This strange pom-pom like growth, which forms on the branches of wild rose, is actually the work of a tiny wasp (Dipoloepis rosae). The ‘gall’ contains multiple chambers where the larvae of the wasp will develope before emerging the following spring. The gall provides a perfect home for the tiny wasp larvae during the winter months.
Despite the reputation that arachnids have acquired over the years, they are still worthy of a moment of your time should you come across one. At this time of year the long grass that grows in the meadows and fields around the UK provides the perfect habitat for many species of spider.
Some of you may have already seen small clusters of grass tightly bound by a web of sorts. The chances are it will have been the work of the nursery web spider Pisaura mirabilis.
This species of spider will create a dome-like cover over an egg sac in order to keep it safe until the spiderlings hatch and eventually leave the nest. You can often guarantee that a female will be close by and in some cases will be resting on the side of the web. The guarding spider can be spooked easily and may quickly hide if disturbed. So, moving quiet will increase your chances of seeing her.
A female nursery web spider carrying an egg sac
A profile image of the nursery web spider
Another spider that can be seen at this time of
year is the Labyrinth
spider Agelena labyrinthica. This
spider can be identified by the large web carpet that it creates amongst the
grass. The web carpet acts as a large catchment area for the spider’s prey.
While the spider waits for an unsuspecting insect to cross its web, it will lie
and wait in a silk tunnel at the rear of the web. It will then quickly run out
and grab its victim before retreating to the confines of it’s silk tunnel to
feast on its prey.
My interest with spiders came about when I started photographing in the fields near home. It made me realize how many varieties there are and how they all catch their prey in different ways. Each one has a set of features that enables it to survive in different habitats. I would like to share some of my findings close to home.
The beauty of nature is that it can be found almost anywhere. A great place to start is on the side of your own home. Where there are insects you will find spiders. The sun-warmed surfaces of a building provide a great habitat for the insects attracted to the warmth.
This jumping spider was found, resting in a hollow in the wall, consuming an aphid.
A nursery web spider basking in the warmth of the sun-covered brick.
Commonly know as a jumping
spider (Salticus scenicus), this type
of spider has exceptionally good eyesight. It will stalk it’s prey to the point
where it can eventually leap onto it.
This jumping spider had caught a fly. You can see the large front facing eyes which give this spider the added advantage for hunting its prey. Fully grown, this spider only reaches a size 5-7mm.
Small holes and cavities provide shelter for
these small spiders. So, old buildings can be especially good for spotting
them.
Common
lace weaver spiders can be found in abundance on buildings. The best time to
see this species is at night. Go out with a torch and see if you can find some.
Their eyes twinkle as the light passes over them.
Finding some spiders in long grass can be
difficult if they don’t have a visible web. If you know what to look for then
you can increase your chances of success. Small balls of grass such as this one
are evidence.
In this image you can see how difficult it is to notice the spider holding onto the grass in the lower left part of the image.
The spider fastens together multiple pieces of grass and seeds with its silk. This creates a shelter which the spider can blend into. From above, the spider is not visible to predators, so the best way to view this spider is from underneath, where it spends most of its time.
One of the best finds I’ve come across was
whilst walking in my local area – it was garden spiders, Araneidae diadematus, in their juvenile state. The very simple web
held two pieces of grass together in an arch form to make a sturdy support for
the spiderlings. The ball formation you see in the one picture is referred to
as a nursery cluster. The slightest disturbance and the cluster will break
apart as the spiderlings disperse rapidly.
I noticed this house spider had made its home in
one of the holes on the railway bridge at Sandwell Valley.
Sometimes you will come across interesting things when you least expect it. This is a green crab spider that I found on the side of my car. It’s the first of the species that I had seen. Luckily I had my camera phone to document it. The green crab spider is one the most vibrant spiders. It’s thin translucent body allows it to glow in the harsh sunlight, emphasising its amazing colouration.
As the winter months close in, the wildlife in my garden is becoming more scarce, however the vole population is booming as always.
I still continue to document the same creatures such as the common frog, I find that they vary so much in size and colouration, making each one different from the last.
This southern hawker was a visitor to the newly built pond and also became the first of its species to appear on my field studio.
Southern hawker - Aeshna cyanea
Smooth newt - Lissotriton vulgaris
Bank vole (juvenile) - Clethrionomys glareolus
Common frog - Rana temporaria
Since starting the study of my garden I have wanted to photograph a shrew with my field studio. Unlike the other mammals in my garden the common shrew is very elusive. I was once fortunate to come across a nest containing a litter of common shrews, but these types of situations are best left undisturbed.
I found this shrew (pictured below) under one the boards that I placed down in the paddock. The image does not show size but I can tell you it was only around 5cm long (body only), so very small.
Its long pointed nose and tiny eyes makes the shrew stand out from other mammals such as voles and mice. Their short life-span means that it is uncommon for them to live for more than 12 months. Their diet consists of mainly insects but they will also eat slugs, snails and earthworms.
The common shrew can be found widespread throughout Britain and comes in at second place in being the most numerous Mammal in Britain.
Common shrew - Sorex araneus
Its amazing how much wildlife you can encourage into your garden just by letting it grow naturally. Up until a few years ago we used to mow this paddock several times a year. Today many would see it as field of weeds but to me its a wildlife haven. I included the barn in the image below, as it is also an important part of the habitat. Lots of insects and spiders benefit from the red brick walls that warm up in the sun throughout the day. Some of my best findings have been discovered around the edge of the building making it an important area of my study.
The area of study: Paddock
Various species of arachnids living in the paddock
In order to encourage particular wildlife, I laid down six chip board panels amongst the grass. The panels provide a whole host of wildlife with shelter and in some cases a home. The boards warm up nicely in the sun which the snakes particularly benefit from.
A litter of bank voles in a nest under one of the panels
Within a week of putting down the panels, I had mice, voles, shrews and grass snakes living underneath them. Over the course of the summer I have lost count of the number of nesting voles that I have encountered under the boards.
The population of bank voles in the paddock is booming. Everywhere I look I find new nests. If you just sit and listen your can hear squeaking and rustling coming from within the long grass.
Amazingly, bank voles become sexually mature at just five weeks old. Female bank voles can produce up to four or five litters a year which explains the numbers found within my paddock.
I have been documenting the bank voles with the aid of my field studio to create ‘Meet Your Neighbours’ style images.
The setup
The results
To be continued…
Bank vole
Grass snake
High resolution images can be viewed with the following link:-
Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus
Snipe Fly Rhagia scolopacea
Crab spider Philodromus sp
Running crab spider Philodromus dispar
Species TBC
Common frog Rana temporaria
Millipede Diplodpoda
Species TBC
High resolution images can be viewed with the following link:-
The last few sunny days have really started to bring the garden to life. I can once again continue the Meet Your Neighbours project on a regular basis. This year I shall have a new pond up and ready for the months ahead. Where there is water there is life, so I can’t wait to find out what takes up residence in the garden with this added feature.
Here are a few from the last few days.
Running crab spider - Philodromus dispar
Orange Tip Butterfly - Anthocharis cardamines
Caddis fly
Common centipede - Lithobius forficatus
High resolution images can be viewed with the following link:-
Yesterday the results of the International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) were released. I managed to receive a Commended award for my image “The end of the vine”. I traveled to Kew Garden to attend the private view, which was great as I was able to see a selection of the best images from competition seven. It was really nice to see images in print, considering a large percentage of modern photography is usually viewed digitally.
Check out the winning images:
http://www.igpoty.com/competition07/winners.asp?parent=winners
I came across a bank vole not long ago that had fallen into an old victorian well thats in my garden. The well has claimed the lives of many small creatures including frogs and small mammals over the years. I try to check it as much as I can to make sure there is nothing that has fallen in and cant get out.
This was the first mammal that I had found that had survived the fall or at least starvation. As soon as catching the vole with a small net, I placed it in a tank with some fresh and dried grass. It instantly started eating the fresh grass. It must have been starving and also dehydrated. Even though it was eating you could tell it didn’t look well. I was convinced it was going to die.
I collected a few blackberries which I thought would help as they contained plenty of moisture. They seemed to work a treat as it ate them all. It was definitely perking up.
As it made a clear recovery I set up my field studio and hung a bunch of blackberries over the surface where I placed the vole. It went strait to them and reared up and even climbed up into the bunch an started nibbling the fruit. It was a real joy to see this behaviour and even made some great images. I later released the vole back into the garden.
High resolution images can be viewed with the following link:-
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Common frog
Froghopper nymph
Empis tessellate
Crane fly
Dung fly with prey
High resolution images can be viewed with the following link:-
