale the scent of your pine trees.
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You are very welcome, Tanja.
We’ll keep looking for places like this so we can continue to share them. That pine scent is available any time you would care to visit.
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😊
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What a delightful encounter with the Brown-headed Nuthatches! Their gregarious behavior during late summer is fascinating.
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Those little birds are one big reason we like visitng that spot.
Thank you for visiting.
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Very enjoyable Wally.
That sweat Bee is very striking, we don’t have anything like those over here.
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Good Morning, Brian. Thank you.
Those little metallic bugs grab one’s attention.
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I really liked the floral photos Wally. And the observation of the differences between typical life and the calming life you can discover in Nature, if only for a little while.
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Thank you, Brad.
We all need as much calming life as we can get.
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