Album of Humptulips River Field Trip

Selected photos by Laurel Ramseyer and Rod Crawford from our 19 July 2023 spider collecting trip to the lower Humptulips River and nearby sites, Grays Harbor County, Washington. After a brief initial stop on the cemetery-spider project, we proceeded to our main goal, a boat launch site on the Humptulips. Alder forest was the main habitat. Then we visited a shore habitat on North Bay to the west, but it proved to be nearly impenetrable; still adding one species to our catch though. Balked of our third goal, a state wildlife area on Grass Creek (the road accessing it is forbidden), we stopped at a place called Gray Gables, where a gated road led past nice habitats into a giant grassy field, completely lacking any keep-out signs! This was just what we wanted, and doubled our catch from 15 to 31 species.
READ TRIP NARRATIVE PHOTO ALBUM INDEX MAIN JOURNAL INDEX
Aerial photo showing 3 Humptulips River area spider sites in red lower Humptulips River bridge, Grays Harbor County, Washington
Left to right: North Bay, river site, Gray Gables (Grays Harbor County) Humptulips River bridge on highway 109           © Rod Crawford
watershed sign on Humptulips River bridge, Grays Harbor County, Washington Humptulips River on east side of island, Grays Harbor County, Washington
See, there is such a river! River below bridge, on east side of island                © Rod Crawford
river bank grass at Morley Boat Launch, lower Humptulips River, Grays Harbor County, Washington jungle on island below bridge, Morley Boat Launch, lower Humptulips River, Grays Harbor County, Washington
Shore grass on the river           © Rod Crawford Dense, tropical-looking jungle on river island           © Rod Crawford
river downstream of Morley Boat Launch, lower Humptulips River, Grays Harbor County, Washington alder forest, Morley Boat Launch, lower Humptulips River, Grays Harbor County, Washington
Around bend from boat laurch, looking downstream   © Rod Crawford Riparian alder forest                       © Rod Crawford
alder litter on forest floor, Morley Boat Launch, lower Humptulips River, Grays Harbor County, Washington sifting alder litter, Morley Boat Launch, lower Humptulips River, Grays Harbor County, Washington
Alder litter                   © Laurel Ramseyer Sifting the alder litter                   © Rod Crawford
moss on alder trunks, Morley Boat Launch, lower Humptulips River, Grays Harbor County, Washington forest understory, Morley Boat Launch, lower Humptulips River, Grays Harbor County, Washington
Moss on alder trunks            © Laurel Ramseyer Plenty of understory foliage!                © Laurel Ramseyer
male spider Dirksia cinctipes from moss, Morley Boat Launch, lower Humptulips River, Grays Harbor County, Washington outhouse at Morley Boat Launch, lower Humptulips River, Grays Harbor County, Washington
Male Dirksia cinctipes from moss        © Laurel Ramseyer One of the sleazier outhouses we've met lately         © Laurel Ramseyer
Rod Crawford beating Sitka spruce, North Bay, Grays Harbor County, Washington impenetrable beach meadow, North Bay, Grays Harbor County, Washington
Rod beating Sitka spruce foliage at second site   © Laurel Ramseyer "Impenetrability, that's what I say!"                © Laurel Ramseyer
crab spider Philodromus josemitensis from Gray Gables, Grays Harbor County, Washington Sikta spruce foliage, Gray Gables, Grays Harbor County, Washington
Philodromus josemitensis from salal      © Rod Crawford Sitka spruce foliage at Gray Gables site             © Rod Crawford
two-toned moth, Gray Gables, Grays Harbor County, Washington salal foliage at Gray Gables, Grays Harbor County, Washington
Two-toned moth               © Laurel Ramseyer Productive salal foliage at Gray Gables site                © Rod Crawford
jumping spider Sitticus palustris, Gray Gables, Grays Harbor County, Washington Laurel sweeping giant field, Gray Gables, Grays Harbor County, Washington
Sitticus palustris from retreat in field       © Rod Crawford Laurel sweeping in the giant field at Gray Gables             © Rod Crawford
tidal channel of Grass Creek, Gray Gables, Grays Harbor County, Washington dictynid spider Dictyna major from Gray Gables, Grays Harbor County, Washington
Tidal channel of Grass Creek in field     © Laurel Ramseyer Dictyna major was common in the Gray Gables field             © Rod Crawford
Smitty's In-and-Out, Elma, Washington sunset in south King County, Washington on 19 July 2023
We dined at Smitty's In-&-Out, Elma   © Laurel Ramseyer Sunset on our way home                    © Rod Crawford

[Native Wildlife Gardening Home]     [Bug Information from The Scarabs]     [Bugs of the Month Home]

This page last updated 31 July, 2023