Album of Bunker Creek Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 21 June 2022 spider collecting trip to Bunker Creek and a section of the Willapa Hills Trail, both in western Lewis County, Washington. The creek site (public land) had lush, mixed riparian woodland and an open grassy field; between them they produced 39 spider species, including an undetermined linyphiid. The rail trail took us over the Chehalis River on a renovated bridge, where Laurel collected on sandy river bank habitat (among others she got an unidentified erigonine), while I continued to a grassy glade with Douglas-firs draped with Marah vines. Our grand total, 55 species, which adds to 3 older records.
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2019 aerial photo of our sites on Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington sun-dappled woodland on Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington
Bunker Creek sites in red on aerial view   (Lewis County 2019) Sun-dappled riparian woodland                          © Rod Crawford
slow-moving part of Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington swift-moving part of Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington
Still waters run muddy              © Rod Crawford Swifter part of the creek                      © Laurel Ramseyer
bank of Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington spotted slug Ariolimax columbianus, Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington
Streambank flora prettier than the water © Rod Crawford Our pet banana slug, "Spot"                 © Laurel Ramseyer
maple canopy, Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington grassy riparian understory, Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington
Maple canopy                © Rod Crawford Streamside understory was mostly grass                  © Rod Crawford
(speckled) pacific tree frog, Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington male linyphiid spider Microlinyphia mandibulata, Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington
Red-legged frog atypically green     © Laurel Ramseyer Male Microlinyphia mandibulata                    © Rod Crawford
female Trogloneta spider with egg sac, Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington riparian understory, Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington
Female Trogloneta with egg sac          © Laurel Ramseyer Riparian woodland and understory                    © Laurel Ramseyer
sword fern Pterostichum munitum, Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington sword-fern-rich section of understory, Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington
Sword fern is the richer understory        © Rod Crawford Some parts of the woodland were fern-rich            © Rod Crawford
moss on alder trunk, Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington grassy verge, Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington
Moss on alder trunk           © Rod Crawford Grassy verge                     © Rod Crawford
Rod Crawford sifting ant-infested leaf litter, Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington collembolan and snail on sifting cloth, Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington
Rod sifting leaf litter             © Laurel Ramseyer Springtail meets snail              © Laurel Ramseyer
juvenile crab spider Ozyptila pacifica, Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington Douglas-fir cones, Bunker Creek, western Lewis County, Washington
Juvenile Ozyptila pacifica          © Laurel Ramseyer Productive Douglas-fir cones              © Laurel Ramseyer

We spent the latter part of the day on the Willapa Hills Trail, a rail-trail, near its Chehalis River crossing.

aerial view of Chehalis River bridge on Willapa Hills Trail, western Lewis County, Washington Willapa Hills Trail near Chehalis River bridge,, western Lewis County, Washington
Laurel's and Rod's sites on the Willapa Hills Trail (Lewis County, 2019) The rail trail leading up to the bridge                © Laurel Ramseyer
Mt St Helens from Bunker Creek Road, western Lewis County, Washington Chehalis River bridge on Willapa Hills Trail, western Lewis County, Washington
Mt. St. Helens from Adna         © Rod Crawford The bridge over the river (how fancy!)                 © Laurel Ramseyer
Chehalis River upstream, Chehalis River bridge on Willapa Hills Trail, western Lewis County, Washington Chehalis River downstream, Chehalis River bridge on Willapa Hills Trail, western Lewis County, Washington
Chehalis River upstream              © Laurel Ramseyer Chehalis River downstream, showing sand bar                © Laurel Ramseyer
cervid hoofprint in sandbar with Erigone web, Chehalis River bridge on Willapa Hills Trail, western Lewis County, Washington sand bar habitat, Chehalis River bridge on Willapa Hills Trail, western Lewis County, Washington
Deer/elk hoofprint with Erigone web    © Laurel Ramseyer Sand bar habitat                   © Laurel Ramseyer
manroot vine Marah oregana, Willapa Hills Trail at base of Ceres Hill, western Lewis County, Washington grassy glade with Marah vines, Willapa Hills Trail at base of Ceres Hill, western Lewis County, Washington
Manroot vine in bloom            © Laurel Ramseyer Grassy glade with manroot vines, Marah oregana            © Rod Crawford
Himalayan blackberry Rubus armeniacus, Willapa Hills Trail at base of Ceres Hill, western Lewis County, Washington Douglas-fir with Marah vine, Willapa Hills Trail at base of Ceres Hill, western Lewis County, Washington
Invasive Himalayan blackberry doing its evil work   © Rod Crawford Douglas-fir draped with Marah vines                   © Rod Crawford
unknown juvenile Theridion spider, Willapa Hills Trail at base of Ceres Hill, western Lewis County, Washington field grass in glade habitat, Willapa Hills Trail at base of Ceres Hill, western Lewis County, Washington
Unknown Theridion from conifers         © Rod Crawford Sweepable habitat in the grassy glade (where the tick got me)  © Rod Crawford
orbweaver Larinioides sclopetarius and web on bridge, Chehalis River bridge on Willapa Hills Trail, western Lewis County, Washington near-sunset in Seattle, 21 June 2022
Larinioides sclopetarius and her web on bridge   © Laurel Ramseyer Sky acquires some sunset color as we pull into Seattle      © Rod Crawford
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This page last updated 6 July, 2022