They are awesome flyers and bug catchers. Watched a pair this weekend taking turns feeding their 4 hatchlings by bug hunting all day in the neighboring meadow.
A first for me: a Parula. Merlin helped me ID it, then when I played some calls, it came right over and followed me for a while during my stroll through the woods. I’d never even heard of this bird before. Northwest Georgia, US. 🪶
I think the more I learn about them beyond just a “decent” knowledge, the more the fear dissipates. Their web makeup, their intelligence when hunting, how gorgeous they are, etc. I took a walk in Fall in a literal maze of Joro webs in the sun and it was glorious.
I dove in and learned even more about joro spiders (gold webs!), then spotted a male hanging out on a column in front of my dentist’s. I wished him luck finding a mate, and wondered at the bend of his legs like archery bows or pole vault poles. Not stiff. Bowed with his weight a little. Pretty cool.
