creepy crawlies
I know that Top Boss Woman Maria has already been on this blog inviting you to participate in the glory that is Saturday Live and I don't want to tread on her toes but I did just want to share with you a small fact that has kept me going throughout the afternoon.
It came from some research into spiders ahead of our interview with a Spider Recorder (wait and see what that is......).
It goes like this :
'Many young spiders leave the place of their birth by ballooning. They climb to a high place, tip their abdomen upward and release a strand of silk. They continue to let out silk until the breeze picks the silk strand up and pulls the spiderling along in the breeze. Some have been seen 20 miles out to sea and 3 miles high.'
Isn't that just a nugget of joy for your afternoon's delight?
Any questions about spiders then do holler.
Dear Fi,
You have really caused me a problem by re-appearing on a Saturday morning at an hour when spiders have done their overnight work, but before civilised people have burnt their bacon. Paddy now has a job on his hands to wake me on a Sunday. No flies in his web!
As an ageing old codger my home spiders are determined to box me in by spinning webs every night across my front door. They are clearly trying to keep me locked in as their 3 mile high heaven over the sea is clearly off limits for humans seeking peace in the after life. Is this just a Surrey (leafy lane) problem, or is it a sinister plot to keep us old folk listening to Radio 4? Perhaps they are only up there to see if they can bump into Richard Branson on his way to Mars or wherever.
Regards. Gordon
Complain about this postInteresting blog. My question is how did spiders become a part of Halloween Legends?
Complain about this postFi,
*Please* tell me this is just little spiders - money spiders and the like.
I really don't want to go out today with he thought of tarantulas swooping out of the sky at me!
Complain about this postWhy can I not find reference to your Gambling Broadcast?
Complain about this postHi
Want to see some pics of spiders? see a couple on my web site: www.rkmas.co.uk
Complain about this postThe pic of the garden spider pair on my web site was taken in Stan's garden - in fact in front of his front door. www.rkmas.co.uk and go to the Miscellaneous Wildlife page.
I used to work at Porton Down, we use spider silk to capture micro-organisms during experiments. There was a whole department who's job it was to get the silk from spiders and wrap it round a wire frame.
Complain about this postFi, If you were a spider you could catch be in your web any day. Light nibbling only though!
Complain about this postInteresting quotation. A similar event can be observed in George Street in Oxford on a Friday night. Young men on a Friday night are indeed the baby spiders of our world.
Complain about this postWhat a joy Sunday mornings were !
The warm, seductive voice of Fi Glover offering a whimsical, but self consciously sceptical, sideways look at the week. But now we have Saturday Live.
Last week Fi was butting horns with Arabella Weir - not really room for both on the show.
This week Justin Cartwright ( Dec to her Ant ) what a wasted opportunity! Then the alcoholic gamber still blaming his parents. Then spiderman .... oh dear. The poor man felt obliged to provide accurate answers to the poorly researched and rather inane questions. I imagined Fi biting her knuckles, or perhaps screaming at the editor.
BH was the perfect vehicle for Fi's naughty intelligence. Let's go back to what was a highlight of the radio 4 week.
Complain about this postI suspect that Fi Glover's use of the word "carnaptious" this morning puzzled many listeners.
Is there anyone outside of the West Coast of Scotland and Norn Iron who knows what this means?
Complain about this postCan you let me know where I can access that delightful poem about spiders on Saturday Live? thank you
Complain about this postS
I understand that a poem about a spider was read on the prog, is it available?
Complain about this postJustin Cartwright mentioned a book "The World of Spiders". Could you give me the name of the author? Thank you.
Complain about this postI too would like to know where to find the spider poem on this website?
Complain about this postcould you tell me with ref to slot on spiders on 6th on 'Saturday Live' the author and title of the book mentioned?
Complain about this postThe book 'The World of Spiders' by W.S.Bristowe which I mentioned in the broadcast on October 7th was published by Collins in the New Naturalist series. Unfortunately, it is now out of print, and although many of the titles in that series have been reprinted, this particular one was not included. It is probably available at some public libraries, and may turn up from time to time on second-hand book lists.
It makes very interesting reading in a non-scientific style, although it is out of date in some respects. The most comprehensive book on spiders available at present is the excellent 'Spiders of Great Britain and Northern Europe' by Michael J. Roberts, This is in the Collins Field Guide series ISBN 0 00 219981 5, and it is much more than a field guide. It is a mini-encyclopedia with chapters on biology, webs, egg sacs and much more - in fact, everything you need to know about them!
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