Spiders have an uncanny knack of turning up at the most unexpected of places and surprising you. I am not the only one to have experienced this. People have seen spiders on remote mountaintops, on newly formed islands and other such isolated locations. How spiders manage to get to these distant places and conquer newer territories is another story.
I have written about my garden a few times in the past. I also, recently, wrote about the quarry (that was) behind my house. My garden was once part of a larger landscape on the outskirts of the burgeoning city. Today, it has been reduced to almost an island in the landscape with increasing amounts of brick and concrete engulfing it. This has not kept the little critters from continuing to use the space I call my garden, while pleasantly surprising me from time to time.
Couple of weeks ago, with this story in mind, I stepped into my garden to photograph some spiders. Was I surprised? Surprised – most certainly; but also, overwhelmed with what I saw! For the first time in three decades, I was treated to a large web of a Giant Wood Spider with the spider taking its rightful place on it. Over the next hour or so, without much effort, I spotted and photographed eight species of spiders!
This post is about such spiders that have called my garden home – some have used the space for prolonged periods while others have shown themselves up just occasionally.
Jumping spiders aplenty. Their curious, sprightly and active nature are endearing. They are found in many places in an urban environment – vegetation, buildings, etc. Read more about them here.
These are but just some of the spiders from my garden. I have enjoyed spending time in my little garden looking for spiders and have been fortunate to document many more. It has made me realise how even a small green island in the vast urban space can give an opportunity to and support these beautiful little organisms, enriching our otherwise mundane existence.