Near Anderson Hall, University of Washington Campus, WA. 2012/4/24

Due south of Anderson Hall. 15:45. Well, the weather is unfortunately not so great for my Mother's Birthday this year. Drizzly and cold is not a weather pattern that I like to encounter after a brief patch of sun, but alas, such is life in the Emerald City. Today I decided that on account of the weather, I would like take a quick run outside under the cover of a particularly large Western Red Cedar (Thuja Plicata) that envelops the quad between Anderson Hall and Bloedel Hall on the University of Washington, Seattle campus. While the area is well managed, I wanted to see what kinds of wildlife I could see within the branches and on the bark of this particular specimen.

Starting at the base, I found five Pill-bugs (Armadillidium vulgare) milling around at the base of the tree weaving in and out of its thickly-grooved bark. I was also able to count five Orb-weaver Spiders (Araneus) within within the first three vertical meters of the base of the tree, and one Wolf Spider (Pardosa vancouveri). An orange Ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) [perhaps an Asian Ladybug?] also flew near one of the Orb-weavers' webs, but was not caught.

Up higher in the tree was an American Crow. It did not caw very much as I was at the base of the tree but appeared to be interested in what I was doing and watched me for a few minutes before flying off. A Songsparrow (Melospiza melodia) was also flying to and from the tree and somewhere nearby, but out of my sight. I did not see where it was coming from.

If only I could have gotten a bit higher into the tree...there was surely more life in that tree that I did not see. Maybe I will go back later on in the quarter to see what has changed.

Western Red Cedar (Thuja Plicata)

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Songsparrow (Melospiza melodia)

Orb-weaver Spiders (Araneus)
Wolf Spider (Pardosa vancouveri)

Pill-bugs (Armadillidium vulgare)

Posted on April 30, 2012 09:30 AM by ablevins