Album of Trustland Trail Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford from my Friday 13 March 2015 spider collecting trip to a tract of Island County-owned forest on south Whidbey Island, Washington. I'd found no evidence of any development here, but it turns out there's a very nice improved trail that took me to good (and peaceful) natural forest habitat in no time. I had less luck in finding non-forest habitats to supplement the forest spiders, but still managed to come up with 27 species on this mostly-cloudy day.
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1997 aerial photo, Trustland Trail area, view of Possession Sound while crossing on ferry to Whidbey Island from Mukilteo, Washington
Trail runs south through forest on left (Island County, 1997) Crossing Possession Sound straits on the ferry                © Rod Crawford
cowboys-&-Indians-themed sign for Trustland Trail, SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington Trustland Trail, SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington
I can just hear Dale and Roy singing "Happy Trails"
© Rod Crawford		 Despite the smarmy sign, it did turn out to be a happy trail      © Rod Crawford
sword fern understory, Polystichum munitum, Trustland Trail SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington salal understory Gaultheria shallon, Trustland Trail SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington
Mainly-fern understory       © Rod Crawford Mainly-salal understory directly across trail       © Rod Crawford
salal understory Gaultheria shallon, Trustland Trail SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington pirate spider Mimetidae Ero canionis from understory, Trustland Trail SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington
Salal foliage           © Rod Crawford Female pirate spider, Ero canionis        © Rod Crawford
spider Usofila pacifica sifted from leaf litter, Trustland Trail SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington spider collecting headquarters on a big log, Trustland Trail SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington
Six-eyed Usofila pacifica         © Rod Crawford My collecting headquarters on a big log             © Rod Crawford
moss on alder trunk, Trustland Trail SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington pattern of cedar foliage against sky, Trustland Trail SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington
Thick moss added four species       © Rod Crawford Red cedar foliage makes filigree against the sky              © Rod Crawford
Douglas-fir foliage, Trustland Trail SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington unofficial trail beyond improved portion, Trustland Trail SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington
Douglas-fir foliage unexpectedly unproductive       © Rod Crawford Unofficial trail beyond the improved portion          © Rod Crawford
ravine on lower, unofficial part of Trustland Trail SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington Sign for Craw Road, SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington
I didn't continue beyond this ravine          © Rod Crawford Road named after the historic Craw Family (really!)          © Rod Crawford
roadside Scotch Broom Cytisus scoparius roadside grass, Coles Road SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington
I was desperate enought to beat roadside broom     © Rod Crawford I even managed to sweep this short grass             © Rod Crawford
private wetland seen from intersection of Coles Road, SSW of Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington Mount Pilchuck seen from Clinton ferry terminal, Whidbey Island, Washington
While waiting for the bus I could see this wetland     © Rod Crawford At the ferry dock I could marvel at snowless Mt. Pilchuck         © Rod Crawford

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This page last updated 21 March, 2015