I walked Emma again today up into Boyle Ravine. I left the camera at home because it was too windy for photography. Wouldn't you know, by the Big Green Water Tank, I spotted a Goldenrod Crab Spider (white phase) devouring a blue butterfly. Hurried home with the dog and was greeted by a phone call from my daughter. Had to go pick her up at the high school. Around 20 minutes later, I drove to the trail head with my camera and hiked back to the water tank. The crab spider was just finishing her meal. I got just one slightly blurry shot before she dumped the dead butterfly overboard. I picked up the butterfly and performed an informal autopsy. Sure enough there was a wound between the thorax and abdomen through which the spider had drainer her insides. Then the wind stopped just long enough for me to get a pretty good shot of the self-satisfied spider already in position on the daisy to capture the next innocent bug landing for a meal of pollen. On a neighboring daisy, I got a picture of a young crab spider, possible watching his mom and learning how it's done. Then, on the trail back to my car, I looked over another patch of daisies and found several more beautiful crab spiders, this time sporting the typical "racing stripes." This group was more skittish about the giant, camera-bearing mammal bending over its flowers, and they quickly went under the flower heads to hide. So, I got down on the ground a got a few more good shots. If crab spiders ate their dinners as fast as I do, I never would have got these photos.
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