Tweeters,

This isn't about birds, except that we were taking a stroll through the
Ted Olson Nature Preserve on Bainbridge Island looking for birds. We
did hear a couple of types of woodpeckers, including Pileated; saw a
flock of cedar waxwings, heard red-breasted nuthatches, etc. We also
saw at least three great blue herons continuously making their rounds
off Harbor Pub south of the ferry terminal, and we saw a couple of loud
(female, I think) kingfishers rattling between the various mast-tops in
the marina. At sunset, there was the local crow freeway heading
approximately southwest to their nightly roost.

BUT WHAT WAS THE MOST FASCINATING were all the dome-shaped spider webs
on the bushes in the understory at the Preserve. I've probably seen
them before, but just not taken particular notice of them. The spider
builds a web by first criss-crossing with silk a rather large open space
between the limbs of a bush from 4' to 7' high. Then using these
initial supports, the spider proceeds to construct a near-perfect
dome-shaped web structure that seems to float in the air out in the
space between the limbs. Actually it is supported by the strands of
silk running between the branches of the bush. In the sunlight, these
beautiful domes turn sparkling bluish. The support silk didn't respond
as much, and so the effect was quite magical. The dome is somewhat
tightly woven, giving the impression of a felt-like gausy material,
rather than spider web. You could blow on one of these domes and it
would undulate and ripple much like oil-covered water.

The domes themselves were between 10" to 12" in width, if I remember
right, and maybe 4"to 5" in depth. They were almost, but not quite, a
slice off a hollow sphere. The little spiders were .5" to .75" long, I
think, including legs, with an ochre color. Long legs, with the legs
positioned such that they were pointed more forward and backwards, than
sideways. Quite fast when they wanted to be. The spiders positioned
themselves mostly up under the dome and to one side, but not touching
the dome.

I didn't pay as much attention to detail as I should have, but I am
wondering if this description is good enough that someone might know
what spider does this. Thanks in advance. I hope there is enough bird
material in here to justify the spider question.

Bob Mauritsen
Green Lake
Seattle
bluetooth at compuserve.com