golden orb weaver

Not to common now where you will find these guys hanging about.. This lovely lady (missing a leg) was quite happy basking in the sun. They normally are out in the warmer months so they are getting harder to find... This lovely female specimen is about the size of my hand and almost completely harmless to us humans... the name comes from their external structure of their webs being golden in colour. Very very strong and in some countries is used a fishing line...

Such a beautiful creature..... (if you like spiders)