Album of Rainey Valley Cemetery Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 12 February 2022 spider collecting trip to Rainey Valley Cemetery and Kiona Creek, east-central Lewis County, Washington. Largely on account of invasive blackberry, habitats around the cemetery were bad, altough we got some interesting species from the sunken, recessed metal vases built into the graves. The natural habitats around Kiona Creek were fairly good except for unproductive leaf litter, adding 18 species to 20 from the cemetery for a decent (for winter) total of 38.
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2018 aerial photo of Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington main entrance, Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington
Rainey Valley Cemetery from the air    (Lewis County 2018) Main entrance                          © Rod Crawford
Douglas-fir tree north of Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington Douglas-fir foliage north of Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington
Douglas-fir north of parking area          © Laurel Ramseyer Douglas-fir foliage                      © Rod Crawford
Rod Crawford sorting a conifer beat sample, Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington contradictory signs at parking area, Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington
Rod sorting a foliage-beat sample        © Laurel Ramseyer It would seem that if you park, you also trespass              © Rod Crawford
fallen Douglas-fir cones, Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington grassy field hard to sweep in winter, Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington
Doug-fir cones fairly productive         © Laurel Ramseyer Winter field presents very little to the sweep net               © Rod Crawford
grassy field interrupted by blackberry, Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington Stillner Creek sterilized by blackberry, Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington
The field ends in horrid blackberry        © Rod Crawford Blackberry makes Stillner Creek a biological desert                © Rod Crawford
western thatching ants, Formica sp., Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington western thatching ant mound under Douglas-fir tree, Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington
Formica thatching ants          © Laurel Ramseyer Thatching ant mound under the tree                    © Laurel Ramseyer
Cedar shrub windbreak, Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington habitats on the private side of the road, Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington
Cedar shrub windbreak full of Philodromus dispar    © Rod Crawford Habitats are "greener" on other side of the no-trespassing signs          © Laurel Ramseyer
Laurel Ramseyer checking tombstones for spiders, Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington general appearance of Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington
Laurel checks out tombstones for spiders  © Rod Crawford Overall scene at the cemetery                  © Rod Crawford
Lepthyphantes (Palliduphantes) #8 in web, Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington recessed vase in grave, Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington
Sheet web in underground vase         © Laurel Ramseyer Recessed vase provides a spider habitat in each grave      © Laurel Ramseyer
oldest grave seen in Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington scenic surroundings of Rainey Valley Cemetery, Lewis County, Washington
Most graves are recent; this is oldest one I saw    © Rod Crawford Cemetery has a scenic setting, even in winter             © Laurel Ramseyer

After all the blackberry and matted grass, we were happy to find natural habitats at Kiona Creek down the road.

2018 aerial view of Kiona Creek at Bowen Road, Lewis County, Washington natural riparian forest, Kiona Creek at Bowen Road, Lewis County, Washington
Bowen Road along Kiona Creek: better habitats  (Lewis Co. 2018) Natural riparian forest along Bowen Road               © Rod Crawford
mixed leaf litter, Kiona Creek at Bowen Road, Lewis County, Washington gravel bars and cottonwood along Kiona Creek at Bowen Road, Lewis County, Washington
Mixed leaf litter, best of a bad lot       © Rod Crawford Gravel and cottonwood along Kiona Creek                 © Laurel Ramseyer
maple litter, Kiona Creek at Bowen Road, Lewis County, Washington fern understory, Kiona Creek at Bowen Road, Lewis County, Washington
Maple litter, not sifted          © Rod Crawford Fern understory, fairly productive                  © Rod Crawford
understory and litter, Kiona Creek at Bowen Road, Lewis County, Washington Creek with floodplain cottonwood, Kiona Creek at Bowen Road, Lewis County, Washington
Mixed understory had better spiders       © Rod Crawford Creek with floodplain cottonwood                          © Laurel Ramseyer
moss on cottonwood trunks, Kiona Creek at Bowen Road, Lewis County, Washington moss on cottonwood branch, Kiona Creek at Bowen Road, Lewis County, Washington
Moss on cottonwood trunks        © Laurel Ramseyer Horizontal cottonwood moss                     © Laurel Ramseyer
blue water in Kiona Creek at Bowen Road, Lewis County, Washington cobble bar and rapids, Kiona Creek at Bowen Road, Lewis County, Washington
Blue water              © Laurel Ramseyer Stream cobbles and rapids                   © Laurel Ramseyer
Ozyptila pacifica from moss, Kiona Creek at Bowen Road, Lewis County, Washington sunset near Glenoma, Lewis County, Washington on 12 February 2022
Ozyptila pacifica from moss              © Laurel Ramseyer Sunset a bit underwhelming                     © Rod Crawford
Raccoon tracks by Kiona Creek at Bowen Road, Lewis County, Washington Spiffy's burger joint in Morton, Washington
Coon tracks by Kiona Creek           © Laurel Ramseyer Spiffy's burger joint in Morton                  © Rod Crawford
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This page last updated 22 February, 2022