Decisions!

It has been a lovely day here in Layer-de-la-Haye, in Essex and I am really enjoying my holiday!
I decided to go out on my own today to Abberton resevoir, to see what wildlife was there now following the Nature Centre's move to allow for resevoir expansion.
When I visited 2 years ago, it was newly opened, and everything was very sterile...today it was teeming with life!
There was so much to see, Common blue damselflies, Small red -eye damselflies, Common darters, Clouded yellow butterflies and a newly hatched Latticed heath moth to name but a few... but for me the highlight was this female Wasp spider Argiope bruennichi. The guy on the door kindly told me where to look for it following a sighting earlier in the day, but despite this and her large size (6cm ), it was still very difficult to locate her, and her beautifully spun web!
The Wasp spider is an orb web spider, and spins a distinctive web with a zig-zag patterned section running vertically through it.
They are beautiful, with a yellow, black and white striped abdomen from which it derives it's common name. the cephalothorax is covered in silver coloured hair.
Despite the wasp-like colouration they are not dangerous, and feed mainly on grasshoppers and crickets.
I have seen them before, around where I live in West Sussex, but not for a couple of years, It was nice to find one further north in Essex.
As i bent down to take the shot, I got twanged in the face by a thistle...not nice I can tell you!!!