Album of Vernita & Richland Field Trip

Selected photos (by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer) from a 15 October 2011 spider collecting visit to Vernita Bridge Rest Area and Richland, Benton County, Washington, and our ill-fated visit to Pine Springs Resort, Klickitat County, Washington on 15-16 October. The first day of our 4-day expedition started fairly well with a serendipitous partial sample from the desert park with planted pine trees (see Laurel's account), and a 21-species sample from urban habitats in Richland. But at Pine Springs, the weatherman failed us and we were rained out – and there were no pine cones!
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aerial photo of Vernita Rest Area, Benton County, Washington row of planted Ponderosa pines, Vernita Rest Area, Benton County, Washington
Recent aerial shot of Vernita Rest Area    (Benton County) Pretty Ponderosas all in a row        © Rod Crawford
Philodromus crab spider from pine cone, Vernita Rest Area, Benton County, Washington pine cone spider habitat, Vernita Rest Area, Benton County, Washington
Philodromus from pine cones       © Laurel Ramseyer Spider retreat in desert pine cone             © Laurel Ramseyer
jumping spider Phanias watonus from pine cone, Vernita Rest Area, Benton County, Washington pine cones litter the ground at Vernita Rest Area, Benton County, Washington
Phanias watonus from pine cone    © Laurel Ramseyer Cones litter the ground             © Laurel Ramseyer
carapace of Salticus peckhamae jumping spider from Vernita Rest Area, Benton County, Washington jumping spider Salticus peckhamae from Vernita Rest Area, Benton County, Washington
Flattened carapace of…      © Rod Crawford …Salticus peckhamae, Laurel's best catch of the day   © Rod Crawford
Laurel Ramseyer beating spiders from pine cones, Vernita Rest Area, Benton County, Washington shrub-steppe habitat at Vernita Rest Area, Benton County, Washington
Laurel sampled 4208 pine cones this year!      © Rod Crawford They accidentally left some shrub-steppe inside the fence     © Rod Crawford

Next, we visited Laurel's cousins' house in Richland, plus nearby riparian and park habitats.

aerial photo of residential district, Richland, Washington back yard of a riparian residence, Richland, Washington
Recent aerial photo of house & river   (Benton County) Rod combs walls & fences for spiders                © Laurel Ramseyer
junk pile in back yard, residential district, Richland, Washington blue spruce tree in Leslie Groves Park, residential district, Richland, Washington
Spider-rich junk pile with leaves         © Rod Crawford Blue spruce in Leslie Groves Park          © Laurel Ramseyer
riparian vegetation, residential district, Richland, Washington Columbia River, residential district, Richland, Washington
Riparian jungle 1/2 block from houses    © Rod Crawford Placid reservoir was once the Columbia River            © Rod Crawford
Stones at base of river-bank dike, residential district, Richland, Washington riparian grass beside Columbia River, residential district, Richland, Washington
Rocks had lots of Steatoda underneath   © Rod Crawford Lush riparian grass looked promising, but…             © Rod Crawford

Our first Klickitat County site, Pine Springs Resort, didn't quite work out the way we planned.

Laurel's cabin & Rod's wet tent at Pine Springs Resort, Klickitat County, Washington Laurel Ramseyer searches for pine cones, Pine Springs Resort, Klickitat County, Washington
Laurel's cabin & ruins of Rod's tent      © Rod Crawford Laurel seeks for cones in vain          © Rod Crawford
rabbit at Pine Springs Resort, Klickitat County, Washington forest floor free of pine cones, Pine Springs Resort, Klickitat County, Washington
Miz' Bun Rab               © Rod Crawford Pine forest floor totally cone-free            © Laurel Ramseyer
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This page last updated 12 June, 2015