Salticus...

Probably my favourite spider, Salticus senicus again in the garden this afternoon. They can be found hunting on external walls and sometimes inside the house too. They are active hunters that don't spin a web but prefer to seek out their prey and boy are they well set up to do that - just check out the eyes on this one. Two extra large forward facing eyes, which detect the slightest movement. It makes them look more intelligent than your average spider and you can certainly interact more with them - real little characters.

Salticus scenicus: R. Harris

Salticus scenicus: R. Harris

Misumena vatia...

In the UK we have quite a few of the 62 European Thomisidae spiders and they all frequently get labelled under the common name of 'Crab Spider'. The Thomisidae are further split into sub-families but there's a lot of conjecture over whether they should ever have been split in the first place. This little fella is Misumena vatia, the commonest and most noticeable of the bunch and the only Misumena in Northern Europe. Always worth checking flower heads at this time of the year as they are frequently found sitting in ambush, waiting for an insect to walk close enough to grab with their specially adapted forelegs.

Misumena vatia: R. Harris

Misumena vatia: R. Harris

Misumena vatia: R. Harris

Here are a few other spiders from the garden over the last few days:

Araneus quadratus, male: R. Harris

Enoplognatha ovata: R. Harris

Pholcus phalangioides: R. Harris

A Dorset Frog...

There's so much to do at this time of the year if you're into other branches of natural history and that's just as well as birding is very quiet at the moment. Luckily I like loads of other subject areas too and I find it hard to pick and choose what to do with any time I have. As the weekend looks set to be unsettled I made a snap decision to take a couple of hours off first thing and do a bit of botany. So early this morning I set off on a fairly short drive into Dorset to try and connect with the Frog Orchids Coeloglossum viride that are putting on a good display this year. I found 12 plants, including one that had sadly been trodden on. There were also hundreds of Pyramidal orchids, lots of Common Spotted orchids going over and a couple of Greater Butterfly Orchids well past their best but great to see so many wild flowers and insects thriving. Also lots of Corn Buntings singing away in the sunshine. Great start to the day.

Frog and (sad) Pyramid: R. Harris

Frog Orchid: R. Harris

Some were scrawnier than others

Flower close-up

Frog Orchid: R. Harris

Frog Orchid: R. Harris

Frog Orchid: R. Harris

Field Scabious: R. Harris

Pyramidal Orchid: R. Harris

And a few from yesterday:

Dwarf Spurge: R. Harris

Grass Vetchling: R. Harris

Grass Vetchling: R. Harris

This very obliging Pisaura miribilis or Nursery Webb Spider living up to its name, guarding the young spiderlings enclosed in their tent like web.

Pisaura mirabilis: R. Harris

Pisaura mirabilis: R. Harris

Pisaura mirabilis: R. Harris

Devon & Dorset...bits and bobs.

Thanks to Andy Grinter for a visual round-up of Portland from a couple of days ago. Very much the sights of summer - he managed to see the long-staying Hooded Crow too but couldn't get a photo of it:

Spotted Flycatcher: Andy Grinter

Marbled White: Andy Grinter

Silver-studded Blue: Andy Grinter

Six-spot Burnets: Andy Grinter

Small Skipper: Andy Grinter

Meanwhile Dave Helliar has been looking at some of the locals around Chard and the Devon coast:

Above and beyond the call of duty Dave - not sure I'd
have let this Cleg  fly bite me for a photo!

Young Skylark: Dave Helliar

Young Skylark: Dave Helliar

Liocoris tripustulatus: Dave Helliar

Digger wasp Sp. with caterpillar host: Dave Helliar

Digger wasp Sp. with caterpillar host: Dave Helliar

Large Skipper: Dave Helliar

Small Skipper: Dave Helliar

Small Skipper: Dave Helliar

Thanks to Dave and Andy for supplying their images.