Also mosses and trees.
We did a little walking in the Olympic rain forest yesterday. It was a bit challenging getting photos — I was only carrying my macro lens, and it was also a bit dim in the forest primeval. But you what else I saw lots of?
Spiders. Spiders everywhere.
My eyes are locked into arachnid sensing mode nowadays, and I was impressed with how everything in the rain forest is dripping with adorable little spiders.
Today I’m teaching a class from my hotel room, and then we’re rushing off to catch the low tide at La Push.
I was impressed with how everything in the rain forest is dripping with adorable little spiders.
Missing the forest for the spiders.
</snark>If La Push is closed or inaccessible, Rialto Beach is nearby. It’s pretty spectacular too.
Loads of starfish and anemones and cool rock formations a short walk from the parking area.
Forgot to add… If you have the opportunity, the Hall of Mosses in the Hoh Rainforest is amazing. It will almost make you believe in fairies.
Visited La Push a few weeks ago after it had just re-opened. Some of the most amazing driftwood logs you will ever see anywhere, islands and sea-stacks drifting in and out of a light overcast, brown pelicans and mergansers fishing everywhere. Hoh and hall of mosses area has often had 1-2 hour waits for entry due to filled parking this summer.
La Push is open. We’re aiming for 2nd Beach.
We might take the 40 minute detour to drive up the road along the Hoh, but it depends on how much time we spend in the tidepools. We have to be in Lacey tonight. I’m not too thrilled with the pace we have to go on here — we really need to spend a few weeks, rather than a few days, here.
Halfway up the Hoh road (Hard Rain Cafe) there is a nice trail that wanders over to the Hoh river with some river access and some nice bits of the lower Hoh forest- some good size Sitka spruces, for example.
Lacy is really in my backyard. My other local plug is if you hit the tides right at Billy Frank-Nisqually NWR, fall shore bird migration is starting in full tilt. Yesterday had a few thousand sandpipers and plovers of 8 species.
I flew into Tucson for work and stayed at the airport doubletree which is walking distance, now I have my spider sense too and it paid off big time! I saw a Desert Blond Tarantula just off the sidewalk, very cool. I never see such big spiders in the wild
I just panicked five minutes ago because a house spider walked across my shoulder. Yes I know they’re harmless! No it didn’t survive the encounter. I reacted too fast . I don’t think I’ll ever be fascinated with spiders the way PZ is . Where’s a squid when you need one?
I cannot see a spider in that photo.
I love ferns. 🥰
chiagu@10, “I cannot see a spider in that photo.”
They are predominately green and have legs shaped similar to Isosceles triangles, with stick-like bodies and carefully camouflaged eyes. They don’t, typically, weave webs, being ambush predators. There’s a huge hoard of them in the image, all waiting to jump onto and then snack on (un-)suspecting tourists. Their bites are not toxic, but since they are exceptionally ravenous, usually only skeletons (if even that) are found, albeit they typically also eat the “rescue” parties.
Ferns and mosses? If you find an Ichtyostega gunnari I will come over in a jiffy.
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Driftwood…
In 19th-century Iceland someone built a wind-powered wheeled craft with a sail to travel along the beach and collect driftwood (it arrived from all the big Siberian rivers and provided much needed wood for a woodless island ).