Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Spiderweb and Cattails

Monday morning, on our walk around the Ponds, Bob T and I saw hundreds of spider webs, lodged between cattails, all decorated with dewdrops. Once again I wondered about spiders. I only saw only one (Garden-)spider on our walk, and not a single insect caught in any of the webs. Where were the spiders and what do they feed on? I only see webs a couple of dozen times a year and wonder where the spiders hang out the rest of the time.
 
As far as the cattails in my picture are concerned - their flower heads have popped open and the fluffy seeds have emerged. These are carried by wind and water to new places. Many birds use the fluff to line their nests. Red-winged blackbirds are the animals most frequently associated with cattails on which they love to perch. Waterfowl nest among the cattails, while a variety of other animals use cattails for various purposes. Who'd a thunk!
 

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