Hiking around St. George Island

As mentioned in a past posting, there are many faces to  Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park.

An Oak still enchanting
amid a back drop of Pines

The trails through this barrier island are quite interesting and I found the 2.5 mile Gap Point trail to be particularly interesting with a wide variety of terrain and vegetation.

Trail through the pines that crosses the island
from the ocean to the bay

Fresh water marshes dot
the island and provide water for
the non-salt species

It made sense to start out early in the morning to avoid the head across the open sands.  Brilliant white sugar sand can become quite uncomfortable and bright by 1 PM.  Choosing an early start time is wise.  It also had an added benefit when I almost tripped over this Nighthawk on the side of the trail.  What was it doing? 

Almost stumbled over this Nighthawk
along the path in the early morning light

According to AllAboutBirds.com, "These fairly common but declining birds make no nest. Their young are so well camouflaged that they’re hard to find (understatement), and even the adults seem to vanish as soon as they land."  And so, it sat still while I took a few pictures but had departed the comfortable resting place by the time of our return.  Can't say I blame it as the sand was getting quite warm on the return trip.

Marsh grasses and delicate flowers
could they be Lance-Leaved Loosestrife?

A splash of color in the scrub

As you cross over a dune you realize why turpentine harvesting and cattle raising were historic practices on St. George Island.  There is a large stand of pines from the dune line to the bay.

Hard to fathom how the pines and oaks
thrive on this sandy, salty barrier island

If you were raised in north Florida and spent any time in the woods you probably encountered a "Cat Face Tree" meaning a pine tree.  I find it amazing that the park on St. George Island has the oldest stand of slash pine found on any barrier island.  This is a true test of the resilience of pines.  

Between 1880 and 1930 pine sap
was harvested on the island

Anyway, the 'Cat Faced Trees' resulted from turpentine harvesting and most of the old pine trees in the park show evidence of harvesting for turpentine. Slashes were made on the trees, causing them to produce resin in an attempt to heal themselves. Containers called Herty cups were hung on the trees to collect the resin that was used to make turpentine. (https://www.floridastateparks.org/park-history/St-George-Island)

The scrub today
where storms replace loggers
as the biggest threat

I should note that the commercially developed section of the island is mostly devoid of trees. However, the east end of the island that houses the state park contains the beautiful stands of pine and oak.

A vibrant Oak

Barrier islands are exactly that a barrier or buffer for the mainland from tropical storms.  These islands often take the brunt of a storm, washed over, and changed radically.  St. George Island has been washed over many times by tropical storms which always impacts the landscape often with interesting changes.

Ferns abound in the low areas

Smilax berries!
A thorny vine that can conquer massive oaks.

In 2005, Hurricane Dennis destroyed most of the facilities and equipment in the park and impacted the vegetation.  One wonders about the many changes in the island.

Could this be a form of wild rosemary?

Oh to view the island through the ages... but then we just my be disappointed by the changes.  Perhaps it is best to simply enjoy the present.

Scrub clinging to the limited
fresh water it receives