Album of Mallardy Creek Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford from a 5 May field trip with Larry McTigue to sites near Red Bridge Campground and Mallardy Creek in the South Fork Stillaguamish River valley, Snohomish County, Washington. We had hoped to set pitfall traps at the edge of clearcuts, and in an old mine tunnel, for grylloblattid insects but those hopes were dashed. However, I did get a decent spider sample of 30 species, especially from a batrachian-rich wetland we visited toward the end of the day. And no, apparently Mallardy Creek is not named after ducks.
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aerial view, clearcut on Green Mountain Road, Snohomish County, Washington Mount Pilchuck from clearcut on Green Mountain Road, Snohomish County, Washington
Aerial view of planned pitfall trapping site (Snohomish County, 2009) View of Mount Pilchuck from a "forbidden" clearcut         © Rod Crawford
snow on Green Mountain Road, Snohomish County, Washington edge of clearcut on Green Mountain Road, Snohomish County, Washington
Snow kept us from driving higher      © Rod Crawford Edge where we might have set some traps, if only…           © Rod Crawford

After giving up on the clearcuts, we stopped to collect at a bridge over Mallardy Creek, quite a nice site.

2009 aerial view of bridge over Mallardy Creek (1600' el.) Snohomish Co., Washilngton roadside with hemlock foliage, bridge over Mallardy Creek (1600' el.) Snohomish Co., Washilngton
Aerial view of bridge area     (Snohomish County, 2009) Roadside hemlock foliage gave me the idea to stop here       © Rod Crawford
cairn in creek bed, bridge over Mallardy Creek (1600' el.) Snohomish Co., Washilngton bridge over Mallardy Creek (1600' el.) Snohomish Co., Washilngton
Mysterious cairn in canyon bottom     © Rod Crawford Bridge railings gave a rich harvest of orbweavers        © Rod Crawford
riparian zone of creek, bridge over Mallardy Creek (1600' el.) Snohomish Co., Washilngton native orbweaver Zygiella dispar, bridge over Mallardy Creek (1600' el.) Snohomish Co., Washilngton
Still early spring in the riparian zone    © Rod Crawford Zygiella dispar from the bridge             © Rod Crawford
skunk cabbage Lysichiton americanus, bridge over Mallardy Creek (1600' el.) Snohomish Co., Washilngton stream bed at ravine bottom, bridge over Mallardy Creek (1600' el.) Snohomish Co., Washilngton
Skunk cabbage perfumed the air      © Rod Crawford Mallardy Creek at bottom of ravine           © Rod Crawford
Red Bridge over South Fork Stillaguamish River, Snohomish County, Washington South Fork Stillaguamish River at Red Bridge, Snohomish County, Washington
Red Bridge, near campground and mine    © Rod Crawford Gravel bars along the Stillaguamish              © Rod Crawford

Toward the end of the day, I got good wetland fauna at a marshy creek along Mallardy Road.

2009 aerial view, marsh on Mallardy Road, Snohomish County, Washington male linyphiid spider Bathyphantes keenii from mine tunnel at Red Bridge Campground, Snohomish County, Washington
Our wetland from the air     (Snohomish County, 2009) Bathyphantes keenii from the Red Bridge mine tunnel        © Rod Crawford
willow thicket, marsh on Mallardy Road, Snohomish County, Washington brook that drains marsh on Mallardy Road, Snohomish County, Washington
Willow thicket with rich leaf litter       © Rod Crawford Brook draining the marsh area                    © Rod Crawford
meadow-like part of marsh on Mallardy Road, Snohomish County, Washington edge of marsh on Mallardy Road, Snohomish County, Washington
Meadow still rather sparse        © Rod Crawford Forest at edge of marsh                   © Rod Crawford
western toad, Bufo boreas, marsh on Mallardy Road, Snohomish County, Washington pool within marsh on Mallardy Road, Snohomish County, Washington
Mr. (or possibly Ms.) toad       © Rod Crawford Placid marsh pool                  © Rod Crawford
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This page last updated 13 May, 2013