Here is the promised third set of memories of some of the little ones that came my way during the course of the warmer months behind us this year. I am planning one more post soon of the larger animals that took time out of their busy schedules to pose for me.
A word about the photo above: This spider was carrying her brood of freshly-hatched young on her abdomen, piggy-back style.
krikitarts 
Very nice shots – the spider with the young is freaky – i am not afraid of spiders or so but this …
I’m happy that you liked them, Stefan. I’ve only seen piggyback spiders a few times, and this is only the second when I had a camera handy. It is indeed a rather unsettling sight. I may have some further news on this when my spider-expert daughter comes for a visit on Dec. 16, so stay tuned!
Thanks for sharing this series of posts from the warmer season, of the little ones that you encountered. Amazing photos of the bluets, and how incredible that you captured an emerging cicada.
Thanks, Cait! We had another two inches of lovely powder yesterday and things are so beautiful! It’s fun to go back a bit in memory and let the mellow glow of summer revive for a while.
Really nice set here… like the spider mom, very interesting. Do you shoot the dragon flies in early morning? Every time I try, they move around too fast for me to lock in. Thanks for the reminder to get out and shoot the smaller things in spring.
Thanks again, Mike! I don’t usually set out with dragonflies in mind, just take them as they come when I’m hiking. This one was in mid-afternoon on a very hot day. A tip on their shyness–I’ve found that many of them are true creatures of habit, and when you see one on a certain perch and it flits off before you’re ready, note the spot and set up for your shot as if it were still there and be patient. Many species will return to the same favorite perches (there may be several) again and again, often making the rounds from one to the next, but your recently-departed would-be subject may well be back shortly. Trust me–it’s well worth a 5-10 minute try.
You really have some interesting subjects around you. I like the spider mom. :) How cute!
Thanks, Katie–I’m pretty sure the mom is a wolf spider. I’ve seen at least two references to this behavior when i Googled “piggyback spider,” and in both instances, they were identified as wolf spiders. The female has specialized hairs on her abdomen that afford the hatchlings a secure perch. I’ll double-check with my daughter when she comes for a visit at the end of the week. She has a specal interest in spiders and frequently does a post on some aspect of them (you can check it out at newinkspot.wordpress.com, keyword webnesday).
Thank you for your comment on my Patagonia blog!!!!!, I´m visiting your blog right now and your photography is beautiful!!!!!, my sons are flyfishers too, this season is kind of weird because of the volcano and the ashes, but trouts don´t seem to mind much.
You are very welcome, and thanks for the compliment! I have been to Chile once, in July-August 2009, and everything I saw made me want to stay longer and experience more. You are very fortunate to be living in such a very special place!