Album of Big Creek Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford from my 13 October 2014 spider collecting trip with Michael Sweepe and Alex Sturbaum to Big Creek (nice original name, eh?), Kittitas County, Washington. We hit a ridge crest with pine trees and recent timber harvest, then, after several wrong trails, made it to the bottom of the deep ravine of Big Creek where we were able to sample leaf litter, understory, rocks and best of all, dead wood habitat. In all, we recorded 29-31 spider species where none were known before.
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Ridge crest between Big and Little Creeks, Kittitas County, Washington, 2014 aerial photo tall pine trees in partial cut, Ridge crest between Big and Little Creeks, Kittitas County, Washington
Edge of clearcut and partial cut     (Kittitas County, 2014) Tall timber: pine trees drew me to the site       © Rod Crawford
pine cone, Ridge crest between Big and Little Creeks, Kittitas County, Washington pine cone terrain, Ridge crest between Big and Little Creeks, Kittitas County, Washington
One of the very few this-year's pine cones  © Rod Crawford Pine cones sampled in this terrain                  © Rod Crawford
Michael Sweepe collecting spiders, Ridge crest between Big and Little Creeks, Kittitas County, Washington open forest & fall color, Ridge crest between Big and Little Creeks, Kittitas County, Washington
Michael sorting a tree beat sample       © Rod Crawford Fall colors going strong in the open forest         © Rod Crawford
juvenile Theridion sp. cobweb weaver spider, Ridge crest between Big and Little Creeks, Kittitas County, Washington roadside grass, Ridge crest between Big and Little Creeks, Kittitas County, Washington
Brilliant but juvenile Theridion      © Rod Crawford Roadside grass         © Rod Crawford
red vine maple, Ridge crest between Big and Little Creeks, Kittitas County, Washington red vine maple, Ridge crest between Big and Little Creeks, Kittitas County, Washington
The bright red leaves of…      © Rod Crawford …vine maple in a sunny spot        © Rod Crawford
2014 aerial photo, canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington trailhead to canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington
Our main site in the canyon bottom (Kittitas County 2014) Everything seemed straightforward at trailhead           © Rod Crawford
unhelpful sign at trail junction, canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington road or trail crossing trail to canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington
Trail junction sign far from helpful       © Rod Crawford So what trail is this, anyway?           © Rod Crawford
welcome mat in canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington sifting leaf litter on rude table, canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington
Several mats welcomed us at bottom       © Rod Crawford Rude table made a great sifting platform          © Rod Crawford
Bathyphantes malkini microspider from under wood, canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington Creek in sunlight, canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington
Bathyphantes malkini from under wood     © Rod Crawford Sun was on creek for a little while              © Rod Crawford
Cicurina sp. #1, idahoana group, from under wood, canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington creek in late afternoon gloom, canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington
Cicurina simplex: Good catch, Alex!     © Rod Crawford The creek in late afternoon gloom              © Rod Crawford
cottonwood tree, main leaf litter source, canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington vine maple litter, canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington
Cottonwood tree, main litter source          © Rod Crawford However, some litter was from vine maple              © Rod Crawford
upland Vaccinium understory, canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington canyon-bottom understory, canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington
Upland understory: mainly Vaccinium     © Rod Crawford More varied understory in canyon bottom         © Rod Crawford
hollow log, canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington view across canyon of Big Creek, Kittitas County, Washington
Wonder who lives in the hollow log?       © Rod Crawford View across the canyon as we climb out              © Rod Crawford

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This page last updated 7 December, 2014