Album of Sequalitchew Creek Trailhead Field Trip

Selected photos (by Rod Crawford) from my 28 January 2012 spider collecting trip with volunteer Joy Liu to the trailhead of Sequalitchew Creek Trail, a natural area in Dupont, Pierce County, Washington. Selected through a combination of geography, habitat and weather, the site proved to have remants of the previous week's snow accumulation, even near sea level; but since the habitat was good (altered oak savanna) and it didn't rain, we managed to come away with 36 spider species, a fine catch for January.
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2008 aerial photo, Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington trail-closed sign, Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington
Aerial view: urbanized vs. natural    (Pierce County, 2008) Unexpected, unwelcome sign greeted us         © Rod Crawford
Joy Liu at Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington snow on trail, Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington
Joy checks out the first trail segment        © Rod Crawford Further on, many spiders would be under snow              © Rod Crawford
ice on puddle, Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington invasive Scots broom Cytisus scoparius, Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington
Air not that cold, but puddle still frozen    © Rod Crawford Even invasive broom yielded 7 species              © Rod Crawford
Douglas-fir foliage Pseudotsuga menziesii, Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington juvenile theridiid spider Theridion simile, Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington
Good ol' Douglas-fir foliage       © Rod Crawford Theridion simile was common              © Rod Crawford
Garry oak leaf litter, Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington bare winter Garry oak trees Quercus garryana, Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington
Oak litter was very productive        © Rod Crawford The unforgettable sight of bare winter oaks              © Rod Crawford
agelenid spider Cicurina tersa from oak litter, Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington grassy field, Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington
Cicurina tersa from oak litter              © Rod Crawford Matted grassy field              © Rod Crawford
remnant of old private railroad track, Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington grass at edge of field, Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington
Tracks to nowhere         © Rod Crawford Grass and oak litter habitats           © Rod Crawford
moss in tree grove, Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington linyphiid spider Helophora reducta, Sequalitchew Creek trailhead, Dupont, Washington
Moss in tree grove        © Rod Crawford Helophora reducta with unusually strong heart mark        © Rod Crawford

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This page last updated 29 March, 2012