5.13.12 Forks Creek, Raymond (Lebam), Washington
Date: 5.13.12
Location: 206 Skees Road, Raymond, WA 98577. Forks Creek.
Lat: 46.5439375445, Lon: -123.5678296627
Weather: 85 degrees Fahrenheit in the sun, not much cooler in the shade. No clouds.
Time: 15:00-17:00
Observations and Questions:
The water of the creek is about 50-56 degrees Fahrenheit. I am not sure where it originates? Somewhere in the mountains. I will have to look it up. The water is not as high as I have seen it in the rainier seasons and not as low as in the summer (haha, it’s about spring height). The pebbles along and in the bank are generally flat and rounded. There are a lot of great skipping rocks. Some of the rocks are a little pointy. Some of the rocks are clearly made out of clay; they can be broken extremely easily. The bottom the creek (which is mostly clear), is about 6.5 feet deep and has a sedimentary layer of soft fine sand or silt (I have swum in that creek many of times). Most of the year, and now, a lot of an unidentified critters crawl along the bottom of the creek. They favor areas with rock, probably because they are better able to hold onto the stone. They make shells out of their surrounding materials such as sand, rock, needles, and sticks. What are these critters? I spent hours trying to identify them. I also saw a few of what I think are Stonefly Larvae (Plecoptera). On top of the water Water Striders (Gerridae) flitted across the surface. My best friend found a dead Signal crayfish (Pacifasticus leniusculus) in the water. On the dry rocks next to the bank I found a tiny little Grasshopper (Acrididae). I do not know what variety.
The vegetation along the edge was a ton of Sitka Sedge (carex sitchensis) and Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundincacea), a few Western Dock (Rumex occidentalis) and a few Common Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea).
Species List:
-unidentified bug
-Baby Salmon (Salmonidae)
-Stonefly Larvae (Plecoptera) (?)
-Water Strider (Gerridae)
-Signal crayfish (Pacifasticus leniusculus)
-Grasshopper (Acrididae) (?)
-Sitka Sedge (carex sitchensis)
-Vine Maple (Acer circinatum)
-Sitka Mountain-Ash (Sorbus sitchensis)
-Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundincacea)
-Western Dock (Rumex occidentalis)
-Common Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
Observations
Photos / Sounds
What
Caddisflies (Order Trichoptera)Observer
chimeravoDescription
These creatures live IN the creek (There are a LOT of them, I would guess about 5-15 per square foot). They cling to pebbles and shuffle around. Their casings appear to be made out of the sand, dirt, leaves, rocks, etc. around them and is "glued" together.
What are these creatures? How do they make their shell? How do they stay under water for so long? How do they breathe?
Photos / Sounds
What
Pacific Salmons and Trouts (Genus Oncorhynchus)Observer
chimeravoDescription
I think these may be baby salmon? Four of these little fish (about 3-4 inches in length) swam (facing against the current) in a little rock alcove. They appeared to stay in the same spot. The area was sunny, perhaps they were warming themselves in the sun. (that area of the water was probably warmer than most of the other areas because the water wasn't moving very fast and had been warmed by the sun).
The fishes sides were a light yellowy-brown except for dark brown/black stripes. They were a slightly darker brown in color on a stripe on the top.
Photos / Sounds
Observer
chimeravoDescription
These crawled in the creek and also around and under the rocks on the bank of the creek. I saw three total. (They are creepy crawly critters!)
Photos / Sounds
What
North American Common Water Strider (Aquarius remigis)Observer
chimeravoDescription
These bugs appear to skim across the surface of the water. How do they stay afloat. Why do they need the capacity to walk on water?
Photos / Sounds
What
Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus)Observer
chimeravoDescription
I found (or rather my friend who was with me found) this crayfish in the creek. It was dead. We've always called these crawdads, so it seems very strange to me to call them crayfish.
Though this crayfish is young, it has the distinctive white band at the joint at the beginning of the claw of a signal crayfish. However, I am still not sure whether this identification is correct. Most of the "crawdads" in this creek, even as adults, are never (or so I have seen) bigger than 9 or so inches.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus TetrixObserver
chimeravoDescription
This appears to be a small grasshopper. This is the only one I saw. It was on a rock next to the creek. I am guessing, since this is the only grasshopper that I saw, that either grasshoppers do not prefer the plants next to the bank or find too many predators there. And, what is the difference exactly between a cricket and a grasshopper?
Photos / Sounds
What
Sitka Sedge (Carex aquatilis var. dives)Observer
chimeravoDescription
The sitka sedge was one of the closest growing plants along the creek. It grew in clumps a few feet from the edge. It was seeding. Why do the heads bend over so much? Does it bend like this so as to drop seeds in front of itself rather than on top of itself?
Photos / Sounds
What
Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea)Observer
chimeravoDescription
It was not seeding. It grew about 3 feet tall, sometimes a little more. I have seen this grass here before and recognized it (it makes me sneeze like crazy), so I know what it looks like when it is seeding. The heads of this grass feel soft to the touch. The leaves are rather soft too.
Photos / Sounds
What
Western Dock (Rumex occidentalis)Observer
chimeravoDescription
When I was little, my mom told me that Indians ate these. My best friends and I, when playing "Indians" in our yard, would collect these and make little wraps for "snack food" for our game =)
The leaves are not as ruffled as Curled Dock. It was not flowering.
Photos / Sounds
What
Thin-legged Wolf Spiders (Genus Pardosa)Observer
chimeravoDescription
I did not include this spider in my daily journal account because I forgot about them. These were everywhere in the rocks along the bank. This one was about and inch long (including legs). I tried to identify it based on its coloration and shape using various sites online, but I could find fit.
Photos / Sounds
What
Red-berried Elder (Sambucus racemosa)Observer
chimeravoDescription
On the other side of the creek (the side that was higher, less rocky, and more highly vegetated and mossy) grew these bushes. There was one area in particular, a clear area, that was full of these bushes. All the bushes in this area were blooming. Perhaps they like more sun which is why this somewhat cleared area is so full of them?
Photos / Sounds
What
Vine Maple (Acer circinatum)Observer
chimeravoDescription
The trunk is green hued and flexible. This vine maple had what I think are flowers. Do the red petal shaped things (as in the photo) actually form the flower? Or is the flower simply encompassed by this structure? Do all Vine maples have flowers? Or are there male and female vine maples?
Photos / Sounds
What
Purple Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)Observer
chimeravoDescription
The leaves are a little fuzzy. It was not flowering. Normally I see these flowering later in the summer.
Photos / Sounds
What
Cascara (Frangula purshiana)Observer
chimeravoDescription
A Cascara tree grew about 10 yards from the edge of the creek, shadowing it. The Cascara, at first glance, looks like an alder. The trunk and branches are a rusty white and the leaves have a similar overall shape. However, the leaves of cascara are not ridged like that of alders and much less "ripply."
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