Saturday, December 27, 2014

Green lynx spider takes unexpected dip in lake

When I'm rowing through shallow water along the edge of the lake, I'm careful to avoid disturbing wetland plants like pickerel weed, duck potato, yellow-eyed grass, St. John's wort, red root and various other water-tolerant flora.

Today, however, I was distracted when a yellow-rumped warbler flew by and I inadvertently rowed over a tuft of yellow-eyed grass.

No big deal.  The resilient plant rebounded and I wouldn't mention it at all except this particular tuft of yellow-eyed grass happened to be home to a green lynx spider.


If he looks mad, it may be because I just rowed over him


By the time I noticed the spider - a cool-looking creature with a face only a mama spider could love - the boat was already in the process of flattening the plant with the suddenly desperate arachnid.  I felt terrible as I watched him futilely search for safe purchase.

Seconds later, it was over.  The boat passed by.  The plant bounced back to its original shape and the spider, amazingly, seemed none the worse for the dunking it got due to my distracting rowing.

I like happy endings.


Slight damp but unharmed, the spider survived a sudden dunk underwater

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