Rescued a dragonfly, but stole dinner from a spider.......

[CathyA]

Since they don't have an "animal and insect" forum, I'll put it here. haha

I have a shortcoming (one of many) that when I see one animal/insect killing another, I intervene. I know I should let nature take its course, but sometimes I just have to step in.

This morning I looked out the window and saw a dragonfly in a spider's web. I had never seen such a big thing caught in a web before. The spider was about 8" from it. I watched it for awhile and saw that it was still alive. So I went out and pulled it from the web. I then sat with it in my hand and tried to pull the strong, sticky strands of web from its delicate wings. It had huge green eyes. gosh I wish I could have gotten a close-up pic of it in my hand. Anyhow........its started fluttering its wings intermittently. It was so cool to watch it up close. Then it flew away. YAY!
BUT......as I passed the web that was no longer there, I felt really bad for the spider. I hope it finds other, smaller things to eat.......and does it where I can't see it. Sorry spider!

[Gardenarian]

CathyA, I know exactly what you mean!
I can never be like PBS and just sit back and watch the polar bear take down the baby seal. Or the dragonfly.

[redfox]

Well, take solace in the fact that I am the opposite. I love the dramas in nature, and especially seeing spiders hunt & feast...

[catherine]

I know how you feel. When I was hard core vegetarian, I always wrestled with the fact that except for some humans who choose to avoid predatory feeding practices, carnivores will be carnivores. But that is nature's way, and we have to respect it (we don't have to feel comfortable watching it, though).

[iris lilies]

Well, take solace in the fact that I am the opposite. I love the dramas in nature, and especially seeing spiders hunt & feast...

I like spiders, too. Really like them. We see a lot of them this time of year.

We had a snapping turtle show up in our city park last week. It was hanging around the children's playground and it was a BIG one. That's one nature drama we didn't want to play out, biting kids, killing ducks, and maiming the swans. It amazing how ignorant people are about these creatures, snappers are nothing to mess with. After lots of back and forth the group decided that they would relocate him to the Missouri river. So this ends happily (I assume he got there) and DH wasn't called on to give the turtle a bullet in the head. That will make everyone here happy.

[Jilly]

...and DH wasn't called on to give the turtle a bullet in the head. ...

Oh, a happy ending.

[pinkytoe]

The other day I startled a lizard in the compost pile who had a large beetle in his mouth as he scurried away. It was amazing to think that he was going to eat that big thing. I stopped rescuing critters a while back but I completely understand the urge to do so.

[The Storyteller]

I was peeved when my dear wife told me she killed that "big ugly spider" outside our back door at the country home. Then she wonders why we have flies.

Hate brown recluse, though. After that 2" long, 1" wide, 1.5" deep gash one put in my upper thigh last year, I have no mercy whatsoever.