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The sunbird and the Golden Orb spider

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Subject: The sunbird and the Golden Orb spider
From: Penny Brockman <>
Date: Fri, 28 May 2010 18:05:55 +1000
I know one is not meant to interfere with nature, but if it was my garden I would be knocking down all webs that might trap the sunbird while she is feeding nestlings.

This week my neighbour bought my attention to his grim find of a female Olive-backed Sunbird hanging in the web of a Golden Orb Spider at the entrance to his car shed. She was very still in the hope of not being noticed however it was too late to be thinking that way. As we took stock of the situation the very large female spider moved toward the sunbird feeling along the web as she went. When within the sunbird's reach the bird briefly grabbed the front leg of the spider which then retreated to a safer distance. Within a few minutes my neighbour and I released the sunbird from the web. She has two young in a nest on the next door verandah. So the outcome is that we still have three sunbirds and one Golden Orb Spider. However upon retreaval she was still securely "tied up" by the elastic strands of the web. This is the fourth species that I have records of in these spider's webs, the others being Scarlet Honeyeater, Chestnut-breasted Mannikin and Red-browed Firetail. ` I find it interesting that the sunbird defended itself against the spider which it would have been familiar with. It would be like a man kicking an approaching five metre crocodile in the nose!

Del. Richards, Fine Feather Tours, Mossman, NQ.




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