Album of Watson Lakes Pass Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Fiona Rhodes from our 12 August 2017 spider collecting trip with Jerry Austin to Watson Lakes Pass, Whatcom County, Washington. Six years ago, another August trip got 23 species from the western part of the Watson Lakes Trail. This time we hiked farther (over a grid line) to the mini-pass over a ridge that leads to the trail's destination, Watson Lakes. At the pass were sufficiently productive habitats to bring us a 28-species sample, even though the season was farther advanced (no snow at all). Another difference: biting flies significantly more numerous; at least it gave the spiders something to eat!
READ TRIP NARRATIVE PHOTO ALBUM INDEX MAIN JOURNAL INDEX
2015 aerial view of Watson Lakes area, southern Whatcom County, Washington Trailhead, Anderson-Watson Trail, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Our sites (in red), first Watson Lake on right   (Skagit County, 2015) Anderson-Watson Trailhead              © Rod Crawford
first subalpine meadow, Anderson-Watson Trail, south central Whatcom County, Washington small boggy meadow at Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington
First subalpine meadow where we collected in 2011   © Rod Crawford Small but productive meadow at the mini-pass              © Rod Crawford
Fiona Rhodes and Jerry Austin collecting spiders at Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington entering subalpine old growth forest, Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Fiona & Jerry get started collecting       © Rod Crawford I enter the subalpine old growth                © Rod Crawford
fallen bark in forest, Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington dead wood in forest, Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Thin bark sheets too dry to have many spiders      © Rod Crawford But bulkier dead wood produced good spiders              © Rod Crawford
meadow herbs, Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington boggy meadow at Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Meadow herbs, with foraging yellowjackets! © Rod Crawford Boggy part of the pass meadow                  © Rod Crawford
yellow flowers on slopes above Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington meadow edge becomes forest understory, Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Flowering herbs on side slopes              © Rod Crawford Edge of meadow merges into forest understory            © Rod Crawford
Fiona Rhodes beating conifer branches for spiders, Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington true fir Abies amabilis foliage, Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Fiona beating conifer foliage           © Rod Crawford True fir foliage                       © Rod Crawford
Pityohyphantes sp. linyphiid spider from Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington sun on vegetation at top of talus, Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Sheetweb weaver Pityohyphantes sp.   © Rod Crawford Open habitat at top of talus                © Rod Crawford
female microspider Tapinocyba dietrichi from Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington sifting conifer needle litter, Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Tapinocyba dietrichi, common in litter      © Rod Crawford Sifting conifer needle litter                 © Rod Crawford
blue sky above cliff, Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington boulder talus at Watson Lakes Pass, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Blue sky appeared in late afternoon        © Rod Crawford Boulder talus was unproductive this time                 © Rod Crawford
Anderson Lake-Watson Lakes Trail junction, south central Whatcom County, Washington meadow at Anderson Lake-Watson Lakes Trail junction, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Trail junction at our last site             © Rod Crawford Meadow at trail junction                      © Rod Crawford
pink mountain-heather Phyllodoce empetriformis, Anderson Lake-Watson Lakes Trail junction, south central Whatcom County, Washington sedge Carex sp., Anderson Lake-Watson Lakes Trail junction, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Pink mountain-heather        © Rod Crawford Sedge in meadow               © Rod Crawford
Fiona Rhodes goes looking for Jerry Austin, Anderson Lake-Watson Lakes Trail junction, south central Whatcom County, Washington Jerry Austin in boulder talus, Anderson Lake-Watson Lakes Trail junction, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Fiona goes looking for Jerry          © Rod Crawford Here he is, dwarfed by vast boulder talus field               © Fiona Rhodes
Fiona Rhodes leaving Anderson Lake-Watson Lakes Trail junction, south central Whatcom County, Washington Jerry Austin and Rod Crawford hiking down lower subalpine meadow, Anderson-Watson Trail, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Time to hike homeward             © Rod Crawford Jerry and Rod head for the car through beauty            © Fiona Rhodes
purple monkeyflower Erythranthe lewisii, Anderson-Watson Trail, south central Whatcom County, Washington stream crossing Anderson-Watson Trail, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Purple monkey-flower in mid-stream     © Rod Crawford Flower-shrouded stream crosses the trail             © Rod Crawford
Mount Baker from road to Anderson-Watson Trail, south central Whatcom County, Washington Mount Shuksan from road to Anderson-Watson Trail, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Mt. Baker from roadside viewpoint        © Rod Crawford Mt. Shuksan from same viewpoint               © Rod Crawford
black-fly Simuliidae, Anderson-Watson Trail, south central Whatcom County, Washington black-fly bites on Rod Crawford's forehead, 2 days after hiking Anderson-Watson Trail, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Black-flies became abundant at dusk     © Markku Savela Black-fly bites on Rod's forehead 2 days later               © Melissa Frey

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This page last updated 17 August, 2017