Garden Cross spider

Garden Cross spider, a photo by Linda Yarrow on Flickr.

This is another spider I found at Morden Bog, Garden Cross spider, a common species. Spiders are more visible at this time of year because they have become mature in size making them more noticeable. Walk along the hedgerow on a non windy, sunny day you will find them. I say non windy, it is not easy getting a good picture of a spider on it's web on a windy day. Another problem I encountered is that a lot of the spiders are on the wrong side of their web, it's geat when you find one on the right side, still tricky though, particularly when the spider is on gorse.

Four Spot Orb Weaver spider

Four Spot Orb Weaver spider, a photo by Linda Yarrow on Flickr.

Taken at Morden Bog, close to where the Wasp spiders are.

Wasp Spider

Wasp Spider, a photo by Linda Yarrow on Flickr.

Found this big lady today at Morden Bog. I think her web needs a little tidying up;-)

Wasp Spider with it's Mate or Potential Dinner, if he gets it wrong:-)

Wasp Spider with it's Mate or Potential Dinner, if he gets it wrong:-), a photo by Linda Yarrow on Flickr.

Found the Wasp Spiders at Morden Bog, found three, this one had a mate (poor chap)

Little and Large

Morden Bog is a nature reserve just up the road from where I live and we often go for a walk (well, I walk, my OH goes for a run) on the reserve.   I knew the Wasp Spider was at Morden Bog but I have never seen one until yesterday, thanks to one of my contacts on Flickr, I found them.  I found six females and there was three males.   She is big and he is small, the female is impressive but the poor male, he is tiny and puny in comparison, and if he does not get it right, she will eat him either after or during mating. 

The females did vary in size, this female was the biggest, a real beauty I think, I wonder how many male suitors she has eaten:-)




In this picture, you can just see the tiny male spider, you have to feel sorry for him, nature can be a bit unkind sometimes, but his desire to mate with this huge female outweighs his fear of being eaten by her.