This a great time of year for nature and colours.
This last one is available on various products at my redbubble shop – the link if for the cushion, I have the throw blanket of this one, and have to say, it is rather nice and comfy, as my dog illustrates here 🙂
(c) K Wicks
This year a few orb weavers made their home in the garden. I didn’t see half as many as last year, but more other types of spiders, I will get to them a a bit later as they are relevant. So a few small ones built their webs, and got bigger. Two seemed to have a set location, a pale brown one on the gooseberry bush in mostly full sunshine all day, and a darker, almost black and white one chose the compost bin in the datk corner of the garden.
Suprisingly, it was very difficult to photograph as always had the underside showing out and the angle of the web meant it was tricky to get behind it. Each night it would hide behind the same leaf, tucked in and almost perfectly hidden as Autumn moved and changed the leaves to be the same colour. Even still munching while resting.
It’s nice to be able to watch wildlife be in their natural envionment, just doing what they do.
This one always seemed to have goodies in his web and be scoffing something as he got bigger. Each day there would be some thing new in his grip. I thought to press record for one of his captures.
I liked checking on him every day to see how big he was getting, and if the web had managed to withstand weather and time. But it was neither of those that ended his short existence. It was the circle of nature. Those other spiders I mentioned earlier, this is where they become relevant. This year, there has been an increased number of noble false widows. They are many, and i have had to throw a few out of the house when i find them too. House spiders I usually let stay, but the others, they have to go.
Here is one I found in the house a couple of weeks ago – in the tub with drying poppy seeds no less, which my hand had been in not long before to get some seeds! It had quite high plastic so it was a bit stuck. I helped it out and put it outside. And I found a moth chrysalis in the same tub as well just after, which appears to have bust out of one of the poppy heads. There is so much more going on that meets the eye.
Here is the chrysalis – I believe it an angle shade moth one, but am still learning when it comes to identifying things.
So, back to the original story. The orb weaver, was going about his business but it would seem he may have strayed to far beyond his ‘patch’. Or maybe it was that the neighbour was jealous of his daily catches, we can’t be sure at this point. But what we do know is that at point between nightfall and the next day, something occured which ended this spiders journey. I was sad for him, not gonna lie. I came out one morning to find this scene of horror before me.
Not quite what I was expecting, but it was done. Nature and the circle of life had struck with full force. It is what it is. Like I said, we have quite a few of the noble false widows. It took this one a while to work out the logicstics of getting his catch into his lair, but he managed it eventually before the rains came, so I think he should be fine for a while.
It doesn’t always go well, and not everyone is going to make it. But life goes on…
(c) K Wicks
If you would like to see some other spider posts of mine – you can check them out here
This beautiful Gatekeeper butterfly was from August in the garden. Giving me time and different backgrounds to get some fairly decent shots.
(c) K Wicks
I have been treated to a wonderful array of visitors with the buddlia blooming with big white buds this year. A few small purple ones, but it’s worked wonders. A mini butterfly farm in my own graden! This post is for the Red Admiral.
(c) K Wicks
Another regular to the garden, and to the buddleia.
(c) K Wicks
Yesterday saw the arrival of the very large bumble bees, I don’t think I have seen ones that big since being in Spain. But they also love the buddleia, even disappearing into it on their forage. But this one was a timely hit of the record button in slow motion as it took off. It was only after playing it back did I realise that the sound had picked up the wings sounding like a chopper 🙂 – sound on for full effect.
(c) K Wicks
The buddleia has been attracting many butterflies and Bees today. I managed to catch a shot of one taking off while filming in slow motion. Check out the YouTube vid.
(c) K Wicks
We have a few house guests that have taken up residence. Two appeared in the utility at opposite ends, but one was having a photogenic moment.
I also rescued a small one out of the bath yesterday and put it on the bathroom fern, so presume that one is still around too. I don’t mind them if they don’t surprise me. And they live if they stay off the floor. My dog has a habit of ‘playing’ with them, which never ends well for the spider.
(c) K Wicks
It has taken a while, but finally the buddleia bush is blooming. Not so much on the purple this year, the white has decided to shine through on this tri coloured variety. Although up until now, it’s only been purple last year, purple and white this year, so not sure where the third colour has gone. The birds kept nipping off the little buds when they appeared in spring, so maybe that did something to affect it. But since it has gone for it, and the weather has warmed again, it has been inundated with bees and butterflies. Red admirals, honey bees, tortoiseshells and bumble bees. Also had a small white yesterday as well. I have finally got the right flowers!
(c) K Wicks
Some of the new flowers I bought earlier in the year that survived the postage, the wildlife and the weather are now in full bloom and are bringing many bees in. I didn’t know they would be so bee friendly, but it’s a nice suprise. This visitor went through every flower on the salvia ‘hot lips’ one. It was quite a task to get some shots in while it was doing it’s thing, bit I got a couple of awesome ones. In the third picture you can really appreciate how long their tongues are to be able to get to the nectar with such long petals in the way.
(c) K Wicks
MKW Publishing 