by Steve Tanham
It was late Friday afternoon – two days ago. I set off with Tess for our usual evening walk; now getting earlier each day to capture that last bit of, hopefully, sunlight.
Over the stone wall, something shimmered in the golden light. Something silver.
It took me back several hours. I hadn’t paid it much attention at the time. Two tradesmen loading their tools into the back of a transit van on Morecambe’s seafront. One had said: “Look, there’s snow on the mountains!”
I had smiled… the iPhone had earlier revealed it to be 19 degrees. Not likely there would be any snow on the Howgill Hills at which the man was pointing. But I looked, anyway.
He was certainly right to draw attention to it. The brightness reflecting off the far-away hills looked like exposed limestone; only I’d never seen such a reflection on the usually verdant Howgills, before. Strange…
I filed it away under ‘unsolved’ and we continued with our journey to collect Bernie’s sister. That had been several hours ago.
Our dog-walk takes us along the old canal path and out into a broad field that the 19th century boatmen described as offering the best view of the whole length of the Preston-Kendal waterway.
The silver shimmering glimpsed over the fence was revealed to be an entire covering of what looked like a spider’s ‘sheet-web’.
I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve researched it on the internet and the only match is a spider the size of a thumbnail called Darwin’s Bark Spider. It can shoot it’s web strands for up to 30 metres.
Back home, I put the photos on FaceBook, and asked for advice on the origin of the webs. Most if my friends had never seen anything like them, either. Then someone suggested consulting a specialist ‘spider-Ident’ site, which I was able to join, immediately. Within tow hours, I had the answer…
The webs were ‘sheet-webs’ and created by thousands of tiny money-spiders. The season has been mild and so this is happening later than normal.
The spiders are so tiny, they are very difficult to see, which adds to the exotic mystery!
©Stephen Tanham 2021
Stephen Tanham is a Director of the Silent Eye, a journey through the forest of personality to the dawn of Being.
http://www.thesilenteye.co.uk and http://www.suningemini.blog
Sun in Gemini 
I’ve occasionally seen really small patches of ground covered like this before, but never such a huge expanse – how wonderful! 🙂
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Thank you, Ruth. It was startling!
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All our trees and bushes looked like a scene from Great Expectations yesterday morning! But, never mind the spiders, what was that green spot?
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Must be one of those ‘ten-year’ population cycles, Jaye! The green spot is the latest incarnation of the ‘orb’ that follows me around! Once, in the twilight I took of photograph of the Hippostyle Hall at Thebes and it was filled with them. I just smile and say hello!
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I have seen orbs before, but never such a lovely colour…
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I’m glad to have them around, Jaye! 😊
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An eerie sight indeed, Steve and such a vast covering. I have seen it occasionally spread like dew over the meadows, but nothing so dense as that.
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I suspect it was the peak of a long-cycle population curve, Michael. But a weird experience!
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That is awesome!! I´ve never seen anything like it.
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Thanks Darlene. Very spooky!
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This is so interesting Steve your photos are amazing, and it’s very intriguing.💜
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Thank you, Willow. A unique experience! ❤️
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A slightly puzzling on too .
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Wow! What a wonderful discovery. Thanks for sharing it Steve. (K)
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Thank you, Kerfe 😊
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Interesting that what used to be called the World Wide Web helped you find out about what made these webs. Lucky you, to have visited the Hypostyle Hall! With or without accompanying orbs.
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Thank you, Audrey! Web to web: what a thought! Yes, the cruise on the Nile was a very special trip!
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These are such amazing photos , make me want to weep x
Sent from my iPad
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Thank you, Giselle x
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