Album of Deming Homestead Park Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Joy Liu from our 26 May 2012 spider collecting trip to sites in western Whatcom County, Washington. First we spent an hour at Mirror Lake (NE flank of Anderson Mountain) to complete a partial sample from the latter taken on April 15. Then we spent most of the day at Deming Homestead Eagle Park on the south fork of the Nooksack River, taking 31 species (to supplement an old sample of 7). We added a couple more species nearby at tiny Case Nooksack Cemetery, where we almost got stuck! A good sample, though with no spectacularly rare species.
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First, our brief stop in the big marshy meadow, upper end of Mirror Lake.
upper end of Mirror Lake, Whatcom County, Washington, 1998 aerial photo (colorized) marshy meadow, upper end of Mirror Lake, Whatcom County, Washington
Big meadow from the air    (USGS, 1998) Joy barely visible in the tall grass (right of center)          © Rod Crawford
roadside verge habitat, upper end of Mirror Lake, Whatcom County, Washington roadside verge habitat, upper end of Mirror Lake, Whatcom County, Washington
Roadside verge habitat (1)         © Rod Crawford Roadside verge habitat (2)          © Rod Crawford
Joy Liu examines sweep net sample, upper end of Mirror Lake, Whatcom County, Washington invasive Rubus discolor at meadow edge, upper end of Mirror Lake, Whatcom County, Washington
Joy examines a sweep sample     © Rod Crawford The enemy, Himalayan blackberry starts to invade         © Joy Liu
Rod Crawford in the big meadow, upper end of Mirror Lake, Whatcom County, Washington Twin Sisters Mountain from highway 9 near upper end of Mirror Lake, Whatcom , CountyWashington
Rod wading through the marshy meadow       © Joy Liu Twin Sisters Mountain from the highway               © Rod Crawford

Our main site for the day: Deming Homestead Eagle Park, a former farm homestead returning to nature.

park sign, Deming Homestead Park, Whatcom County, Washington forest glade, Deming Homestead Park, Whatcom County, Washington
Sign greeted us – & provided first spider   © Rod Crawford Forest contained small glades like this & bigger meadows      © Rod Crawford
crab spider Coriarachne brunneipes from sign, Deming Homestead Park, Whatcom County, Washington male crab spider Xysticus cristatus, Deming Homestead Eagle Park, Whatcom County, Washington
Coriarachne brunneipes from the sign    © Rod Crawford Male Xysticus cristatus              © Rod Crawford
Joy Liu sorting tree beat sample, Deming Homestead Park, Whatcom County, Washington Sitka spruce foliage Picea sitchensis, Deming Homestead Park, Whatcom County, Washington
Joy sorts a tree beat sample            © Rod Crawford Sitka spruce foliage                  © Rod Crawford
thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus, Deming Homestead Park, Whatcom County, Washington wild rose, Deming Homestead Park, Whatcom County, Washington
Thimbleberry under the cottonwoods       © Rod Crawford Wild rose in full bloom                      © Rod Crawford
understory of cottonwood grove, Deming Homestead Park, Whatcom County, Washington male microspider Entelecara acuminata, Deming Homestead Park, Whatcom County, Washington
Understory of cottonwood grove        © Rod Crawford Male Entelecara acuminata             © Rod Crawford
parasitized cobweb weaver Theridion varians, Deming Homestead Eagle Park, Whatcom County, Washington edge of woodland & large field, Deming Homestead Eagle Park, Whatcom County, Washington
Parasitized Theridion varians           © Rod Crawford Edge of woodland and large field             © Rod Crawford
cottonwood forest canopy, Deming Homestead Eagle Park, Whatcom County, Washington side channel of South Fork Nooksack River, Deming Homestead Eagle Park, Whatcom County, Washington
Canopy of cottonwood woodland         © Rod Crawford Side channel of river                    © Rod Crawford
cobweb weaver Theridion bimaculatum, Deming Homestead Eagle Park, Whatcom County, Washington 5-acre grassy field, Deming Homestead Eagle Park, Whatcom County, Washington
Theridion bimaculatum           © Rod Crawford Five-acre grassy field             © Rod Crawford

Finally, we stopped for a while at tiny, historic Case Nooksack Cemetery.

entrance of Case Nooksack Cemetery, Whatcom County, Washington Case Nooksack Cemetery, Whatcom County, Washington
Cemetery entrance       © Joy Liu Overview of the cemetery         © Joy Liu
zebra jumping spider Salticus scenicus male, Deming Homestead Eagle Park, Whatcom County, Washington grave of Mary Weaxta, Case Nooksack Cemetery, Whatcom County, Washington
Male Salticus scenicus               © Rod Crawford She was a year old when Napoleon invaded Russia!         © Rod Crawford
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This page last updated 22 August, 2014