Album of Buck Mountain Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 1 August 2022 spider collecting trip to the Big Quilcene River (at closed Falls View Campground, 19 species) and the upper slopes of Buck Mountain (our stopping-place decided by a "slippery" road), eastern Jefferson County, Washington. Celebrating the day after a world-class heat wave, it was still warm but tolerable, and the mix of lowland and upland spiders brought us 34 species.
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recent aerial view (Jefferson County) of Falls View Campground and vicinity female spider Sisicottus nesides from Big Quilcene River near Falls View Campground, Jefferson County, Washington
Two sites in camp, one on the river     (Jeferson County) Sisicottus nesides, only mature spider from maple litter        © Rod Crawford
cormorant at Edmonds, Washington ferry dock ferry "Spokane" arriving at Kingston, Washington on 1 August 2022
Cormorants are habitués of ferry docks      © Rod Crawford Our ferry pulls in to Kingston dock                    © Rod Crawford
sign for Falls View Campground, Jefferson County, Washington bigleaf maple on dry upland plain, Falls View Campground, Jefferson County, Washington
Dilapidated sign of decommissioned campground © Laurel Ramseyer Bigleaf maple in unaccustomed dry upland habitat          © Laurel Ramseyer
bigleaf maples by Big Quilcene River near Falls View Campground, Jefferson County, Washington cascade on Big Quilcene River near Falls View Campground, Jefferson County, Washington
Maples by Big Quilcene River below campground     © Rod Crawford Low cascade on the Big Quilcene                    © Rod Crawford
male mysmenid spider Trogloneta from moss, Big Quilcene River near Falls View Campground, Jefferson County, Washington fallen log crossing Big Quilcene River near Falls View Campground, Jefferson County, Washington
Trogloneta male from river moss            © Rod Crawford Crossing this log would be a bit hairy          © Laurel Ramseyer
carapace of male Pelecopsis spider from Big Quilcene River near Falls View Campground, Jefferson County, Washington clods of moss on high maple branches, Big Quilcene River near Falls View Campground, Jefferson County, Washington
Carapace of male Pelecopsis       © Rod Crawford Moss "clods" high in maple, when fallen, can be sifted           © Rod Crawford
falls for which Falls View Campground is named, Jefferson County, Washington riparian understory, Big Quilcene River near Falls View Campground, Jefferson County, Washington
The falls of Falls View Camp aren't much in August © Laurel Ramseyer There was plenty of riparian understory to beat                   © Rod Crawford

For the second half of the day, we drove as high as we could on Buck Mountain, seeking upland spiders and cooler weather.

aerial view of Buck Mountain, Jefferson County, Washington road with loose gravel on Buck Mountain, Jefferson County, Washington
Our site-by-default on Buck Mountain   (Jefferson County) The road where we had to turn around                   © Laurel Ramseyer
gravel that gives little traction, Buck Mountain, Jefferson County, Washington salal understory, Big Quilcene River, Falls View Campground, Jefferson County, Washington
Small semi-round gravel gave little traction © Rod Crawford Salal was common on the shady side of the road         © Rod Crawford
eoadside Douglas-fir foliage, Buck Mountain, Jefferson County, Washington roadside western hemlock foliage, Buck Mountain, Jefferson County, Washington
Roadside Douglas-fir…          © Rod Crawford …and western hemlock, both ready for beating                 © Rod Crawford
orbweaver Araniella displicata, Buck Mountain, Jefferson County, Washington twinflowers, Linnaea borealis, Buck Mountain, Jefferson County, Washington
Female Araniella displicata in mini-orbweb     © Laurel Ramseyer More twinflowers than you can shake a stick at           © Laurel Ramseyer
crab spider Xysticus montanensis with egg sac, Buck Mountain, Jefferson County, Washington leavings of coyote meal, Buck Mountain, Jefferson County, Washington
Xysticus montanensis with her egg sac  © Laurel Ramseyer Coyote has been busy among the small mammals         © Laurel Ramseyer
roadside verge, Buck Mountain, Jefferson County, Washington juvenile Clubiona spider with retreat on daisy, Buck Mountain, Jefferson County, Washington
Roadside verge available for sweeping     © Rod Crawford Juvenile Clubiona made his retreat on a daisy              © Laurel Ramseyer
Ribes bush beside road, Buck Mountain, Jefferson County, Washington Roadside field along Buck Mountain/Rocky Brook Road, Jefferson County, Washington
Ribes bush produced the site's one Tibellus  © Rod Crawford Rod sweeps a roadside field on the way out              © Laurel Ramseyer
streamside plants on Mile-and-a-Half Creek, Jefferson County, Washington road crossing of Mile-and-a-Half Creek, Jefferson County, Washington
Creekside flora gave us Tetragnatha      © Rod Crawford Mile-and-a-Half Creek crosses Road 2620               © Rod Crawford
black solitary bee on Columbia tiger lily, Buck Mountain, Jefferson County, Washington Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer finish post-field meal on ferry Spokane, 1 August 2022
Black bee visits Columbia tiger lily    © Laurel Ramseyer Thanks to speedy loading, we finish post-field meal on ferry  © Laurel Ramseyer
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This page last updated 11 August, 2022