Album of Scenic Heights Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford from my 9 February 2016 bus-and-ferry spider collecting trip to sites around Scenic Heights, northern Whidbey Island, Washington. My main goal was a 38-acre tract of county habitat land with a huge semi-marshy grass field (mowed) and two smaller tracts of Douglas-fir forest. The forest had an interesting structure, with a dense spiny rosebush zone bordering it, only a few paths giving access to the more open interior. With no deciduous litter and much of the fir foliage inaccessible, pickings were sparse here; but I added enough more at a roadside forest on the way back to the bus, and the beach meadow at Monroe Landing Park, to barely eke out a sample. Beautiful day for a long walk!
READ TRIP NARRATIVE PHOTO ALBUM INDEX MAIN JOURNAL INDEX
2011 aerial view of Scenic Heights Trust Land, Whidbey Island, Washington fog on the Mukilteo-Clinton Ferry (Washington), 9 February 2016
County land bordered by 3 roads     (Island County, 2011) A very foggy ferry ride          © Rod Crawford
fog in Penn Cove from Monroe Landing Park, Whidbey Island, Washington Monroe Landing Park, Whidbey Island, Washington
Fog lingering on Penn Cove             © Rod Crawford Monroe Landing County Park              © Rod Crawford
small triangle of county land along Scenic Heights Road, Whidbey Island, Washington county trust land from Balda Road, Scenic Heights, Whidbey Island, Washington
Little triangle of public land, all mowed      © Rod Crawford First glimpse of my main goal            © Rod Crawford
mowed meadow too short to sweep, Scenic Heights, Whidbey Island, Washington grass-shrub-tree vegetation zones, Scenic Heights, Whidbey Island, Washington
Meadow mowed too short to sweep          © Rod Crawford Grass, rose thicket and forest zones         © Rod Crawford
impenetrable thicket of wild rose, Scenic Heights, Whidbey Island, Washington Douglas-fir foliage, Scenic Heights, Whidbey Island, Washington
Impenetrable wild-rose thicket      © Rod Crawford Rose thicket makes fir foliage out-of-bounds                   © Rod Crawford
salal in fir forest understory, Scenic Heights, Whidbey Island, Washington sifting rose-fir litter, Scenic Heights, Whidbey Island, Washington
Salal in fir forest understory       © Rod Crawford Sifting rose leaf-fir needle litter               © Rod Crawford
Carapace of Tibellus oblongus crab spider, Monroe Landing Park, Whidbey Island, Washington looking out from forest edge, Scenic Heights, Whidbey Island, Washington
Tibellus oblongus carapace      © Rod Crawford Looking out from abrupt forest edge           © Rod Crawford
2011 aerial view of Monroe Landing County Park, Whidbey Island, Washington juvenile theridiid spider Theridion simile from Monroe Landing County Park, Whidbey Island, Washington
Monroe Landing County Park       (Island County, 2011) Theridion simile         © Rod Crawford
beach meadow habitat, Monroe Landing County Park, Whidbey Island, Washington driftwood habitat, Monroe Landing County Park, Whidbey Island, Washington
Beach meadow habitat               © Rod Crawford Driftwood habitat (almost spider-free)              © Rod Crawford
grass field habitat, Monroe Landing County Park, Whidbey Island, Washington sun sinks toward sunset, 9 February 2016, Monroe Landing County Park, Whidbey Island, Washington
Grass field habitat             © Rod Crawford Sun sinks toward sunset over Penn Cove             © Rod Crawford
farm beside bus stop, Monroe Landing Road x Arnold Road, Whidbey Island Washington sunset on 9 February 2016 from Arnold Road near Monroe Landing bus stop, Whidbey Island Washington
Farm beside bus stop            © Rod Crawford Sun set while I waited for the bus                     © Rod Crawford

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This page last updated 12 February, 2016