Tag: spider

Wildlife – 2016

Blackbirds eating the sun flower seeds
Robin nest, front porch. The Robin’s have been nesting in this same nest for 4 years now
Rabbits, eating the lawn. they actually eat the grass right down to the roots, and leave big holes in the lawn

 

Bull snake. (not venomous)

 

 

 

St. Anthony’s cross in the Roses

 

 

 

Birds at the south feeder

 

Yellow headed black bird

 

Black birds

 

 

Spider!

So I am gingerly stepping through the day lilly garden, pulling our the dead flower stalks.  This one is not quite ready to pull free from the bulb so I bend over and get a little closer and . . . .  OMG!  Sweet Jesus save me!  i come face to face with this beauty!

Look at the size of that spinneret!

She was only about 3″ from my nose.  I teetered on the back of my tennis shoes and backed up.

What in the hell kind of spider is that!?!  I hope it’s not poisonous.

I run inside and look it up on the computer:  it’s a St. Anthony’s Cross spider.  (“Cross” because they keep two legs close together so their legs form an x shape, or a cross.)  Non-poisonous.  Whew!  They eat lots of bugs and flies.  Yea!   But yikes, she is HUGE.

St. Anthony’s Cross spider

As I turn look slowly around me, trying to refocus my eyes into the thick tangle of lily leaves, I can see 2 more of these beauties.  I tip toe my way outta there and decide the dead flower stalks can stay up a little longer.  Besides, the spiders are using them to anchor their webs.  Wouldn’t be right to mess up all that hard work.

She’s about 3 1/2″ long. Her abdomen is as big as my thumb.