I found a jumping spider in the irises, and, after taking my usual maximum-distance/maximum-zoom spider photos, I bolted away in an arachnophobia panic gathered my courage for some macro shots.
The spider seemed fascinated by the camera. Maybe it saw a foe in the lens? Maybe it simply wanted to climb? Whatever its motive, I was terrified by impressed by the spider’s jumping ability.
Every time I moved the camera within macro range, the spider darted forward and leapt onto the lens. I got several blurry way-too-close-ups.
I also had a few too many “where did it go?!” moments.
Even so, I’m happy to have these photos for the archive. There’s something appealing, to me, about the spider’s “expression”.
After our photo session, the spider climbed onto the pear tree. Its camouflage was so complete that I soon lost sight of it.
I won’t be adopting a spider as a pet anytime soon, but it’s getting easier to photograph them.
First Landing State Park is beginning to feel the onset of fall. The osprey are migrating, leaving egrets and herons in charge. Grasshoppers carry on as if winter will never come, but the butterflies know better. They’ve disappeared, along with most of the bees. (I did see something that might have been a bee, but it also might have been a fly that wanted me to think it was a bee.)
Rae Spencer 