Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: spider web

Just added another 14 extra photos tonight, taken on Day 4 of our trip to Point Pelee (Ontario) and Tadoussac (Quebec). I did not take many photos on this last day at Point Pelee. Day 4 of our holiday was 10 May 2018. We had a ridiiculously early start to the day, as we had been told that American Woodcocks (Scolopax minor) tend to gather in and around the hotel parking lot. That information was just too good to ignore, so I think it was sometime after 4:00 am that we were out there, searching. As it turned out, in vain, though we did hear two individuals vocalizing in the dark bushes across the road. The American Woodcock is "a small chunky shorebird species found primarily in the eastern half of North America. Woodcocks spend most of their time on the ground in brushy, young-forest habitats, where the birds' brown, black, and gray plumage provides excellent camouflage." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_woodcock This last day was spent at Pt Pelee, walking a few trails including at The Tip again. We also drove to The Onion Fields, just north of Pt Pelee, between Hillman Marsh and Pt Pelee, where we had a great sighting - a very, very distant male Snowy Owl, sitting way out in a field, next to a white post!! Awful photos, but will eventually post one of them, just for the record. As always, I did not manage to see every species, but was happy to see at least some of them! The next morning, 11 May, we had to do the very long drive from Pelee to Toronto, where we caught a plane to Quebec City, arriving there at 2:45 pm. From there, we had a long drive east to reach the small village of Tadoussac on the St. Lawrence Seaway. There, we would be staying for a week at the summer 'cabin' of one of our group of friends. For a more detailed account of our trip east, see www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/45038233955/in/datepost...

Almost called this "Oh what a tangled web we weave" (quote by Sir Walter Scott). Cat's cradle is a string game you may remember from childhood. It requires two people to pass the string back and forth to make various string shapes. Cat's Cradle instructions can be found at the following two links: youtu.be/CAZhx5PKgl4 www.wikihow.com/Play-The-Cat's-Cradle-Game After a volunteer shift on 23 July 2014, I wasn't too far away from the Erlton/Roxboro Natural Area, where I was finally going to go on a botany walk. Having been to this location several times before, I knew it was a short, easy, flat trail, and that I could go as far as I wanted and then turn back early, which is what I did. I had missed pretty well all the botany and birding walks the previous few months, which was quite depressing. The main thing I wanted to see were these Nodding / Musk Thistles, as they are my favourite species of Thistle. They are called a "weed", but I love to see them. The sun was unfortunately in the wrong direction, so I was only able to get a couple of OK shots, but better than nothing. This flower head, past its prime, had quite a fancy tangle of spider web over it. Its name, Nodding Thistle, comes from the fact that the flower heads commonly droop to a 90° to 120° angle from the stem when mature. Here in Alberta, this species is a noxious weed - but a beautiful one. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carduus_nutans With a couple of hours to "kill", I had spent them at the Reader Rock Garden, which was just a few minutes' drive away from the evening botany walk location.

Perhaps I should whisper that this is my favourite Thistle, seeing as it is a weed : ) It is called Nodding Thistle, also Musk Thistle, and was introduced from Europe and North Africa. A member of the Aster family, it grows to 60-250 cm tall, with flower heads that are 1.5-8 cm across. This particular plant was growing on 23rd July 2014 at the Erlton/Roxboro Natural Area. It was past its prime, as the purple disc florets have died, but I am always fascinated with the spine-tipped, inner and outer bracts. This time that I went, the sun was in the wrong position to try and photograph the plants from the other side. After a volunteer shift on that day, 23 July 2014, I wasn't too far away from the Erlton/Roxboro Natural Area, where I was finally going to go on a botany walk. Having been to this location several times before, I knew it was a short, easy, flat trail, and that I could go as far as I wanted and then turn back early, which is what I did. I've missed pretty well all the botany and birding walks the last few months, which is quite depressing. The main thing I wanted to see were these Nodding / Musk Thistles. With a couple of hours to "kill" after my volunteer shift, I spent them at the Reader Rock Garden, which was just a few minutes' drive away from the evening botany walk at the Erlton/Roxboro Natural Area.

Echinacea are one of my favourite flowers, no matter what stage they are at. The flower centre is so spectacular. This one was photographed (macro) at Reader Rock Garden on 10 September 2013.

A dying Echinacea flower, tangled in spider web, seen at the Calgary Zoo on 25 September 2012.

Several of us went a long way NW of Calgary yesterday, to botanize the Waiparous Trails area, high above the Ghost River. I happened to notice this little Seven-spotted Ladybug (non-native) on a curled-over grass head. Looking more closely, I saw the spider web, but I don't know if the Ladybug had been caught or not. Happy 1st September! Where DID the summer go? Have a great long weekend, everyone. Drive safely if you are going to be out on the roads.

When I was on a three-hour walk with friends on February 23rd, at Griffith Woods, someone happened to notice this tiny, old Hummingbird nest hanging from a very low Spruce branch. So beautifully made. In a photo I posted a few days ago, a friend was holding a $10 bill for someone else to take a photo and, though I usually never add something for size in any of my photos, I thought it might work for that one. The photo above is a closer look at this amazingly built nest. The inside of it is about the size of half a walnut shell. This is a link to a short video from YouTube, of Hummingbirds from "egg" to when they actually leave the nest. Amazes me that they don't poke each others' eyes out with those long, thin beaks! Photographing nests and nesting birds is frowned upon by many people/birders, so hopefully this video was taken with a very powerful zoom lens. Hummingbirds sometimes return to use the same nest. They build their tiny nests from spider webs, soft cottony material, moss and plant fibres, and hang beautiful lichens from the spider webs. The elasticity of the spider silk allows the nest to expand beautifully to accommodate the growing young in the nest. The typical hummingbird nest is tiny, about the size of half a walnut shell! Nature is so amazing! youtu.be/gG59PaCiiDg youtu.be/AcyjOgKvx88 birding.about.com/od/birdhouses/a/hummingbirdnests.htm

Hope those of you who do celebrate Halloween (in one form or another) have a really fun and SAFE weekend. Here in Calgary, we couldn't ask for more perfect weather for all the tiny witches and goblins (and Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber look-alikes, ha) to invade the neighbourhoods : ) Keep an eye open if you are driving tomorrow evening - some of these little guys can't see too well through their masks and costumes. Stay safe! New neighbours moved in today - their dog hasn't stopped barking through the adjoining wall and it's driving me nuts!!! There is only so long that I can stand having my music or TV blaring to drown the sound .... : )

This was a fascinating thing to see down at the bottom of Horseshoe Canyon, in the Badlands of Alberta, north east of the city. Several of us spent the day on 21st August botanizing the amazing area. This spider web was so different and very intricate, constructed down in the grass. Too bad the little (?) owner didn't show itself - maybe camera shy?

Just a shot of the tip of a branch of a Lodgepole Pine tree on the acreage at Janel Butler's (and family) farm on 16th May, where we spent a good part of the day botanizing. Looks like a spider had been playing Cat's Cradle with it's delicate web, LOL. Gotta dash (again!), as I am spending the whole day at the Zoo with my oldest daughter. She has been recovering from surgery and was desperate to get out for a few hours.

..... from a spider's web : ). Just happened to notice this Mosquito (?) and seed (from maybe a Dandelion?) caught in a web, during a walk at Pearce Estate about a month ago.

Part of a spider web in North Glenmore Park. I was just a little amused to see a "knot" in an otherwise "perfect" web.