Album of Stafford Creek Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 28 May 2026 spider collecting trip to the mouth of Stafford Creek on the south shore of Grays Harbor, Grays Harbor County, Washington. In a narrow strip between the highway and salt water, we sampled from spruce trees and meadows, shrubs, moss, beach wrack, a board, and the guard-rail of extremely pedestrian-unfriendly highway 105, for 44 species — more than half from beating foliage of just three spruce trees! Included were some rarities and others I haven't figured out yet.
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2022 aerial photo of coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington entering the coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington
Narrow coastal strip where we collected       (NAIP, 2022) I passed these scenes along the footpath                   © Rod Crawford
deciduous tree, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington giant Sitka spruce tree, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington
Deciduous trees here and there        © Rod Crawford But I soon came to the giant spruce I wanted to beat           © Rod Crawford
Sitka spruce foliage, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington understory in area shaded by big spruce
Some of the spruce foliage I beat         © Rod Crawford Big tree served as an umbrella over understory community      © Rod Crawford
trunk of giant spruce, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington watery ditch in meadow, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington
Massive trunk of big Sitka spruce         © Rod Crawford I did not descend into this squashy ditch                        © Rod Crawford
moss on small tree, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington moss on apple tree, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington
Moss that Rod sifted                  © Rod Crawford Moss that Laurel sifted (on apple tree)                 © Laurel Ramseyer
male spider Ozyptila pacifica from beach wrack, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington rocky ledge on beach, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington
Ozyptila pacifica from beach wrack         © Rod Crawford Rockbound coast                             © Laurel Ramseyer
bank at top of cove, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington muddy mini-cove, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington
Concave bank on shore            © Laurel Ramseyer Muddy mini-cove, almost a beach                        © Rod Crawford
bricks on beach, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington mini-cove and beach, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington
Bricks on the beach                © Laurel Ramseyer Mysterious pilings heading out into the bay               © Rod Crawford
Scots broom, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington grassy field, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington
Scots broom that was beaten            © Rod Crawford Grassy field that was swept                          © Rod Crawford
Sitka spruce branch with cones, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington seasonal marsh, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington
Spruce branch with cones               © Rod Crawford Dry now, but obviously a marsh seasonally                     © Rod Crawford
spider Misumena vatia on Heracleum flower with prey, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington trees at edge of meadow, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington
Misumena on Heracleum with prey       © Laurel Ramseyer Trees at edge of meadow                       © Rod Crawford
Rod Crawford with beat sample, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington big meadow, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington
Rod sorting spruce beat            © Laurel Ramseyer More trees, biggest meadow                         © Laurel Ramseyer
female spider Theridion agrifoliae, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington female spider Clubiona norvegica swept from meadow, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington
This Theridion agrifoliae has been eatin' green prey © Laurel Ramseyer Laurel's rare Clubiona norvegica                      © Rod Crawford
highway bridge over Stafford Creek, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington RR trestle over Stafford Creek, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington
Highway bridge over Stafford Creek     © Laurel Ramseyer Old trestle, only part of railroad not bramble-covered            © Rod Crawford
female desid spider Badumna longinqua, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington Badumna spider web on highway guardrail, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington
Female Badumna longinqua            © Laurel Ramseyer Badumna web on highway guardrail               © Laurel Ramseyer
Meioneta darrelli spider from coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington illegal dump by our parking place, coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington
Male Meioneta darrelli on salal leaf      © Laurel Ramseyer Even illegal dumping may provide shelter for a spider       © Laurel Ramseyer
Rod Crawford leaving coastal strip at Stafford Creek mouth, Grays Harbor, Washington sunset from south Seattle on
Rod on the way out                  © Laurel Ramseyer Sun setting behind Seattle waterfront and the Olympics       © Rod Crawford

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This page last updated 24 July, 2026