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Bring a Human to Work Day: Cross Orbweaver

Good morning! I was able to catch a couple glimpses of our friendly neighborhood cross orbweavers (tiny little spiders building plate-sized circular webs in the woods here in NH). At least, that's as close as I can identify them for now; feel free to correct me!

I was recently asked (re: my nature photos in general), "HOW do you FIND these things!!??" I guess it's partly about knowing where to look and a critter's habits, with a good dose of disregard for sweat, bush scrapes, and maybe a little bug looking for warmth from your skin or a bite for its kids. But timing is also crucial, as is angle of the sun for webs.

These passive spiders aren't out to get us, and they really do try prefer twigs close to trees and bushes and to stay out of high-traffic areas where tall or wide-antlered moose might wreck their work (webs take between a half hour and two hours each to make). Before getting creeped out by some of its sticky look, I hope you can appreciate that pound for pound that silk is stronger than any steel metal mankind can work up, yet more flexible than nylon (which we have to make as a byproduct of petroleum/fossil fuels).

As far as finding these webs, they're sort of like rainbows in that you can only see them if the sun's at a 45-degree angle to you. Since the earth spins away from the sun by the second, we're lucky if we have even a minute to see a little spider web close up (rainbows are more distant, and on a bigger surface area to enjoy longer). Pro tip: before 8 a.m. and when the sun gets low on the horizon in the afternoon are best times to catch glimpses of these, especially if you know a low or slow water source that their bug foods like to hang out in.

So, if you see a web, get what you can however you can, zoom in at first and get as close as you can. These photos were all I had left after seeing the full "dish" of its web's rainbow initially; seconds really do count. The earth's spin will not stop for you, the spider won't stop its work for you, nothing owes you cooperation. It's all on you, so Godspeed!

Used image editing to knock down the midtones and bump up the contrast a little to show the lines and reflections better.

This one looks huge, but was about a foot in diameter.

Little better shot of some of the spokes coming out from center as work continued. Once all the radials are done (side bits we see here, connecting the spokes), she'll return to the center to eat that little anchor and replace with some tighter strands.

Weavin', weavin', weavin'...


Happy trekking, all - til next time!

"Lark"

Daze Cache: 9/19/17 - Head Counts

Good Day, All! All seven of the monarch butterfly caterpillars have disappeared overnight, perhaps due to same as the half dozen in the back forty; no sign of chrysalis thingies this time. BUT, I had fun with a Painted Lady Butterfly. I hope you enjoy the closeups of its eyes and stuff but, too, there's a lesson to be had that it turns its back on lifeless resources and goes from one feast to another - and isn't life full of them? Scope 'em out...



Meanwhile, several chipmunks (including our Stonewall from last year) are cozying up to us (and the seed tin) of late, comfortable enough to turn their backs on us for a nice long draw from the brook.




The large set of red squirrels have all but disappeared; this one having been victorious, albeit a little muddy around the beak, for having found great pine cones to stash (I'd tell you where along that sharp edge of the brookbank's corner under the old muddy stump, but he swore me to secrecy - would YOU want to betray a face like this? I think NOT!)


The chipmunks have done much barking about aerial predators, mostly having to do with the marsh hawk (larger) that'll swoop along the brook, but also (now) an immature sharp-shinned hawk who easily flops about tree limbs like the robins and blue jays, just pretending to be 'part of the gang' since he's similar size.

But, no, when the chipmunks are barking AND the robins are giving sharp scolds, all telling the threat "WE see you! Move along and leave us be!", they give up and do. I've even seen an eagle chased off by first a crow then a little pair of kingbirds. I guess few critters stay alive better than heeding warnings of neighbors, joining them, and having a little sense of one's worth.

Take Tiberius, for instance. He owns the road as much as he dares, knows which engines are 'friendly' enough they'll slow and yield to him (but moving in a half crouch ready to spring out of harm's way).
Teddy, on the other hand, seems to prefer the fuller living method of avoiding feeling like a fool and burning more calories in a half crouch by owning the stone walls which line this back road. But who's to say which cat is wiser?

And is their purpose to, truly, be compared with each other, as if there's somehow a 'right' or 'wrong' way to be a cat? I don't think I'd make a good judge, so I'll recuse myself on this one.

PS Here's a new-to-me fuzzy caterpillar; guess it belongs to a Brown-Hooded Owlet Moth which - yes - is as fuzzy and brown/gray mottled on its wings as the name suggests:
But if you think it's something different, please be sure to sing out. Far be it from me to ever be incorrect about anything! ;)

Toodles!

Gwyn (aka "Lark")