June 8, 2008
Willapa NWR amphibians
I went north to Pacific County and the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge this morning. My goal was to find the elusive VanDyke's Salamander (Plethodon vandykei). The nature trail at the the refuge headquarters is as much an art walk as it is a nature walk, with sculptures and painting around every corner. And one has to admire the refuge priorities that place the fate of a windthrown tree ahead of the convenience of a hiker.
I actually did pretty well on finding salamanders, turning up a Van Dyke's, 2 Western Red-backs, a Dunn's and and Ensatina, plus tons of Rough-skinned Newts.
VanDyke's Salamander (Plethodon vandykei)
Western Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon vehiculum)
Ensatina (Ensatina eschscholtzii)
And the ubiquitous Taricha granulosa