Spiderlings and Slow Worm

Another garden post, but not for those who don’t like spiders (or even baby spiderlings). This seems to be the time of year when the common garden spider babies are making their presence known. A host of them have appeared scattered across the garden hedge, in small balls hidden in fine webbing.

spiderlings

The clumps are varied in size, but all of them are home to a thousand eyes and at least a thousand legs. 😉 These (or a small number them) will grow into the common garden spider (Araneus diadematus), the female of which is the large orb spider often seen sitting in a large classic web during the autumn months. In the galleries there’s a short sequence of their mating ritual.

spiderling

spiderling

spiderling

If spiders aren’t your thing, I suspect legless lizards (aka the slow worm) aren’t going to be either. But I could be wrong. This beauty was crawling across the patio yesterday afternoon.

Slow worm with tongue flicking out

Slow worm with tongue flicking out

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens, apart from the first photo which was taken with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

Posted in Behaviour, slow worm, Spiders Tagged , |

More Baby Blue Tits

Just a couple of new photos of the baby blue tits (plus one of an adult). These were taken today. The babies are getting more and more active in the nest and will be fledging any day now. I’ll check the site out again on Monday, but suspect all will be quiet at the nest box by then.

Blue tit (adult)

Baby blue tit in nest box

Baby blue tit in nest box

Baby blue tit in nest box

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

Posted in Birds Tagged |

Baby Blue Tit

The baby blue tits I’ve been listening to for the past week or so are very near to fledging. The adults were busy bringing food back to the nest box, but between visits the young birds were beginning to get their first view of the outside world.

Baby blue tits

Baby blue tits

Baby blue tits

Baby blue tits

And one photo from a few minutes ago. The nicked-ear fox is still cautious, but slowly becoming more tolerant.

fox

Camera note: all blue tit photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. The fox was taken with the EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

Posted in Behaviour, Birds, Foxes Tagged , , |