Photoclubalpha

Yep I'm totally in agreeance with that, I've had a couple of disturbing experiences with arachnids...let us know when you find it.
Greg

ps. One time I was helping my friend take the poly tarp off the dozer up in the rainforest, it had been parked in the same spot for quite a while... there was half an acre of poly tarp, and there is me occupying just a teensy portion of space on one side, pulling/sliding the tarp off the dozer....and where does the huge hairy spider about the size of a dinner plate land....right on my head, that's where, with a sortof plop, it then scuttled down the side of my face and launched itself off my ear/jaw onto the dozer treads, whereupon it disappeared underneath where all the rollers and running gear was...geez, I hope the little tyke didn't get hurt under there when it started moving..

Something bigger and hairier ate it.

Last summer i was settign up to photograph a spider that was in the middle of his web in my shed near the floor. I was fiddling wiht the tripod and stuff and looked up and a bird landed on the floor in front of me, I though I kight be able to get a pic of the bird too but when I got my eye to the VF the bird grabbed the spider and flew away.

Nothing to worry Gio, I've found it

I'm not sure which is most disturbing, not seeing it, or seeing it . Nice shots Gio and Doc.

Greg Beetham wrote:ps. One time I was helping my friend take the poly tarp off the dozer up in the rainforest, it had been parked in the same spot for quite a while... there was half an acre of poly tarp, and there is me occupying just a teensy portion of space on one side, pulling/sliding the tarp off the dozer....and where does the huge hairy spider about the size of a dinner plate land....right on my head, that's where, with a sortof plop, it then scuttled down the side of my face and launched itself off my ear/jaw onto the dozer treads, whereupon it disappeared underneath where all the rollers and running gear was...geez, I hope the little tyke didn't get hurt under there when it started moving..

Greg - if that had happened to me then they would have carried me away on a stretcher - I'm sleeping with the lights on tonight .

[quote="Dr. Harout"]Nothing to worry Gio, I've found it


thats a relief

Nice story Greg, and you have some big spiders in Sunny Queensland, I remember on one trip up north, I near walked through the web of a Golden Orb Web Spider, they say it will even eat birds if they get caught in it's web, it's is supposed to be one of the strongest webs made by any spider.

I think you may be right about that Steve, the orb spider does build a huge strong web, I remember another time when I was walking through the bush (pig hunting), the whole area just there was dotted with the web/nests of those particular spiders, you could easily walk inio one of the anchor threads or the bottom of the web itself and they are strong enough to pull you up, although it's probably part reaction to having the strong web accross ones face or throat. Anyhow on this occasion I avoided getting tangled but I happened to notice something moving/fluttering over under a large Tamarind tree but up off the ground, so went on over to investigate. Initially I thought it was a butterfly or moth caught in one of the webs, but on closer inspection we (I called my mate over as well) found it was a Willie wagtail http://birdsinbackyards.net/species/Rhi ... leucophrys , very securely caught by one of the yellow anchor strands around one of it's wings, it would have died for sure had we not got it out of there, it was a hot day and the poor little blighter was overheating as the two of us held him (carefully) still enough to pull that strong web off everywhere, feet wings tail, I had to keep blowing on him too cool him down, we eventually got him out and free though, without causing any injury, (you could break a wing or leg bone by being too impetuous). The large spider was watching us from about 10 feet above our heads but didn't come any closer. I think what might have happened was, the wagtail saw some moth in the web, fluttering, and went to catch it and got caught itself...just a theory though because the web is definitely strong enough to catch smallish birds.
Greg

Birma wrote:
Greg - if that had happened to me then they would have carried me away on a stretcher - I'm sleeping with the lights on tonight .

I know where you're coming from Birma, I think I had goosebumps after that, and felt decidedly woozy for a little while....I hate those things with a passion....Thank goodness there is a marsupial that actually hunts large spiders, kills them and eats them, it's about the size of a large mouse, and has a longish snout with little teath, not chisel teeth like a mouse. It's called an antechinus, http://www.anhs.com.au/antechinus.htm.
One night at the hut my friend watched one hunt a large spider down that was up in the rafters...those little blighters must be fearless.
Greg

Greg Beetham wrote:Thank goodness there is a marsupial that actually hunts large spiders, kills them and eats them, it's about the size of a large mouse, and has a longish snout with little teath, not chisel teeth like a mouse. It's called an antechinus, http://www.anhs.com.au/antechinus.htm.

My new favourite Australian animal . I think I've have to start a breeding colony of those for the house and carry a couple around in my pockets. (It seems the males have a short life .)

I saw a picture the other day (you know the type that gets forwarded around via email) of a large spider eating a snake that was tangled in its web. It was supposedly in Australia (where else?). Perhaps it was one of those Orb Spiders? They give me the heebie jeebies, but are fascinating at the same time.

Well done for saving the wagtail - I bet it took a lot of patience. It may be an urban myth but I'm sure I remember something about spiders web being stronger than steel (of the same dimensions). Or perhaps it was in a Spiderman comic .

Thanks Birma, Willie wagtails are cute active little chaps with a cheerful song, one of natures creatures that makes it worthwhile to be alive. No one could leave one to such a fate I don't think.
Greg

found this on the net:)




here is the article

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthn ... amera.html

Very good photos Gio67 & Doc.

Interesting spider adventures Greg,
First one really made me laugh ;^)
Second one, you made a friend for life!
Doing a very good deed.

DA

stevecim wrote:found this on the net:)

here is the article

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthn ... amera.html

The article says it is one of Greg's Orb "friends" - nice .

Thanks DA, Birma for you're thoughts, both of those experiences are etched into my memory..it's something you never forget.
Anyone else had any experiences..?
Greg