Album of Toad Lake Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 22 May 2018 spider collecting trip to Toad Lake, NE of Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington. Deserted when we arrived, the site was visited by various others during the day, culminating with a group of college kids, some in bikinis! We didn't find any unusually outstanding habitats, but managed to get a full sample of 34 species, including a male of very-uncommon Tetragnatha elongata on the shore.
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winter aerial photo of Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington Laurell's car all alone in parking lot, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington
Winter aerial view (Dept. of Wildlife property outlined in red)
(City of Bellingham, 2013)		 We were all alone when we first arrived             © Rod Crawford
male spider Tetragnatha elongata from Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington shoreline grass at Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington
Uncommon Tetragnatha elongata, male    © Rod Crawford Shoreline grass, Tetragnatha habitat           © Rod Crawford
dock with no people, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington lower end of Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington
Nobody on the dock             © Rod Crawford Lower end of lake                © Rod Crawford
Red cedar Thuja plicata beside Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington upper end of Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington
Red cedar produced 7 species     © Rod Crawford Upper end of lake                   © Rod Crawford
agelenid funnel web on forest floor, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington salmonberry foliage Rubus spectabilis, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington
Funnel web on forest floor         © Laurel Ramseyer Salmonberry foliage                © Rod Crawford
male invasive crab spider Philodromus dispar, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington orbweaver Larinioides sclopetarius with stonefly prey, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington
Invasive Philodromus dispar         © Laurel Ramseyer Larinioides sclopetarius with stonefly prey         © Laurel Ramseyer
sword fern Polystichum munitum, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington fern understory Polystichum minitum, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington
Sword ferns dominated understory     © Rod Crawford Laurel got a good sweep sample from ferns          © Laurel Ramseyer
moss on bigleaf maple trunk, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington back dirt road from parking lot, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington
Moss on maple trunk         © Laurel Ramseyer Back road gave access to some good habitats         © Rod Crawford
Douglas-fir cones, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington bigleaf maple canopy, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington
Laurel sampled some Douglas-fir cones    © Rod Crawford Bigleaf maples comprised about half the forest              © Rod Crawford
Department of Wildlife "hours of darkness" sign, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington grassy roadside verge, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington
"Avoid the moor in those hours of darkness when the powers of evil are exalted." — Sherlock Holmes                    photo © Rod Crawford Productive, sunlit grassy verge                  © Rod Crawford
Rod Crawford sifting maple leaf litter, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington maple leaf litter, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington
Rod sifting leaf litter          © Laurel Ramseyer Maple leaf litter was rich in species               © Rod Crawford
secluded waterfront of Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington swimmers including bikini babes, Toad Lake, Whatcom County, Washington
Who knew this secluded spot…     © Laurel Ramseyer …would later turn into Bikini Beach!             © Rod Crawford
pine trees at electrical substation on trail near Scudder's Pond, NE Bellingham, Washington
Laurel tapped some pine cones on Hillsdale Road      © Rod Crawford We ended the day at Scudder's Pond where Laurel found no Ozyptila      © Laurel Ramseyer

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This page last updated 10 September, 2020