Wolf Spider (Pardosa sp) female with spiderlings. They always like to warm themselves on my decking. Now you know want I’m going say next, don’t you? It’s about double-clicking … if you wanna get closer … but you don’t have to … maybe this is close enough?
Copyright: Peter Hillman
Camera used: Nikon D7200
Date taken: 16th June 2019
Place: Rear garden, Staffordshire
This is a Long-jawed Orb-weaver Spider Tetragnatha sp. stretched along one of the stalks of my iris which is growing in the garden pond. It apparently somehow knows that the iris is flowering and attracting airborn insects. No doubt, in due course, it will spin a web to attempt to catch them.
Click once to expand view, click again to get that little bit closer
May 2018, garden pond, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman Sigma 18-300mm.
I found this lovely on my living room ceiling. It is a species of running crab spider, and a male, and oh boy do they run fast!
It is normally found on the lower branches of trees and shrubs in wooded areas, but it is also found in gardens and occasionally indoors. The sexes vary quite differently, hence the scientific name. It is quite common in Southern Britain.
Click once to expand view, click again to get that little bit closer
May 2018, photos taken in rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman
First time I have found one of these Jumping Spiders in my house. I took him outside where he very briefly struck this pose for my macro lens.
Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus May 2018, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman
Finally this Jumping Spider Sitticus pubescens sits long enough, maybe curious about what I was up to, to strike a pose for my camera giving me the ‘goggle-eyed’ look these critters are famous for. It caught me without my converter, but still gave me a reasonably good show before jumping off and away.
May 2018, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman
I have come across two of these today in the back garden, one on a fence and one on my garage wall. The one on the fence got away so no pics there, but they are lightning fast and they jump so very well, hence their name. I wanted to get a goggle-eye head shot, but too fast, it was gone and disappeared in a crack between paving.
With this spider I am struck at how lovely the colours and patterning are, and how fine the hairs are which coat its head and body.
May 2018, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman
This small yet bulbous-bodied spider was found under the lid of my green recycling bin. It is generally found in and around buildings, and has got quite a distinctive zig-zaggy median band. It is common and widespread in much of England.
The pose below is its defensive posture. They do not like been blown on, and will sometimes adopt this position and stay still for a short while, otherwise they are on the move all the time until they find shelter.
April 2018, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman
This was quite a nice spring surprise at the start of April. I like how variable the patterning and the colouring can be on these spiders.
It belongs to a family called Pisauridae, and there are only 2 British genera.
April 2018, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman
This is one of the smallest spiders in the genus, and the first time I have seen it here. It is typically found on the lower branches of broadleaved trees, in woodland clearings and margins. It is very similar to P. rufus, but P. rufus is seen much further south than here.
April 2018, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman
This little spider with a pretty pattern and colour was peering through my study window this morning. It is usually found on low vegetation, shrubs, and the lower branches of trees.
It often occurs in the webs of other small spiders, feeding on them or the prewrapped parcels of food found there.
It is common and widespread throughout southern and central England.
April 2018, front garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman
Nature Journeys 