Saturday, 4 August 2007

Creepy Crawlies and Wildlife Photography

Yesterday I felt something crawling down my arm but when I looked, whatever it was had jumped off. (Read: When I had stopped jumping around and screaming long enough to look at my arm, whatever it was had fallen off).

This morning, eldest child came into office and declared, "Oh My God!" even though she isn't remotely religious.

This is what she saw:



Now it is remarkably difficulty to get a decent photo of a little spider on a web in your office, believe me. I've been at it for hours. I sprayed the web with water to see if that helped and took this:



A bit better only the little blighter took off into the (somewhat dead) pot plant (no doubt to dry itself out). It came back though so I tried to take more pics - by placing card behind its web, only I'm afraid I bust it a bit so now, as I type this, it is angrily repairing its web. (I assume it is angry - I would be.) My little office friend is called Araneus Diadematus and is otherwise known as a Common Orb Weaver. They make massive webs all over my patio and are very good at catching flies. We also had a clutch of eggs laid on our kitchen window a few months ago and watched them hatch. Cute when tiny. Honest. I can bear them in their webs but not on my arms! And we know all this how? Because we have an inquisitive 7 year old at home, and Google.

But I'll never make a wildlife photographer. *Boo Hoo*

Good job there's them that can. Nick, for example. Of Nick's Spiders. The pic below is by Nick.


Araneus diadematus

8 comments:

Jon M said...

Cor H, I know you'd been neglecting the writing but webs growing in your office?!!! Nice pics!

hesitant scribe said...

hee hee! I still haven't had the heart to move it (or is that the courage?!). Yesterday the web had totally disappeared and then voila, this morning it was back again, a few inches to the left - that is closer to my monitor. Hmm. Hubby returns from his latest foray into yonder big lakeland hills in a bit so our little friend will no doubt be evicted pretty soon afterwards! But hey - no flies!

P.S. Have been writing longhand in the garden thinking old 8 eyes wouldn't be watching me there, but lo and behold, all its mates are out there in force, so back to the office to watch my new (temporary) resident watching me watching it watching me watching....

Caroline said...

OMG WHY WOULD YOU PUT THAT PHOTO ON YOUR BLOG WITHOUT A WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

*runs to hide*

ps. I am such a girl.

Anonymous said...

It's only a spider....what ya all scared off?

My cats would have eaten it by now!

Unknown said...

great pics. i sometimes tolerate them then others can't stand them!

hesitant scribe said...

Caroline - poor you! You can come out now!

Chilli - hmm yes - especially that black and white one!

Liz - I'm kind of missing him/her now. Hubby came home and evicted it unceremoniously as predicted! I've put it in the garden where it will have a better chance of eating (and er... being eaten!)

Anonymous said...

I love spiders because they deal with flies. Now flies send me berserk. I can't rest until they are outside or D E A D and, violent as it may be, that's how I prefer them. Strange how I was never any good at tennis or rounders because at fly-swatting I'm ace!!

hesitant scribe said...

Ruth - with you all the way on the old fly thing. Cannot abide them! My youngest just came in with a massive blue bottle/hairy black bulgy creature trapped inbetween the pages of her book. Ew. She's been catching flies since she was about 8 mnths old. Oddling she is. In the pages of a book is a new technique - she usually just squashes them into the window pane which is just as yucky. The speed she catches them though is very Zen!