Castleford Spider with tiger stripe colours.
Sallyanne and my workmates think im mad taking insect close up shots.This one had a leaf in its web.He dropped down to inspect the leaf.Even though it was double his size.He proceeded to cut the web to remove the leaf.He climbed back up and started spinning more web to repair the damage.He was quite photogenic too and posed with is stripey body.There is great learning in watching nature at work...
The oriental martial arts have learnt a lot by copying animal movements, like in karate and Tai Chi.
He had persistance, and worked on cutting the leaf away, ready to make more web to catch some juicy flies.
Since blogging about the garden I have become aware of all the variety of life in the garden. the worms that till the soil for me. The ants that bite me. Butterflies that flit around my garden. Wasps and bee's. A grasshopper before. My suprise frog visitor. I still do not see many birds even though i have the bird bath table and feeder, and feeders from the posts.
The spider reminded me of the story of Robert the Bruce, the main other hero in Braveheart. He looked at a spider too as a source of inspiration when all hope had gone after many losing battles. He took heart and beat the English. Scottish Independence owes much to a cave dwelling Arachnid..
http://www.storiestogrowby.com/stories/bruce_and_spider_body.html
5 comments:
Great post, Snappy! I must say that I enjoy the "wildlife" in my garden too, almost more than the plants. It's very relaxing to investigate their worlds...nice departure from our own. I've heard that the health of a gerden is reflected in the variety of creatures found there...sounds like you're doing a great job creating habitat!
Wonderful pictures and observations--how cool that you got to see him fixing his web! Please keep 'em coming... :)
By the way, I have a similar-looking spider in one of my window frames. I had taken off the storm window of the old leaded glass window in order to repaint the frame, and he decided it was a good place to build a web. I'm not sure if I will get the last coat of paint on it this year or not, because I can't bring myself to evict him!
Thanks Lisa, I guess with the borders, hedges, and crazy growing grass I have created a micro environment.I forgot to mention slugs and snails.Millipedes, and various beasties who i dont know the name of.The garden blog is expanding my interests exponentially really.You start off with one subject in mind, but it is so big it touches over subjects..from gardens to flowers to veggies to wines to cooking with garden grown produce...
Blackswamp girl, you are a girl to my own heart.I enjoy the sanctity of life around me now.whether its the nursing or gardening I see beauty in it all.
I used to HATE spiders, real arachnophobia.I tolerate them now.That spider was cool letting me watch him engeneering the leaf removal project.I was sad to see he had gone today.The web remained but no spider.Maybe he moved on to spun webs new and juicier flys..
Great Photos! I have spiders everywhee too. I have to be really careful when picking tomatoes, can't just reach my hand in.........scary!
Thanks Jeanne,They are different outside, spiders rather than running out from a sofa and scaring you.I had a serious phobia before but the garden has forced me to overcome it.
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