Breakfast time

Today's been one of those days when I've not really liked any of my shots. I'm finding it hard to focus on photography when there seem to be so many other competing time commitments. And I'm probably suffering a bit from too many late nights and early mornings!

But the dogs and I managed a pleasant river-side walk this morning, though by nine the sun was already too high in the sky. There's been a definite shift in the season over the last few days. The dog-rose and sweet-briar are in full bloom, and the riverside is embellished with the fluttering wings of banded demoiselles and butterflies, including the first common blue of the season and a sparklingly fresh red admiral. I saw the cuckoo flying and watched a pair of reed warblers gathering material for their nest.

But the creature that most impressed me was this spider, a Tetragnatha species. I watched it reach out from the centre of its web and pluck this unfortunate midge from the air, kill it with an injection of poisonous venom, then deftly wrap it in silk, a very tasty morsel for a spider breakfast.

PS View large if you want to see the unfortunate midge!