Giant spider webs at Lake Tawakoni

Did anyone see these? I mentioned them on another thread and rather than hijack it I just started my own. They are real and made by spiders, not worms. Here is a link to some info and a good pic. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/lake_tawakoni/
be sure to look at these pics! http://www.flickr.com/photos/12459042@N07/sets/72157601787635715/

My story was how me and my sister, who is not a nature/outdoors type person, went on a quick overnight trip to Tyler. On our way back we went thru Canton and shopped a little. It was a really beautiful day in Oct. so I said we wanted to eat lunch outside somewhere. We opted for Lake Tawakoni, not knowing it was about 20 miles off the highway. lol

When we got there the attendent told us where to go see what remained of the infamous spider webs. I then remembered seeing something about it a few months back and thought for sure my sister would instantly freak out so I kind of left out some of the "details". :) She miraculously agreed to go on the hike, which could only have been the result of joy from her previous shopping spree in Canton. I also think she thought the spiders were gone.

After we sat by the lake and had our picnic (on a table) we made our way thru a little path in a wooded area. It wasn't until we came to an open field, with a mowed path and low grasses, that I learned she was a afraid of GRASSHOPPERS! LOL!! I thought she was going to turn and run for the car screaming and flailing! They were all sitting on the path so I had to take a stick and shew (sp?) them out of the way while she walked right ON my heels the entire way. We all know how dangerous grasshoppers are!

The spider webs didn't freak her out nearly as bad except for one part that she was sure looked like a sack of bones hanging from it! LOL!! She didn't like it when we did find live spiders tho and was really grossed out when I showed her the pic from this website. It was definitely one of those priceless moments for me!

Here's a few pics of what we saw.

This message was edited Dec 29, 2007 12:09 PM

and another...

a/the spider

editing to say "a" or "the" because I don't know exactly which spider made all the webs

This message was edited Dec 29, 2007 12:08 PM

and the scary grasshopper filled path

What a great adventure! Probably had to do more shopping afterwards for sis to regain her compsure?!
Thanks for posting the pics, I've never seen spiderwebs like that before!
Cathy

Wow! Paige, those are amazing what do you suppose the spiders were after?
Thank you for posting those.

By the way, we missed you at the Master Naturalist Holiday Party, I thought you would be there, or I would have gotten in touch with you before the date.
Josephine.

thanks paige. i enjoyed reading about these spiders. wish i could have seen the webs.

I'm glad that the story is new to some. I thought I was the only one that didn't know everything that goes on! (I'm usually really clueless tho) I have no idea what they ever decided the spiders were doing. It just seemed to be some sort of freak-of-nature event. ?? It's not something I want to happen at my house but I thought it was pretty cool, although it probably would have creeped me out when it was so thick! The whole trip was great for me. When I get more time I'll tell my tale of spiders (aahhh) in the water. eeekkkk!

Thank you Josephine, I'm glad I was missed! :) Sandy (my friend) and I just decided that since we were so new that we would skip the party this year. We do plan on attending all the monthly meetings tho and the party next year. We are both also going to join the Native Plant Society and I think I'm going to join her garden club. That should give me a few meetings a month to keep up my hours and give me volunteer opportunities. I've got to get working on those as soon as my house gets clean and the weather permits. Can't wait!

How interesting to get to see these webs. It is a phenomena brought about by excessive rains the area enjoyed.

If I remember correctly, the spider was a Brazilian longjaw spider which followed the food source. They did a large service in controlling the mosquitoes ~ etc.

An interesting note is when the food source dwindles, these spiders wait for a windy day, stand on their head and send out webbing material which would "balloon" them off to hopefully better feasting areas. Some of the ballooning spiders will be eaten by birds or drown when landing in water.

I have a hunch your sister will enjoy telling the tale many times over. How fun for you both!

Well, we love anything that eats mosquitoes!! Didn't Charlotte's baby spiders do that ballooning thing too? :) I've never seen a spider flying by in the air. Hmmm....

Thanks for the info and links Paige. I do remember hearing on the news about the giant web, but don't remember seeing pictures of it. I think in their thick state they would have definately creeped me out. Hope a bunch of our butterfly friends didn't end up as lunch in that commune!

pod....I am so glad you mentioned about the ballooning spiders. My dad was working on painting their house earlier this year, and thought he was seeing things when he looked up and saw what looked like thousands of floating spiderwebs. He said some of them were so high up they almost looked like they were in the clouds. Perhaps they were these?

Kim

Has the spider been i'd? I'd like to know what kind it was.

TNN The article I read said the majority were a Brazilian longjaw spider.

The spider that I took a picture of looks like some of the ones in the reports but it could have been more than one kind. There were several large webs with this kind in it that we saw.

Every year I see strands of something floating thru the air too! I've always thought they were spider webs but then after my son raised a silkworm I thought it might be from those. I still think the spider webs would make more sense, especially with ballooning spiders!

Sheila, I hadn't even considered the amount of butterflies that might have been caught in that! yikes! oh well...there's only so much we can do.