Album of Chehalis-Western Trail Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and new volunteer Chris Smitelli from our 3 June 2017 spider collecting trip to the Chehalis-Western Trail (on the peninsula between Budd and Henderson Inlets), Thurston County, Washington. Our original goal, in the Cascade foothills, was washed out by totally unpredicted rain, but fortunately an hour's extra driving brought us to this dry, productive spot (a "rail trail" in peaceful rural surroundings) in the lowlands. Sweeping grassy verge alone got us 13 spider species, and after various other habitats we had no less than 40 species, on a short day too. The best single specimen was a Cyclosa turbinata from the grass.
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muddy road near South Prairie Creek, Pierce County soggy, gloomy roadside near South Prairie Creek, Pierce County, Washington
Soaked, muddy road near our first destination     © Rod Crawford Gloomy, soggy site supposedly had zero rain chance!             © Rod Crawford
2015 aerial view of Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington lush grassy roadside verge, Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington
Trail runs vertically up middle of image     (Thurston County, 2015) Lush, spider-rich grassy verge (with buttercups)           © Rod Crawford
damselfly Ischnura cervula, Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington cloud cover on 3 June 2017, Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington
Ischnura cervula           © Chris Smitelli Mostly-cloudy when we arrived, but at least no rain!        © Rod Crawford
invasive theridiid spider Enoplognatha ovata, Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington orbweaving spider Cyclosa turbinata swept from grass, Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington
Invasive Enoplognatha ovata very common © Chris Smitelli Rarest species taken was Cyclosa turbinata           © Rod Crawford
giant bigleaf maple tree near Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington trunk of giant bigleaf maple tree, Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington
Giant bigleaf maple made good habitat   © Rod Crawford Huge trunk of the giant maple             © Rod Crawford
maple leaf litter and nettle, Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington sifting maple litter, Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington
Maple litter (note nettle plant!)              © Rod Crawford We sifted litter at the base of the big tree            © Rod Crawford
giant maple tree in mixed woodland grove, Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington sword fern Polystichum munitum understory in mixed woodland, Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington
Big maple visible through nettle understory  © Rod Crawford On higher ground, more productive fern understory          © Rod Crawford
trunks of giant red cedar Thuja plicata trees, Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington roadside buttercup with cerambycid beetle, Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington
Giant cedar trunks near the big maple    © Rod Crawford Buttercup blossom with cerambycid beetle            © Chris Smitelli
bumble bee Bombus melanopygus on blackberry, Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington thicket of invasive blackberry Rubus armeniacus along Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington
Bombus melanopygus on blackberry   © Chris Smitelli Horrible blackberry thicket along trail          © Rod Crawford
sun and scattered clouds over farmland, Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington
Blue sky appears over rural landscape      © Rod Crawford Walking south along the trail from 56th Avenue                © Rod Crawford
hen chicken in farmyard along Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington domestic geese and chickets in farmyard along Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles N of Olympia, Washington
Hen paying no attention to us         © Rod Crawford Domestic geese & chickens in farmyard             © Rod Crawford
oregon-grape along Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles north of Olympia, Washington salal Gaultheria shallon along Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles north of Olympia, Washington
Oregon-grape and…            © Rod Crawford …salal on a more natural trail segment                  © Rod Crawford
mossy forest along Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles north of Olympia, Washington swampy woodland along Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles north of Olympia, Washington
Siftable moss beside the trail       © Rod Crawford Swampy section of trailside woodland               © Rod Crawford
moss on maple beside Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles north of Olympia, Washington Monadenia land snail beside Chehalis-Western Trail 5 miles north of Olympia, Washington
Moss-bedecked maple            © Rod Crawford Monadenia land snail at our last stop             © Chris Smitelli

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This page last updated 6 June, 2017