Busy, busy; spring is coming!

On an ancient piling holding back the dike at Oyster Bay, a swarm of yellow jackets are setting up housekeeping.

Western Yellowjacket, Vespula pennsylvanica European paper wasp, Polistes dominula.

These pilings have been here since the 1920s or '30s. Most have almost rotted away.

Many of the yellowjackets were crawling about deep down in these cracks.

And at the top of the piling, a tiny spider caught himself a fly. I caught up with him as he carried it down a blackberry cane to his lair on the bank.

Zebra spider, Salticus scenicus.

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En uno de los pilotes antiguos que retienen el dique en Oyster Bay, un enjambre de avispas se están consruyendo un nido.

    1. Avispa europea, Polistes dominula. 

    2. Estos pilotes han detenido el dique desde los años entre 1920 y 1940. Casi todos están ya bien podridos.

    3. Muchas de las avispas estaban en el centro del pilote, entrando y saliendo de estas grietas.

    4. Y la punta del pilote una arañita saltarina capturó una mosca. Aquí la está llevando a su escondite, usando una rama de mora como puente. Araña cebra, Salticus scenicus.

Almost good enough camouflage

I found this jumping spider on the old church fence.

The fence is old, unfinished wood, grey at a distance, black and light grey from close up. So is the spider, but as he stands, his stripes go the wrong way.

Zebra jumping spider, Salticus scenicus, male (going by the long pedipalps). About 1/4 inch fangs to spinnerets.

This is a rather light-coloured zebra; most have much more black and brown. But he is ideally suited to his chosen home on the fence. On a grey day, as are most this time of year, he would be practically invisible. As it is, I saw him fine, but the camera couldn't distinguish him from the plank, and refused to focus, forcing me to teeter precariously over the shrubbery to focus manually. I didn't quite manage it, specially with a curious spider matching his movements to the camera's.

Of all the spiders, I think the jumpers are about my favourites; big-eyed cuties with loads of personality, curious and adventuresome. But their curiosity makes them difficult to photograph. They swivel constantly to stare into that great round eye, so much like their own, but so much bigger. They don't turn and run, but jump towards the camera, making me flinch no matter how I tell myself they're harmless. It's the sudden movement that gets me every time. I've had one jump right onto the camera lens; I wonder if he thought he could eat it? They do catch prey well over their own size.