Album of Deer Meadow Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 4 June 2021 spider collecting trip (with Jerry Austin) to Deer Meadow (lower end of Lake Cushman), Mason County, Washington that got us a truly phenomenal 65 species! Several factors contributed to this result: optimal season, diverse high quality habitats, rich natural fauna, and three collectors whose catches didn't overlap much (despite Rod and Jerry doing two of the same things). The prize catch was a Euryopis closely related to E. argentea, but probably new (Laurel's find), one more for the state list!
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2018 aerial photo of Deer Meadow area, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington Jerry Austin & Rod Crawford leaving the national forest en route to Deer Meadow
Series of sites along wet and dry meadows     (Mason Co., 2018) Jerry and Rod leaving the national forest             © Laurel Ramseyer
old growth Douglas-fir west of Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington gate sign on entering Tacoma city property on the road to Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington
Spectacular old growth Doug-fir            © Rod Crawford Warning that we'll soon cross into Tacoma city property     © Laurel Ramseyer
Deer Meadow marsh from road, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington Jerry Austin disappears across dry meadow, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington
Deer Meadow's way down there — and wet!       © Laurel Ramseyer Jerry disappears across the dry meadow                   © Rod Crawford
Laurel Ramseyer on road above Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington vast expanse of habitat, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington
And Laurel heads off in the other direction   © Rod Crawford Leaving a vast expanse of habitat, all for me!                  © Rod Crawford
Jerry Austin across Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington bleached log at Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington
Later, Jerry reappears, still sweeping    © Rod Crawford I swear there was an alligator lizard on this log seconds ago!              © Rod Crawford
Scots broom Cytisus scoparius, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington Douglas-fir foliage, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington
I beat several species from Scots broom   © Rod Crawford Douglas-fir foliage, one of the richest habitats                     © Rod Crawford
partly cloudy sky, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington roadside rock pile, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington
Partly cloudy skies          © Rod Crawford I found no spiders in roadside rockpile                        © Rod Crawford
Douglas-fir cones, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington spider Dipoena nigra from conifer foliage, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington
Douglas-fir cones produced the best spider       © Laurel Ramseyer Dipoena nigra from conifer foliage                   © Rod Crawford
spider Euryopis formosa from Douglas-fir cones, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington looking down from road at marshy Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington
Euryopis formosa from cones         © Laurel Ramseyer Now, how to access the true Deer Meadow?           © Laurel Ramseyer
Laurel Ramseyer scrambles down steep slope toward Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington eye-level view of Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington
Laurel scrambles down the steep slope   © Rod Crawford Meadow is beautiful, but is a too-wet marsh               © Laurel Ramseyer
Spiraea douglasii at edge of marsh, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington developing salmonberries Rubus spectabilis, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington
Spiraea at edge produced some spiders  © Laurel Ramseyer Developing salmonberries will soon be delicious            © Laurel Ramseyer
bigleaf maple tree, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington amazing theridiid spider Rhomphaea fictilium from understory, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington
Bigleaf maple tree, source of moss & litter   © Rod Crawford Amazing Rhomphaea fictilium from roadside understory     © Rod Crawford
forget-me-not flowers, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington Beargrass Xerophyllum tenax flowers, Deer Meadow, S end Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington
Now what flowers were those? I forget    © Rod Crawford Beargrass Xerophyllum tenax blooming                 © Laurel Ramseyer

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This page last updated 16 June, 2021