While I like to visit my usual wildlife/nature places such as Orlando Wetlands Park, Harry P. Leu Gardens, even my own back yard for butterflies and Dragonflies, sometimes you just happen to see something unusual in a pretty usual place.

Yesterday morning, while Jimmy and I were getting the Sunday newspaper -- a big carry for a 15-month old puppy -- I spotted a web under the eves next to the front door. When I looked closer, I spotted this unusual-looking spider. This is a Star Spider, Gasteracantha cancriformis, also known as the spiny-backed orbweaver. While fairly common around here, it's the first I've actually seen, probably because they are about the size of the tip of my little finger.

After putting my macro lens on the camera, placing it on a tripod and carrying it and a stepladder outside, I realized that balancing on the stepladder with that contraption wasn't the safest thing for me to do so I managed to get this shot shooting from the ground at max extension for the tripod. Hope you enjoy it.



Jim