2011, Day 240 - Crouching

Apparently it is "Spider Sunday" and, determined to participate, I grabbed my favorite macro setup and delved into the back garden.  Doesn't that sound grand?  A back garden?  Well, in truth it is about twelve feet long by twenty-five feet wide so with the planting it is really little more than a courtyard but the spider hatch was late this year so there are many little guys out now trying to gorge themselves before it gets cold at night.

My oak-leaf hydrangea seems to have started flowering for the second time this year (or maybe there are just late blooms) but the flowers are quite small and this sider is even smaller, perhaps as long as a grain of rice.  Despite his diminutive size he quickly took on a defensive posture when I accidentally nudged the flowers.  That's right, no retreat here, this guy was ready for a fight!

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f8, 1/100 sec @ 200 ISO