The spider makes its kill

Early this morning an orb spider living in one of our bushes hit the culinary jackpot when a large hover fly bumbled into her net. She quickly envenomated it and is now busy wrapping it in silk, to be sucked dry at her leisure. Meanwhile a male spider has spotted that she is busily occupied and is sneaking over in the hopes of a quick bit of hanky panky. He will have to be quick because, if she can, she will eat him too!

Viewed large you can see a leg manipulating a thread of silk emerging from one of her spinnerets.