I feel that I am on a quest to get more photographs of the frog species around Canberra. That somewhat Quixotic quest, given how hard it is to find frogs, saw me out on this Saturday night with a headlamp and my camera walking around a shore of Lake Burley Griffin. I was hoping to find some frogs to photograph, but the title of this post is a bit of a spoiler. I heard a lot of frogs but I could not see any to photograph. I consoled myself when I came across the largest huntsman spider that I have been able to photograph. I really enjoyed photographing this amazing looking spider, but I certainly made sure I did not get too close. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.
I first noticed the legs of this huntsman spider sticking out from under some bark, and they looked big. I think the tree was a box gum so the bark was in a long strip that I could fold away to the side without destroying the spider’s hiding spot. I decided that I did not want to risk getting a bad shot of this fantastic specimen so I took the time to set up my camera on a tripod. This would allow me to really ensure I looked at how the spider was in the frame. The spider was very calm, not reacting to all the flashes nor scampering off when I disturbed the bark. The spider was probably the largest huntsman that I have seen, at least a good 12 centimetres across in the photograph at the top of the post. The comparative size of the sugar ant gives a good indication of how big the spider was. The spider may have been eating the sugar ant, because that insect was not visible when I initially photographed the spider. When I finished taking photographs of my eight=legged model I made sure to fold the bark back gently to the original position to cover the spider back up. I think this was a female given the size and the small pedipalps. I felt that I had not disturbed her because she was still under the bark, with her legs just showing, when I returned past the tree a little later. Unfortunately, I could not identify the species of spider beyond saying that it was a huntsman spider.
The huntsman was under the bark of the tree
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/16 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
A side view
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/16 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Walking further on, still trying to find an elusive frog to photograph, I kept looking down at the leaf litter. In doing so I saw this good size Leopard slug (Limax maximus). It was making slow progress across the fallen pine needles. In trying to photograph it I bumped a twig and the slug retracted its eyestalks. The slug actually has eyes but basic ones that do not have a good focus capability. It also uses these eye stalks as a ‘nose’ to help it sense its environs. This slug feeds on decaying matter so is a good slug to have in a garden because it helps to break down dead matter in order to recycle the nutrients back into the soil once they have gone through its digestive system.
Leopard Slug on the leaf litter
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/16 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Face to face with a Leopard Slug
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/16 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
A little later on I came across this Garden Orb Weaver (Eriophora sp.) that was making a web at the base of a gum tree. The spider also seemed to have the web anchored to some grass stalks. Because the web came out from the tree to he grass stalks I was able to easily the front and back of the web, to get a top and bottom shot of the spider. This is a female and she was jus making her web for that evening. It was interesting to see her pull her silk from her spinnerets to make the web. These spiders live for about a year, hatching during autumn, reaching maturity in summer so that they can mate and lay eggs in later summer to early autumn to start the cycle again.
Underside view of the Garden Orb Weaver female
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/16 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Top-side view
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/16 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
I realised that although I was hearing a lot of frogs, my chances of photographing any of them was very slim. So, I decided that it was time to call it a night at that location. While I was driving home I thought that I would try one more spot, a little lookout near Scrivener Dam. Unfortunately, when I pulled up in my car I could not hear a single frog so I figured that I was not going to have much luck there either. Since I was already there I thought that I would take some shots of the dam wall because the lake was looking very placid and there were not may cars crossing along the dam wall. As I only had my macro lens I took a series of 30 second exposures that I stitched together later as a panorama. I was reasonably happy with the outcome, especially as it was spur of the moment decision.
Panorama of Scrivener Dam from the Lake Burley Griffin side
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/10 and 30 SEC] seven shot panorama)
Eastern end of the dam
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/10 and 30 SEC])
Western end of the dam
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/10 and 30 SEC])
I also turned around to shoot Black Mountain Tower but the photo was not that great.
Black Mountain Tower
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/10 and 30 SEC])
Even though I did not find any frogs to photograph I am glad that I went out because I was able to photograph that huntsman spider. I also enjoyed looking around the shores of the lake, seeing how alive they were at night. While I was sitting beside the lake I heard a number of birds call and random splashes that may have been fish. All in all, it was a nice way to spend a quiet Saturday night.
Thanks for reading about my trip and thanks also for looking at my photos. I hope you come back again to read more about some of the wonderful natural things that the Australian Capital Territory has on offer. All the best until the next post.