Album of Saxon Cemetery Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 31 March 2019 spider collecting trip to Saxon Cemetery and Saxon Bridge (South Fork Nooksack River), south central Whatcom County, Washington. Besides the cemetery (free for all to enter as usual) there was some state and other public access land along the river with excellent habitats, especially the gravel bar! Despite some sparseness in the spider fauna, and a disappointing moss sift due to the current dry spell, we got a solid spider sample of at least 36 species, including the wolf spiders that are restricted to gravel and sand bars. This was our last trip of the late-March dry spell; the moss should be moister on our next time out!
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2017 aerial photo showing collecting sites along Saxon Road, South Fork Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington spring woods along Hwy. 9, south Whatcom County, Washington
Red dots show cemetery & bridge sites       (USDA, 2017) Roadside trees still in very-early-spring state                   © Rod Crawford
Douglas-fir cones on ground, Saxon Cemetery, Saxon Road, South Fork Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington Saxon Cemetery, Saxon Road, South Fork Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington
Plenty, but plenty of cones!        © Laurel Ramseyer General view of the cemetery                © Rod Crawford
non-native evergreen shrub in Saxon Cemetery, Saxon Road, South Fork Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington non-native evergreen shrub in Saxon Cemetery, Saxon Road, South Fork Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington
Evergreen shrub in cemetery           © Rod Crawford Shrubs available for beating, but shed many needles!      © Rod Crawford
paper wasp nest Polistes dominulus, Saxon Cemetery, Saxon Road, South Fork Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington storage unit and old outhouse, Saxon Cemetery, Saxon Road, South Fork Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington
Belated queens on last year's Polistes nest  © Laurel Ramseyer Storage unit & old outhouse had spiders          © Rod Crawford
maple leaf litter in woods by Saxon Cemetery, Saxon Road, South Fork Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington forest at edge of Saxon Cemetery, Saxon Road, South Fork Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington
Maple leaf litter                © Rod Crawford Forest at cemetery edge                       © Rod Crawford
moss in forest, Saxon Cemetery, Saxon Road, South Fork Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington interior of woodland, Saxon Cemetery, Saxon Road, South Fork Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington
Moss on trees            © Rod Crawford Fairly natural forest habitat                           © Laurel Ramseyer
flesh fly Sarcophagidae on gravestone, Saxon Cemetery, Saxon Road, South Fork Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington fauna-centric decorations on grave, Saxon Cemetery, Saxon Road, South Fork Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington
Flesh fly on tombstone: way of all flesh     © Laurel Ramseyer Fauna-themed grave                  © Rod Crawford
jumping spider Salticidae on grave monument, Saxon Cemetery, Saxon Road, South Fork Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington beer offering on grave, Saxon Cemetery, Saxon Road, South Fork Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington
Jumping spider kills on a tombstone      © Laurel Ramseyer The decedent must have been a thirsty soul       © Laurel Ramseyer
Saxon Bridge on South Fork Nooksack River, south central Whatcom County, Washington pleasant parking spot at Saxon Bridge on South Fork Nooksack River, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Saxon Bridge, our second site        © Rod Crawford Nice cozy parking spot at bridge                © Rod Crawford
South Fork Nooksack upstream, Saxon Bridge on South Fork Nooksack River, south central Whatcom County, Washington downstream South Fork Nooksack, Saxon Bridge on South Fork Nooksack River, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Lovely gravel bar upstream          © Laurel Ramseyer South Fork Nooksack downstream from bridge             © Rod Crawford
closeup of gravel bar above Saxon Bridge on South Fork Nooksack River, south central Whatcom County, Washington gravel bar above Saxon Bridge on South Fork Nooksack River, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Detail of gravel bar                © Rod Crawford Gravel bar habitat                            © Rod Crawford
wolf spider Pardosa xerampelina from sand bar, Saxon Bridge on South Fork Nooksack River, south central Whatcom County, Washington gravel bar above Saxon Bridge on South Fork Nooksack River, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Pardosa xerampelina from sand        © Rod Crawford More gravel bar habitat                          © Rod Crawford
mystery tracks on sand bar, Saxon Bridge on South Fork Nooksack River, south central Whatcom County, Washington sand bar upland from gravel bar, Saxon Bridge on South Fork Nooksack River, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Mystery tracks on sand            © Rod Crawford Sand bar between gravel and forest                    © Rod Crawford
old roadbed below parking area, Saxon Bridge on South Fork Nooksack River, south central Whatcom County, Washington sword fern Polystichum munitum near Saxon Bridge on South Fork Nooksack River, south central Whatcom County, Washington
Old roadbed below parking area   © Laurel Ramseyer Fern understory habitat                      © Laurel Ramseyer
moss on trees by Saxon Bridge on South Fork Nooksack River, south central Whatcom County, Washington Rod Crawford sifting leaf litter, Saxon Bridge on South Fork Nooksack River, south central Whatcom County, Washington
So much moss, but too dry!        © Laurel Ramseyer Rod sifts last bag of maple litter                        © Laurel Ramseyer
foothills near I-5 and Skagit River, Washington on 31 March 2019 sunset from I-5 in south Snohomish County, Washington on 31 March 2019
Snow finally melting from the hills        © Rod Crawford Sun sets as we near home on the freeway            © Rod Crawford

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This page last updated 11 April, 2019