Inadvertently disturbing a spider
The other day I was taking some photos of my young "black bamboo" (Phyllostachys nigra), and discovered this little scene on one of the bamboo culms:
This little spider had captured a picture winged fly, and I was disturbing it.
So instead of leaving it alone and continuing with my bamboo photos, which I was taking to document how "black" each culm was:
(The culms start green and turn black over a year or two, and it's a matter of discussion in bamboo gardening forums as to what determines how fast it changes colors.)
Instead of leaving the spider alone, I decided to bother it even more by trying to take photos.
It did not like this very much, and was quickly moving to the other side of the culm whenever I got the camera in place, so most of the photos are a little blurrier than I'd like them.
The spider's little web was a little bit further up the culm:
It's not much of a web, but if the spider is running out and grabbing its victims anyway (as it appears it did with the fly), then it doesn't need much of a web, does it?
Making little discoveries like this is one of the things that makes having a garden so enjoyable for me.