One for the spider lovers among you

Cross orb weaver spiders (Araneus diademnatus) lay their eggs in masses in the Autumn in crooks and crannies. As the temperatures rises in the spring the spiderlings, just 2-3 mm in size,  hatch out and huddle together. Gradually the young orb weavers begin to disperse by  ‘ballooning'; they extrude thin strands of silk from their spinnerets to act as sails. These strands catch the breeze and lift the spiderlings into an arial journey that can range in distance from a few metres to several kilometres. You can see  the process in a previous blip.

The extra shows the young spiders in an agitated state when I gently poked the mass with my finger.