A diversity of spiders
December 17th, 2011 | Written by Lucy Brzoska.Written by Lucy Brzoska
If you wish to live and thrive, let the spider run alive
Enthroned in a Pitch Trefoil flower, the Heather crab spider (Thomisus onustus) had arrayed its legs like a multi-limbed deity. The colour of raspberry-ripple ice cream, it blended in well with the purple bloom where it meditated, invisible to prey and predator. Enormous forelegs lay in wait.
It’s always worth getting up close and making eye contact with a Jumping spider. This female Carrhotus xanthogramma was spotted on a Common Smilax leaf.
Her abdomen has handsome tawny markings.
Shining a torch in a spooky underground chamber in the middle of Collserola’s woods revealed a colony of Meta bourneti – a Cave Spider of the Tetragnathidae family. The light cast great leggy shadows on the vaulted walls and picked out the prominent black bristles. Like other Orb spiders, these cave-dwellers rely mainly on these touch sensors to hunt. They seemed to hang in mid-air, perfectly in tune with the vibrations in their nearly invisible webs.
The Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennichi) adds drama wherever it sets up camp. There were several alongside Vallvidrera reservoir at the end of summer. They’d slung their webs low down in the grass where dragonflies cruise.
The autumnal migration of cranes (Grus grus) into Spain usually takes place inland, over the Pyrenees. On the last weekend of October there was an abrupt change in the weather, with temperatures plummeting and an extremely strong north wind. On 
It’s the time of year for unusual sightings in unexpected places. Recent observations recorded on 
Shortly after being born, this year’s brood of Peregrine falcon chicks were stolen from their nest in one of the Sagrada Familia towers. The robbery took place out of range of the web cam installed. Visitors have no access to this tower, but there are always plenty of workers milling around, since the Sagrada Familia is still under construction. Eduard Durany, responsible for monitoring Barcelona’s Peregrine falcons, emphasises the need for better security. Last year suspicious individuals were spotted trying to take food up to the falcons, who fetch a high price on the black market. After the theft, two chicks born in a wildlife recuperation centre were placed in the nest, but sadly the intended foster parents rejected them. See also the report on the ringing of 
After considerable procrastination, 
The areas of Barcelona nearest to the Collserola hills are now quite used to visits from the natural park’s thriving boar population, particularly at the end of summer when the ground is rock-hard and food supplies scarce. But on Saturday night a family of boars was seen trotting through Gràcia, a central barrio of the city, accessible only after crossing an extremely busy ring road. The same family has been observed this August exploring Gaudí’s Güell Park. There’s a 
