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| Site location. Click to enlarge. |
Expecting the day to be unseasonably hot (upper 80s), Rod Crawford and I decided to head for the Kitsap County coast. Specifically,
Nick's Lagoon, located at the head of Seabeck Bay, and then to the nearby
Seabeck Cemetery. These sites were about 8 miles northwest of
Square Lake where we sampled back in February.
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View of Nick's Lagoon from
picnic shelter, complete with
a Calymmaria emertoni
in her web |
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| Phanias albeolus female from ferns |
Before starting my cone tapping at Nick's Lagoon, I spent some enjoyable time hiking the trail and collecting spiders from a picnic shelter, and then from sword ferns (
Polystictum munitum) in the forest understory.
Calymmaria emertoni (Hahniidae) were abundant on the underside edge of the picnic shelter's roof. This
Phanias albeolus (Salticidae) was one of the more photogenic spiders I found in the ferns.
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| Bombus vosnesenskii |
Just a few steps down the trail from our parking place I spotted a yellow-faced bumblebee (
Bombus vosnesenskii) digging into the forest floor. Presumably this was a queen looking for a subterranean spot in which to establish her colony. I also noticed several great blue herons (
Ardea herodias) hanging out on the sandy spit that creates the lagoon, and I watched a raccoon (
Procyon lotor) use a system of fallen trees and branches to cross a beaver pond. Lots going on at Nick's Lagoon!
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Rod in front of three Douglas-firs at
trailhead |
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| A fallen Doug-fir cone at Nick's Lagoon |
Eventually I got around to tapping fallen Douglas-fir (
Pseudotsuga menziesii) cones I found near the trailhead. I tapped 50 cones and what fell out but 14 tiny juvenile harvestmen! There were 5 spiders in those cones too, but the only identifiable one was a female
Tenuiphantes zelatus (Linyphiidae).
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| Paths through lush salal lead to graves |
Seabeck Cemetery was among the most attractive cemeteries I've had the pleasure of collecting spiders in. This was due to the fact that instead of being one huge, boring lawn, as most are, this cemetery was blanketed in native herbs and shrubs. So much beautiful salal! Some people might see this as unkempt, but I found it refreshing and vibrant, a true tribute to the lives of those buried there.
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| Douglas-fir cone site, Seabeck Cemetery |
Also a treat in this cemetery was the presence of both Douglas-fir (
Pseudotsuga menziesii) and western white pine (
Pinus monticola) trees. Open Douglas-fir cones were available in such profusion that I could have tapped hundreds if I'd had a mind to. But I tapped the more-or-less standard 55 and collected 6 spiders from 5 different families, and 6 tiny harvestmen. The only identifiable spider was a male
Philodromus dispar (Philodromidae).
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White pine cone site,
Seabeck Cemetery |
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| Pine cone nestled in a bed of salal |
Unfortunately I could only find 9 fallen pine cones to tap, but that small number produced 5 spiders and 3 harvestmen. Most of the spiders were
Phrurotimpus borealis (Phrurolithidae). Though tiny, the bronze iridescence of their abdominal dorsa was visible to the naked eye. Quite stunning in the sunshine!
Be sure to read Rod's trip narrative
here!
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| Wild strawberry (Fragaria sp.) and a Douglas-fir cone |
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