Album of Plain Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our plain spider collecting trip to Plain, Chelan County, Washington on 19 October 2016. On one nice day sandwiched in between rainstorms, we managed to get 33 species including some unexpected records, despite handicaps that included sparse leaf litter fauna, few species in a beautiful big grassy field, and pine cones that were (mostly) solidly closed. Overcast, sunset-free gloom at evening presaged the next rainstorm. Laurel's account of the trip is here.
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2011 aerial photo, vicinity of Plain, Chelan County, Washington showing 4 spider collecting sites fresh snow near Stevens Pass, Washington on 19 October 2016
4 spider sites shown in red      (Chelan County, 2011) Fresh snow near Stevens Pass          © Rod Crawford
fall color (cottonwood & vinemaple) along US 2 east of Stevens Pass, 19 October 2016 forest spider site on ridge crest E of Plain, Chelan County, Washington
Across the pass, fall color becomes vivid    © Rod Crawford Our first (lackluster) site on a forested ridge crest              © Rod Crawford
Laurel Ramseyer hunts pine cones, ridge crest E of Plain, Chelan County, Washington forest understory, ridge crest E of Plain, Chelan County, Washington
Laurel goes hunting pine cones         © Rod Crawford Even the understory shrubs were colorful                © Rod Crawford
closed ponderosa pine cones, ridge crest E of Plain, Chelan County, Washington juvenile orbweaver Metellina mimetoides, ridge crest E of Plain, Chelan County, Washington
Pine cones solidly closed: bad news for Laurel!   © Laurel Ramseyer Metellina mimetoides was common on vegetation              © Rod Crawford
pine cones along fenceline in Plain, Chelan County, Washington Laurel Ramseyer tapping pine cones along fence, Plain, Chelan County, Washington
We found better pine cones on a roadside back in town
© Laurel Ramseyer		 Laurel taps the town cones for a good spider sample           © Rod Crawford
spinnerets of Zodarion rubidum from Plain, Chelan County, Washington Zodarion rubidun spider from Plain, Chelan County, Washington
Two spinnerets tells me it's…      © Rod Crawford …newly introduced Zodarion rubidum, already this far afield!   © Rod Crawford
female linyphiid spider Helophora orinoma from pine cones, Plain, Chelan County, Washington fresh female crab spider Xysticus locuples from pine cones, Plain, Chelan County, Washington
Helophora orinoma from pine cones    © Laurel Ramseyer Xysticus locuples from pine cones           © Laurel Ramseyer
Rod Crawford sweeping roadside verge in Plain, Chelan County, Washington red shrub on fence line; Plain Cellars winery in background, Plain, Chelan County, Washington
Rod sweeps the roadside          © Laurel Ramseyer Red shrub in foreground, a plain winery behind         © Laurel Ramseyer
road sign for Just Plain Grocery, Plain, Chelan County, Washington Just Plain Grocery (decorated with fake tarantula), Plain, Chelan County, Washington
The local store has everything…    © Rod Crawford …including a big fake tarantula on the storefront         © Rod Crawford
trees in a local resident's yard, Little Chumstick Creek, east of Plain, Chelan County, Washington Chrysso pelyx, rare theridiid spider, from conifer foliage in yard, Little Chumstick Creek, east of Plain, Chelan County, Washington
Trees in a friendly resident's yard…    © Laurel Ramseyer …produced unexpected bonus, Chrysso pelyx            © Rod Crawford
cottonwood leaf litter, Little Chumstick Creek, east of Plain, Chelan County, Washington cottonwood woodland, Little Chumstick Creek, east of Plain, Chelan County, Washington
Promising, but unproductive leaf litter       © Rod Crawford I had hoped for great things from this cottonwood belt      © Laurel Ramseyer
planted Scots pines in Ponderosa pine country, Little Chumstick Creek, east of Plain, Chelan County, Washington Scots pine cones, Little Chumstick Creek, east of Plain, Chelan County, Washington
Planted Scots pines in Ponderosa-land   © Laurel Ramseyer The Scots cones had very urban-type spiders        © Laurel Ramseyer
Laurel Ramseyer sweeping overgrown lawn at Little Chumstick Creek, east of Plain, Chelan County, Washington fall color on every side at Little Chumstick Creek, east of Plain, Chelan County, Washington
Laurel swept plenty from tall front lawn     © Rod Crawford Fall color on every side in Little Chumstick valley               © Rod Crawford
tall grass in field, Little Chumstick Creek, east of Plain, Chelan County, Washington Rod Crawford sweeping tall grass field, Little Chumstick Creek, east of Plain, Chelan County, Washington
Tall grass habitat next door           © Rod Crawford Rod sweeping beautiful tall grass field            © Laurel Ramseyer
Wenatchee River at Beaver Creek mouth, Chelan County, Washington fall color on bank, Wenatchee River at Beaver Creek mouth, Chelan County, Washington
Wenatchee River at Chumstick Highway bridge    © Laurel Ramseyer More fall colors on river bank             © Rod Crawford
ponderosa pine trunk, bank of Wenatchee River at Beaver Creek mouth, Chelan County, Washington Beaver Creek, Wenatchee River at Beaver Creek mouth, Chelan County, Washington
Big pine trunk on river bank           © Rod Crawford Beaver Creek just before it joins the river               © Rod Crawford
willow along river bank, Wenatchee River at Beaver Creek mouth, Chelan County, Washington Beaver Creek goes under log bridge, Wenatchee River at Beaver Creek mouth, Chelan County, Washington
River bank willow produced more Metellina      © Laurel Ramseyer Beaver Creek plunges under a flat log bridge               © Rod Crawford
Laurel Ramseyer photographing Rod Crawford, Wenatchee River at Beaver Creek mouth, Chelan County, Washington Rod Crawford photographing Laurel Ramseyer, Wenatchee River at Beaver Creek mouth, Chelan County, Washington
Battle of the Cameras: Laurel shoots Rod   © Rod Crawford Battle of the Cameras: Rod shoots Laurel                © Laurel Ramseyer

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This page last updated 24 October, 2016