Album of Marietta Park / Nooksack Delta Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 26 April 2019 spider collecting trip to the Nooksack River delta area (specifically Marietta Veterans' Park and the Nooksack Dike Top Trail), Whatcom County, Washington. This area, largely undeveloped because subject to flooding, is forested with much marshy and swampy habitat; the spider fauna turned out to be heavily weighted toward introduced species in the park (at the edge of the village of Marietta) but the southern trailhead for the dike-top trail had a more natural fauna and got us some very cool records. Also, Laurel may well have stumbled on another good new spider habitat — thistle heads!
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2016 aerial photo of part of Nooksack River Delta, Whatcom County, Washington with spider collecting localities Marietta Veterans Park, Marietta, Whatcom County, Washington
Red dots: Marietta (right) & Nooksack South Trailhead (left)
(Whatcom County, 2016)		 Edge of park: grass & waterside woods                  © Rod Crawford
Lummi wooden statue, Marietta Veterans Park, Marietta, Whatcom County, Washington playground, Marietta Veterans Park, Marietta, Whatcom County, Washington
Lummi wooden statue              © Rod Crawford Park and playground               © Rod Crawford
Laurel Ramseyer in playground, Marietta Veterans Park, Marietta, Whatcom County, Washington Silver Creek beside Marietta Veterans Park, Marietta, Whatcom County, Washington
Laurel has fun in the playground         © Rod Crawford Silver Creek, a side channel of the Nooksack               © Rod Crawford
nooselike rope swing in Marietta Veterans Park, Marietta, Whatcom County, Washington leaf litter, Marietta Veterans Park, Marietta, Whatcom County, Washington
Hanging tree?              © Rod Crawford Rich, productive leaf litter            © Rod Crawford
quadruped sculpture (Lummi) at Marietta Veterans Park, Marietta, Whatcom County, Washington setup to sift leaf litter, Marietta Veterans Park, Marietta, Whatcom County, Washington
This Lummi quadruped sculpture…     © Rod Crawford …provided a good table for litter sifting                 © Rod Crawford
moss on riverbank tree, Marietta Veterans Park, Marietta, Whatcom County, Washington moss on riverbank tree, Marietta Veterans Park, Marietta, Whatcom County, Washington
Moss on trunk             © Laurel Ramseyer Moss found only beside the water               © Rod Crawford
salmonberry bloom, Rubus spectabilis, Marietta Veterans Park, Marietta, Whatcom County, Washington Silver Creek (Nooksack backwater), Marietta Veterans Park, Marietta, Whatcom County, Washington
Salmonberry in bloom           © Rod Crawford The quiet backwater of Silver Creek           © Laurel Ramseyer
chorus frog Pseudacris regilla, Marietta Veterans Park, Marietta, Whatcom County, Washington beaver-carved cottonwood, Marietta Veterans Park, Marietta, Whatcom County, Washington
Chorus frog blends right into moss   © Laurel Ramseyer Beavers do their own brand of carving           © Laurel Ramseyer

Our second site for the day: southern trailhead of Nooksack Dike Top Trail

horseshoe prints on Nooksack Dike Top Trail (south end), Whatcom County, Washington grass understory in swampy forest, Nooksack Dike Top Trail (south end), Whatcom County, Washington
Horseshoe tracks in muddy trail        © Rod Crawford Grass understory in swampy forest                © Laurel Ramseyer
Cyclosa conica female orbweaver spider, Nooksack Dike Top Trail (south end), Whatcom County, Washington Nooksack Dike Top Trail (south end), Whatcom County, Washington
Cyclosa conica in forest          © Laurel Ramseyer Typical trailside scene               © Laurel Ramseyer
Sitka spruce with cones, Nooksack Dike Top Trail (south end), Whatcom County, Washington marsh near trailhead, Nooksack Dike Top Trail (south end), Whatcom County, Washington
Sitka spruce with cones, good habitat!  © Rod Crawford Marsh near trailhead                          © Rod Crawford
bank of Nooksack south of Marine Drive Bridge, Whatcom County, Washington Nooksack River from south of Marine Drive Bridge, Whatcom County, Washington
Bank of Nooksack, south of bridge        © Rod Crawford Nooksack River and Marine Drive bridge                   © Rod Crawford
sandy surface of dirt road south of Nooksack Dike Top South Trailhead, Whatcom County, Washington loose bark on log south of Nooksack Dike Top South Trailhead, Whatcom County, Washington
Nice sandy surface but no spiders     © Rod Crawford Nice loose bark but no spiders                             © Rod Crawford
severe blackberry thicket south of Nooksack Dike Top South Trailhead, Whatcom County, Washington cattail marsh in side channel, Nooksack Dike Top South Trailhead, Whatcom County, Washington
South of road, it's all blackberry         © Rod Crawford Cattail marsh on a backwater channel                © Laurel Ramseyer
Aeshna dragonfly at Nooksack Dike top South Trailhead, Whatcom County, Washington backwater channel, Nooksack Dike top South Trailhead, Whatcom County, Washington
Aeshna dragonfly             © Laurel Ramseyer Riparian habitats by the backwater             © Laurel Ramseyer
dandelion with crab spider Misumena vatia, Nooksack Dike top South Trailhead, Whatcom County, Washington moss on trees by backwater channel, Nooksack Dike top South Trailhead, Whatcom County, Washington
Finally, one Misumena on a dandelion © Laurel Ramseyer Lush waterside habitats with moss           © Laurel Ramseyer
jumping spider Metaphidippus mannii on thistle seed head, Nooksack Dike top South Trailhead, Whatcom County, Washington thistle seed heads, Nooksack Dike top South Trailhead, Whatcom County, Washington
Metaphidippus on thistle        © Laurel Ramseyer Thistle seed heads, another new spider habitat!          © Laurel Ramseyer
beaver dam with mud, Nooksack Dike top South Trailhead, Whatcom County, Washington sunset near Mount Vernon, Washington on 26 April 2019
Beaver dam with mud pie          © Laurel Ramseyer Sun sets on our way hone                   © Rod Crawford
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This page last updated 16 May, 2019