Ken, you are right... they are there all Summer... but only really this visible on dewy mornings! However, now, we are getting a lot more because the new spiders that have grown from the early hatchings... have started building in earnest. Probably, like you, my picture library is littered with these shots... because, like this one, they are just so attractive!! I particularly like the fact that this is on a fresh umbel, not a dead one... it adds something extra.
Also visible, now, are all the flying spiders... that's one for all arachnophobes... when you next see one of those "blobs" of spiders web floating by on a breezy day... there will be a tiny spider attached to a line at the bottom. They create a "kite" and feed it into the wind... when they feel a good pull on their line, they let go and drift. When they can go no further... they either crawl up the line to the stuck kite and eat it... so that they can fly again... or if the wind had dropped, they haul the kite back in to consume... ready for re-use.
Tim: ''Those "blobs" of spiders web floating by" are called fils de la Vierge in French. Depending on how you pronounce fils, you get two different answers. Either Virgin's threads, as it is here, or Virgin's sons, which is at least one too many!
Thank you, chm.... the French language has many more apt expressions / names... one of my favourites is Flambe for the Scarce Swallowtail butterfly... a much better description of the look.
looks like crystals on a thread.
ReplyDeleteKen, you are right...
ReplyDeletethey are there all Summer...
but only really this visible on dewy mornings!
However, now, we are getting a lot more because the new spiders that have grown from the early hatchings...
have started building in earnest.
Probably, like you, my picture library is littered with these shots...
because, like this one, they are just so attractive!!
I particularly like the fact that this is on a fresh umbel, not a dead one...
it adds something extra.
Also visible, now, are all the flying spiders...
that's one for all arachnophobes...
when you next see one of those "blobs" of spiders web floating by on a breezy day...
there will be a tiny spider attached to a line at the bottom.
They create a "kite" and feed it into the wind...
when they feel a good pull on their line, they let go and drift.
When they can go no further...
they either crawl up the line to the stuck kite and eat it...
so that they can fly again...
or if the wind had dropped, they haul the kite back in to consume...
ready for re-use.
Tim: ''Those "blobs" of spiders web floating by" are called fils de la Vierge in French. Depending on how you pronounce fils, you get two different answers. Either Virgin's threads, as it is here, or Virgin's sons, which is at least one too many!
DeleteThank you, chm....
Deletethe French language has many more apt expressions / names...
one of my favourites is Flambe for the Scarce Swallowtail butterfly...
a much better description of the look.
Fabulous photo, Ken!
ReplyDeleteSpiders flying on kites, virgin's sons- interesting things I never knew about until this blog!
ReplyDeletewebs are lovely
ReplyDelete