Album of Clay Creek Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 15 October 2019 spider collecting trip to Clay Creek and vicinity, on private timberland between Route 410 and the White River, King County, Washington. We had 3 major habitats: mixed forest with lots of moss and understory; mature conifer forest with next to no understory but plenty of dead wood; and two 5-year-old clearcuts that each had some different spiders! Our sample came to 44 species, even though it was a "second best" site when we couldn't get to our preferred destination.
READ TRIP NARRATIVE PHOTO ALBUM INDEX MAIN JOURNAL INDEX
2117 aerial photo of Clay Creek spider site, State Highway 410, King County, Washington fall colors along highway, Clay Creek spider site, State Highway 410, King County, Washington
2 recent clearcuts flank 2 types of forest   (King County, 2017) Fall colors along highway                  © Rod Crawford
2013 aerial view of Clay Creek spider site, state highway 410, King County, Washington fall color, Clay Creek, state highway 410, King County, Washington
Before the 2 clearcuts were cut         (King County, 2013) Vine maple turning a lovely red                     © Laurel Ramseyer
mixed forest habitat, Clay Creek, state highway 410, King County, Washington mixed forest habitat, Clay Creek, state highway 410, King County, Washington
Mixed forest habitat…             © Rod Crawford More open with more varied microhabitats             © Laurel Ramseyer
sword fern Polystichum munitum, mixed forest, Clay Creek, state highway 410, King County, Washington male spider Hexura picea from leaf litter in mixed forest, Clay Creek, state highway 410, King County, Washington
Ferns dominated the understory       © Rod Crawford Male Hexura picea, not often seen           © Rod Crawford
Clay Creek in its deep ravine, Clay Creek, state highway 410, King County, Washington leaf litter, Clay Creek, state highway 410, King County, Washington
Clay Creek in its deep ravine         © Rod Crawford Lots of leaf litter but not too productive                      © Rod Crawford
moss on trees, Clay Creek, state highway 410, King County, Washington grassy habitat at edge of clearcut, Clay Creek, state highway 410, King County, Washington
Plenty of moss on trees            © Rod Crawford Grass at edge of western clearcut             © Rod Crawford
mature forest from highway, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington ecotone between mixed and conifer forest, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington
Mature conifer forest              © Rod Crawford Shallow ravine marks ecotone between forest types         © Rod Crawford
Rod Crawford collecting from wood in conifer forest, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington conifer forest on odd, perhaps landslide, hill, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington
Rod collecting from dead wood     © Laurel Ramseyer Odd hill may be a landslide deposit               © Rod Crawford
conifer forest on hill below highway, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington Micaria pulicaria from highway bridge, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington
Hill/ridge fruitful ground for conifers  © Laurel Ramseyer Micaria pulicaria from highway railings                    © Laurel Ramseyer
dead wood in conifer forest, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington mystery clearing, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington
Dead wood habitat             © Rod Crawford Mystery clearing, not a clearcut, appeared in last 5 years          © Laurel Ramseyer
east clearcut, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington west clearcut, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington
Eastern clearcut                 © Laurel Ramseyer Western clearcut                      © Rod Crawford
Young Douglas-fir foliage, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington fall-colored cottonwoods at botton of west clearcut, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington
Douglas-fir foliage in clearcut         © Rod Crawford Fall-colored cottonwoods down toward river          © Rod Crawford
eastern clearcut, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington grassy slope in eastern clearcut, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington
Mini-trees in eastern clearcut        © Laurel Ramseyer Grassy slope in eastern clearcut                         © Laurel Ramseyer
juvenile Phidippus and retreat on discarded pack, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington riparian forest below east clearcut, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington
Overwintering penultimate Phidippus & retreat © Laurel Ramseyer Riparian forest below eastern clearcut                    © Laurel Ramseyer
Xysticus cristatus preying on thatching ant Formica obscuripes, Clay Creek at State Hwy. 410, King County, Washington sunset in Enumclaw, Washington on 25 September 2019
Xysticus cristatus preys on thatching ant     © Laurel Ramseyer Sunset in Enumclaw                         © Rod Crawford

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

This page last updated 29 February, 2020