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Labyrinth Spider | Agelena Labyrinthica | June 2021 | Monteggio, Switzerland
My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
More TICINO/TESSIN Wildlife Photos (all taken in my garden in Monteggio/Ti, Switzerland): it.lacerta-bilineata.com/ramarro-occidentale-lacerta-bili... (the website exists in ESPAÑOL, FRANÇAIS, ITALIANO, ENGLISH, DEUTSCH)
My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning, it's a bit shocking): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI
ABOUT THE PHOTO:
This beautiful labyrinth spider did me the courtesy of positioning itself in a ray of sunlight coming through the leaves of the plants in my garden where it had built its sophisticated (and judging from the remains of prey that were visible as lovely "home decorations" everywhere: highly effective) web.
I know, most people don't like spiders, and I must admit for the better part of my life I wasn't exactly too comfortable around them either. But what I love most about macro photography is that it's rapidly changing my perception of the tiniest creatures in my garden: viewed up close, they suddenly have a face - literally - which made me aware of them as expressive beings with a "personality" in a way I wasn't before.
Before, even though I've always been a "nature nerd", with regards to the tiniest insects and spiders in my garden I was a typical Homo Sapiens sapiens I guess. While it's easy for our species to sympathize with bigger animals whose biology more resembles our own and whose expressive faces remind us of our own emotions, we at best behave like ignorant, indifferent giants towards the smallest creatures that share our world, and at worst we see nothing in them but pests or scary, alien-looking monsters we try to extinguish wherever we find them.
Let's face it: we are a highly irrational species. We pay money to go on safaris and are - rightly - fascinated by large predators such as a pack of lions lurking in the high grass; we call those the "kings of the animals" and hold our breath in sheer excitement when we see the pack suddenly attack and gorily devour an antelope (which is nasty business: it's not uncommon that the prey already gets its belly torn open while it's still alive); yet the micro equivalents of those lions hunting prey in our gardens we view with disdain or are repulsed by.
So, to anyone viewing this photo whose first immediate reaction is disgust, I say: try to replace your fear or repulsion with a little fascination for the "micro lions" in your own backyard. Then get a macro lens and go on a garden safari; chances are you'll find a world of hidden beauty that is every bit as fascinating and rewarding for a photographer as any tropical jungle or African savannah ;-)
ABOUT THE SPECIES (from Wikipedia, slightly abbreviated by me):
Range And Habitat
Agelena labyrinthica build flat plate surface webs connected to funnel-shaped retreats similar to labyrinths, which are typically constructed between low lying grass and vegetation. These spiders are fairly common in Europe and Central Europe, and are typically concentrated in areas near forests and low lying vegetation, as well as in dry grassland.
Description
Agelena labyrinthica has a body length of up to 18 mm (0.71 in). It has approximately 25 trichobothria per walking leg. These hairs help the spider detect prey that has been caught in its web, or even prey that is near enough to cause vibrations in its web. The trichobothria hairs essentially act as a long-distance sensory system for A. labyrinthica that helps them detect prey with great accuracy and speed.
Spatial Perception
Having to travel between its sheet web and its funnel shaped retreat, A. labyrinthica have shown signs of detour compensation that allow the spider to orient itself and navigate even in complete darkness. Using its eyes to quickly navigate its web, A. labyrinthica is able to detect the plane of polarized light present, and position itself relative to it in order to maintain its orientation. A. labyrinthica also relies on its idiothetic orientation, as well as directional cues such as gravity, to gain its bearings no matter where it is.
Groynes reduce longshore transport by trapping beach material and causing the beach orientation to change relative to the dominant wave directions. They mainly influence bedload transport and are most effective on shingle or gravel beaches. Sand is carried in temporary suspension during higher energy wave or current conditions and will therefore tend to be carried over or around any cross-shore structures. Groynes can also be used successfully in estuaries to alter nearshore tidal flow patterns.
Especially effective You can visit that at this place, the Rhein Falls from Schaffhausen. On average 373 cubic meters of water are falling down the rocks per second. On the maximum in 1965 it were 1250 cubic meters per second. That makes that waterfall to one of the three largest in europe.
Dies kann man besonders eindrucksvoll an diesem Ort miterleben, den Rheinfällen bei Schaffhausen. Im Durchschnit stürzen hier 373 Kubikmeter Wasser den Fels hinunter. Maximal waren es 1965 sogar 1250 Kubikmeter pro Sekunde. Damit ist dieser Wasserfall einer der drei größten in Europa.
effective and universal means of communication of facts and ideas between peoples and nations :-)
Cornell Capa
HGGT! Truth Matters! Indict Trump!
rudbeckia, black eyed susan, little theater garden, raleigh, north carolina
Its muscular yet graceful stealth makes the leopard a prize sighting on safari, but it's not just spots that make for super-effective camouflage. The black form can be just as elusive in the bush, remaining unseen only a few metres away, the twitch of a tail is most of the time the only giveaway.
This leopard gives a perfunctory “buck-off” snarl, to something in a nearby bush.
Speed: ±58 km/h (Running)
Mass: ±30 – 91 kg (Adult, Male)
Lifespan: ±12 – 17 years (Satara,Kruger National Park, RSA).
Many thanks to everyone who chooses to leave a comment or add this image to their favorites, it is much appreciated.
©Elsie van der Walt, all rights reserved. Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. If you are interested in using one of my images, please send me an E-mail (elsie.vdwalt@gmail.com).
The Reduviidae are a large cosmopolitan family of the order Hemiptera (true bugs). They are unusual among the Hemiptera because almost all are terrestrial ambush predators (most other predatory Hemiptera are aquatic). The main examples of nonpredatory Reduviidae are some blood-sucking ectoparasites in the subfamily Triatominae. Though spectacular exceptions are known, most members of the family are fairly easily recognizable; they have a relatively narrow neck, sturdy build, and formidable curved proboscis (sometimes called a rostrum). Large specimens should be handled with caution, if at all, because they sometimes defend themselves with a very painful stab from the proboscis. Predatory Reduviidae use the long rostrum to inject a lethal saliva that liquefies the insides of the prey, which are then sucked out. The saliva contains enzymes that digest the tissues they swallow. This process is generally referred to as extraoral digestion. The saliva is commonly effective at killing prey substantially larger than the bug itself. 2201
My father had been diagnosed with colon cancer about 13 months ago. He thought that he had a few months to live, but really wanted to take July off from chemotherapy and tried to fit in one too many chemo treatments. I was called by my mom to come home very early on Friday morning. The chemotherapy dropped my dad‘s white blood cell count very low and he had started to become infected with at least one bacterial infection. He was admitted to the ICU and I arrived early afternoon on Friday from Chicago to Rochester, New York. My mom and I spent three days in the ICU reading to him from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy as well as playing his favorite songs and holding up old photos and describing them to him.He was not able to respond to us in any way, but every time we started talking to him, tears would roll down his eyes. As the last ditch effort. As the last stitch effort, we tried dialysis to keep him alive long enough for a white blood cell patch that he had used after the chemo treatment to get his white blood cell count up, which can take a while to work. However, this was not effective, and my dad would not have wanted to be put on full life support. My mom and I wrestled with what to do best to support his wishes and in the end, decided that it wasn’t going to be possible to keep him alive and for him to become conscious again or have a good quality of life. He died on Sunday night.
This experience has really made me very angry with our healthcare system. He never should’ve gotten that last chemo treatment, and although the doctor warned against it, the oncologist also did not explain to my dad how the risk of death was quite significant. My dad really really wanted to live even with all of the side effects he was going through. This is him with one of his cats, Frankenstein, a few years ago listening to music (taken by my mother, Valerie) Hopefully, they are now reunited in heaven.
If anybody does want to read the obituary for my dad, it can be found here;
harrisfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/5213/Crispin-Peters...
Spring green is very much in the picture of this neighborhood in Wellesley, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, May 14, 2019. The middle of May is the best time to take the lovely pastel colors associated with springtime in the Boston metropolitan area.
BTS Sukhumvit Line, Ratchathewi District, Bangkok
Nikon D5100, Tamron 18-270, ISO 360, f/10.0, 270mm, 1/60s
Long exposure photography can be challenging at times. The lighting, timing and just how long the exposure, can make a huge difference in the outcome.
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All rights reserved © Louis Ruth Photography 2023
I didn't need the alarm on our first full day shooting in Glacier National Park. The wind was howling all night long and as my room faced West toward the lake and Mountains, the wind blasted against my windows and door continuously, causing me to peer at the clock at least twice an hour throughout the night.
So at 4:15 AM, I gave up, got my stuff together and headed out. As I walked tentatively (bears?) through the darkness down toward the lake and looked up, one clear thought made its way through my very foggy brain: This morning is going to be epic. The broken moonlit clouds were perfect for a potential sunrise.
When we first arrived at the Many Glacier Hotel the night before, we had a general idea of where we wanted to set up for the sunrise. We knew it would be a couple hundred yards up a steep hillside, but we were hoping there would be a trail to get us to our spot. After checking with the liederhosen-clad bell hop, we found that there was no trail, but that we could make it to our spot if we found a bit of clearing and scrambled up the scree. He assured us it would be a piece of cake. "An easy scree scram" he called it.
So by 5:30 AM, all five of us were staring up at this very steep hillside in the dark, with the wind howling and rain spritzing down on us, and there was nothing for it but to charge straight up the hill. On top of the weather, we were also concerned about bears. We had our cans of bear spray, but we were trying to work out how effective they were going to be in gale force winds after running into a bear in the dark. (We found a mother and her cubs later that morning less than a 1/2 a mile from where we were shooting.) But up the hill we went with our bear spray, backpacks, and tripods and after a few minutes of scrambling around in the dark, we finally found our spot.
We had only been there a short time when the sky began to light up and we were treated to one of the most spectacular sunrises that any of us had ever seen. I started shooting with my Nikkor 14-24, but after 5 minutes, I switched to my Zenitar fisheye as I wanted to pull more of the valley and clouds into the frame. No sooner had I switched to the fisheye than it began to rain, and my chances of switching back to the 14-24 were gone. While most of the epic-ness lay to the East, I eventually swung back around to catch the view behind us as the sun finally hit Grinnell Peak.
It was truly one of the most spectacular mornings I have ever witnessed. After shooting at least 1000 frames and most of the good light was gone, I was ready to call it a morning. We all looked at each other with huge grins on our faces, and headed back to the Many Glacier for breakfast.
As for this particular shot, you can see the Many Glacier Hotel in the distance with the light from Mt Grinnell reflecting off of Swiftcurrent Lake. I rolled the ISO up a bit higher here as the light was fleeting and I knew I wouldn't have my tripod reset on that steep hillside in time to catch it before it was gone. I had to dash across the mountainside to get a clear shot and just barely managed to get a handheld bracket off before the light on the clouds was gone.
Rouen (France) - Samedi 11 Mars 2023, lors de la manifestation contre la réforme des retraite, les jeunes militants du PCF ont été très actifs. Pour se faire remarquer des médias qui couvraient l'événement, ils montaient systématiquement sur les toits des abribus en agitant leurs drapeaux. Quand la tête du cortège où se trouvent l’essentiel des journalistes, était passée, ils repartaient en courant vers une autre station de bus. Ces jeunes militants semblent avoir suivi des cours de communication. De mon temps, ils se contentaient de distribuer des tracts. En tout cas ça a été efficace, ils ne sont pas passés inaperçus.
Everyone to the bus shelters
Rouen (France) - Saturday March 11, 2023, during the demonstration against the pension reform, young PCF activists were very active. To get noticed by the media covering the event, they systematically climbed onto the roofs of bus shelters waving their flags. When the head of the procession, where most of the journalists are, had passed, they ran towards another bus shelter. These young activists seem to have taken courses in communication. In my day, they just handed out leaflets. In any case, it was effective, they did not go unnoticed.
Yellow-headed Blackbird
This handsome individual did not shy away from strutting his stuff and was utterly oblivious to my presence while I took his pictures from the distance with my old trusty telephoto lens.
The early morning sun, which had been hidden behind a thin layer of stray cloud finally shone through, painting strips of warm golden rays on the wetland. And as if on cue, the Blackbird pleasantly struct a refreshing pose, cleared his throat and performed a final encore before flying off.
JE Poole Wetland, Edmonton, Alberta.
Nikon D500 w/ 500mm f4G @ f5.6; 1/1250; +2/3EV; ISO1250 Effective focal length 750mm
Centre Weighted Average metering 8mm
Older version Lightroom 6.0
Thank you very much for your visit and comment.
In 1887 the Canadian parliament, under the urging of the Canadian Pacific Railway vice-president, William Van Horne, and the federal land agent, William Pearce, created Rocky Mountains Park, later renamed Banff National Park.
Originally 647 square kilometres (250 sq mi), it was Canada's first national park and included part of the Bow River. Eventually the park grew to include the Bow Glacier, an outflow of the Wapta Icefield and the source of the Bow River.
The designation of the national park marked a turning point in the public's perception of the Bow River. The river began to be appreciated for its aesthetic value in addition to its industrial and agricultural uses. Officials of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the company who led the development of Banff, realized this element. When work began on a new luxury hotel in Banff in 1886–87, Van Horne personally redesigned and reoriented the plans so that the guests of the hotel would be able to see the vista of the Bow River. Many early postcards from Banff, as well as some current ones, prominently featured the Bow River.
From the 1920s forward, the National Parks of Canada began to focus on the economic benefits of accessible, mass marketable tourism. Changes included new highways and the creation of storage reservoirs for the water needed to sustain the burgeoning community. The Bow River was now seen both for its aesthetic qualities and for new utilitarian aspects.
By the 1950s Banff's raw sewage began to be discharged into the Bow River. Because of the self-purification powers of the cold, braided water, however, the Bow was incredibly effective as a natural sewage-treatment facility. Tourists and residents were often unaware of the transformation of the Bow River into a sewage system.
As Banff continued to grow, the river continued to digest the increased volume of sewage. This practice, however, began to touch an ideological nerve among the tourists and residents of Banff. Pouring raw sewage into one of the main attractions of the park polluted both the river and, more importantly, the image of Banff. There was also fear that continued reliance on the Bow as a natural sewer would either cap the development of Banff or eventually have great risk to public health. By the 1960s, the town built a modern sewage facility and stopped releasing untreated waters into the Bow. The river's aesthetic qualities had increasing priority in terms of effects of development within the borders of a National Park.
Captain Nia at the wheel (though for everyone’s safety, he probably better not be), Lori as the bait, and me in a whiskey coma… we really are the most 'strangely effective' team in Italy. God help us all!
The Backstory (by Nia Angel ):
They were the best in their field—at least on paper, and anyone who actually knew them would admit they had… a few quirks. But when a mission needed doing, there was no team more determined, more professional, or more strangely effective.
Captain Nia had to go on the mission as he would let no one else drive the bike, Lori was the bait so she had to go.
That left one final piece of the puzzle: Captain Chris.
Finding him, however, was another mission entirely. Chris had one fatal flaw—he enjoyed a drink, or two, or five. So Captain Nia and Lori spent the better part of an hour searching every bar in the tiny Italian village, weaving through dimly lit tavern corners and dodging suspicious locals. Eventually, they found him slumped over a table, smiling dreamily at a half‑empty bottle of whisky.
They needed him desperately, but Chris could barely stand, let alone run.
The only alternative was Dutch, reliable, steady Dutch—who unfortunately had to fly the plane, and after witnessing Captain Nia’s last attempt at piloting, no one was willing to risk letting him near the controls again.
So the choice became clear, Chris might be drunk, but he had better legs than Dutch, we just needed to sober him up.
Photo was taken at Piazza Dell'Artista
Wildfire closure
Effective Jun 11, 2025
In response to the proximity of the Ferry Fire, Cottonwood Canyon State Park is closed.
Kingfishers are so much fun to watch. They are very effective fishers. I really like to see them dive for fish from their hovering height. It's possible to see 4 species of Kingfishers in the US. They are the Ringed, Green, occasional Amazon and the below Belted Kingfisher. I much prefer getting images of them on a tree, bush, limb or rock. This Lady preferred a powerline that ran right across her chosen pond. Unfortunately, I don't always get what I want. Wherever you see them they are one of Nature's best.
The Illinois Central death-star paint scheme is, in my opinion, one of the greatest rebrands of all time. My friend Leo can attest to that! That's why I never miss a chance to shoot one of these units on the rare occasion one makes its way into Canada, even more so in the lead. Today's 396 sported IC 1022, a straight SD70, built in February of 1999. It was a real treat to see it, as this was only the second one I've ever seen leading. I only learned about this train from an early morning text sent by my friend Daniel. Thanks very much!
photo taken in Portland Maine. Taken during the day the light was more effective as a night picture. I simplified the lines, turned the picture black and white and then put on a blue filter.
For my February Alphabet Fun Month group, I am adding an extra photo for the letter Y. Just because they’re yellow and beautiful and I needed some flowers. :-)
I bought myself some flowers. It’s been a colder than normal winter for central Indiana, with more snow and ice than usual. And I have seasonal effective disorder. There are no signs of spring outside. I needed flowers. The days are getting longer, and spring will be here soon. And I am starting to feel human again.
ODC Spring
FAFM 2025
Back in 2007, Union Pacific had a plethora of new power roaming the rails. A new GE ES44AC pilots a Long Beach - Global 2 stack train through colorful foliage east out of Ogden, Utah on Oct. 27, 2007. I suppose we won't see big fleets of new locomotives on the UP for the time being. Management has determined that rebuilding what they already have is most cost effective.
The sky colour soon disappeared after the sunrise to this grey one.
The mono treatment was more effective.
One of my favorite birds and the reason I bought my Canon 600 f/4 prime lens - I found this drake hooded merganser at Lake Artemesia today with another drake and two hens. Little did he know that I had finally calibrated my Canon 2x tele-converter on my 7D2 and 600 using my lens align system and was going to test it out on some unsuspecting birds. So, Mr. Hoodie became my first test subject to see if I could focus with an astonishing 1920mm effective (7D2 body, 2.0 extender, and 600mm lens is 1.6 X 2.0 X 600 = 1920) and actually get a nice photo out of it. Why do this at all? Well, most of the hooded mergansers I've met aren't really a sociable lot. They seem uncomfortable around humans and they like to stay far far away towards the middle of the lake if they can. But the 2X introduces another problem and it's a huge consideration. Can I keep the camera and lens stable enough so that I didn't get a blurry photography. The longer the effective the more of a problem this is and this is as long as I can get and still use autofocus on my 7D2 body. I was shooting this camera combination on a tripod with a Wimberly head.
Well, you be the judge! How do you think it all worked out? Did I nail it or get a blurry photo? Thank you for looking and giving me feedback my friends!
Taken 6 February 2017 at Lake Artemesia in College Park, Maryland.
Every fictional hero, and every real life one, are made more powerful and effective when they're REAL people. I don't think, in the times we live in, that concepts like honor, honesty and kindness are appreciated enough.
Midtown,
New York City.
January 2012
© Sion Fullana
All Rights Reserved
Old Kermit here is the most effective slug eradicator I have known...we have a deal...I do not use chemicals around my small fish pond area...he takes care of the slimy plant munchers in that area.
He also does not mind posing for portraits...as in this rain-filled food tray.
Be careful in the bushes ...
Orchard spiders construct webs using silk secreted from spinnerets at the tip of the abdomen. All long-jawed orb weavers are orb webs, so named for their circular shapes. The shape is created by numerous sticky spirals surrounding an open central area. Irregular strands of silk can be found below the web, forming a structure known as a barrier web. The main web is about a foot in length. The spider waits upside down beneath the web and monitors for trapped prey. Immature spiders often build their webs near the ground, while the adults build higher off the ground.
Orchard spider webs are extremely effective at catching small flying or jumping insects. The webs are remade each morning. When prey is abundant, many webs may occur together in the same location.
Orchard spider densities can be high in small areas. They are useful predators in the garden, helping to manage nuisance insects and plant pests. They are not harmful to humans and, therefore, control is not advised.
Orchard spiders also serve as food for other organisms, such as other spiders, birds, small reptiles, bats and rodents. (BugID, WIKI)
Nikon D7100
Tokina 100mm f/2.8 AT-X AF Pro D Macro
100mm - f7.1 - 1/125 - ISO 100