Backyard nature: Appreciating the Eden at our doorstep
One morning, I woke up to a very well-connected neighbour setting up a house next to mine. A palm spider, the ubiquitous arachnid known to many of us, had spun its web across the stairs using my balcony and staircase railing as anchors. Each morning I had to duck under the extensive web to avoid walking into it. I feared not the spider but breaking the silky strands of this valiant spinner. In time, the lady's web became extremely dense, with small males and insects scattered around her. I would watch her deftly take insects for a meal.