Album of South Bank Skagit Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 19 September 2019 spider collecting trip to 2 sites on the south bank of the Skagit River, central Skagit County, Washington. We visited a riverbank riparian forest at a river access point and, a little farther west, a giant grassy field near O'Toole Creek. Both sites had great habitats, with little overlap of species, giving us 45 species in all.
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Collecting sites on South Bank Skagit River field trip of 19 September 2019 parking area for river access, South Bank Skagit River east of O'Toole Creek
Red dots mark sites         (Skagit County, 2017) Still-wet parking area for river access                  © Rod Crawford
forest canopy at fishing access, South Bank Skagit River east of O'Toole Creek fisherman on river bank, South Bank Skagit River east of O'Toole Creek
Maple tree canopy           © Laurel Ramseyer Fisherman making use of the fishing access         © Rod Crawford
spider-rich understory, South Bank Skagit River east of O'Toole Creek spider-rich understory, South Bank Skagit River east of O'Toole Creek
Spider-rich understory            © Rod Crawford There was a lot of it!                © Rod Crawford
Rod Crawford sweeping understory on densely vegetated slope, South Bank Skagit River east of O'Toole Creek densely vegetated slope, South Bank Skagit River east of O'Toole Creek
Rod sweeping understory      © Laurel Ramseyer The vast amount of spider-rich foliage dwarfed me!      © Laurel Ramseyer
moss on tree trunks, South Bank Skagit River east of O'Toole Creek maple leaf litter, South Bank Skagit River east of O'Toole Creek
More moss than Laurel could sift          © Rod Crawford Also plenty of maple litter for me to sift           © Rod Crawford
moss on trees, South Bank Skagit River east of O'Toole Creek Laurel Ramseyer looking downstream, South Bank Skagit River east of O'Toole Creek
Still more moss!               © Rod Crawford Laurel looking downstream               © Rod Crawford
riverbank sedge, South Bank Skagit River east of O'Toole Creek grassy river bank, South Bank Skagit River east of O'Toole Creek
River bank tall sedge            © Rod Crawford Grassy bank too wet to sweep at first                © Laurel Ramseyer
mossy shore rocks, South Bank Skagit River east of O'Toole Creek rocky river bank, South Bank Skagit River east of O'Toole Creek
Tunnel under mossy boulders      © Laurel Ramseyer Rocky riverbank habitat               © Laurel Ramseyer

We found equally productive habitats to the west at O'Toole Creek and a nearby, city-owned giant grassy field.

highway bridge over O'Toole Creek, South side Skagit River, Washington upstream from bridge, O'Toole Creek, South side Skagit River, Washington
Highway bridge over O'Toole Creek    © Rod Crawford O'Toole Creek upstream                    © Rod Crawford
Laurel Ramseyer collecting from bridge railing, O'Toole Creek, South side Skagit River, Washington crab spider Bassaniana utahensis from bridge railing, O'Toole Creek, South side Skagit River, Washington
Laurel collecting from bridge railing       © Rod Crawford Bassaniana utahensis from bridge                     © Laurel Ramseyer
orbweaver Metellina segmentata, ventral, from bridge railing, O'Toole Creek, South side Skagit River, Washington orbweaver Metellina segmentata on bridge railing, O'Toole Creek, South side Skagit River, Washington
Ventral view of Metellina           © Laurel Ramseyer Invasive Metellina segmentata                   © Laurel Ramseyer
Callobius spider web on bridge, O'Toole Creek, South side Skagit River, Washington downstream from bridge, O'Toole Creek, South side Skagit River, Washington
Callobius web on bridge        © Laurel Ramseyer O'Toole Creek downstream                     © Rod Crawford
Xysticus cristatus crab spider preying on heteropteran, large grassy field W of O'Toole Creek mouth, S shore Skagit River, Washington large grassy field W of O'Toole Creek mouth, S shore Skagit River, Washington
Xysticus cristatus & heteropteran prey     © Laurel Ramseyer A field so big, we could never sweep it all!                     © Rod Crawford
katydid, Conocephalus fasciatus, large grassy field W of O'Toole Creek mouth, S shore Skagit River, Washington large grassy field W of O'Toole Creek mouth, S shore Skagit River, Washington
Katy did, Katy didn't          © Laurel Ramseyer Looking west along the giant field               © Laurel Ramseyer
row of varied conifers along fence, large grassy field W of O'Toole Creek mouth, S shore Skagit River, Washington hills immediately south of large grassy field W of O'Toole Creek mouth, S shore Skagit River, Washington
At field edge, 5 species of beatable conifers     © Rod Crawford Hills immediately south of big field               © Laurel Ramseyer
red cedar foliage Thuja plicata, large grassy field W of O'Toole Creek mouth, S shore Skagit River, Washington textures of grass, large grassy field W of O'Toole Creek mouth, S shore Skagit River, Washington
Beatable red cedar foliage         © Rod Crawford The field grass is not all uniform           © Rod Crawford
Douglas-fir foliage Pseudotsuga menziesii, large grassy field W of O'Toole Creek mouth, S shore Skagit River, Washington wetter area of large grassy field W of O'Toole Creek mouth, S shore Skagit River, Washington
Beatable Douglas-fir foliage       © Rod Crawford Quasi-wetland patch in giant field              © Laurel Ramseyer
Sitka spruce foliage Picea sitchensis, large grassy field W of O'Toole Creek mouth, S shore Skagit River, Washington true fir Abies sp. at edge of large grassy field W of O'Toole Creek mouth, S shore Skagit River, Washington
Beatable Sitka spruce foliage          © Rod Crawford Beatable true-fir foliage                  © Rod Crawford
Rod Crawford walking along edge of large grassy field W of O'Toole Creek mouth, S shore Skagit River, Washington small bit of sunset along the lower Skagit River, 19 September 2019
Rod walks across the fence from…   © Laurel Ramseyer Just a hint of sunset along the lower Skagit                  © Rod Crawford
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This page last updated 8 February, 2020