Found in the Clutter – Unusual Companion

Spoiler alert and just a friendly warning, arachnophobes should skip this post/email!

You can encounter all sorts of companions on the trails as you search for birds to photograph. I was photographing birds near the Rio Grande in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The area was a typical semiarid bosque (forest) environment that is common along the Rio Grande. You tend to be alert for motion when when you are birding. While I was concentrating on some sparrows and other small birds in the scrub brush, I was also glancing around to make sure I spotted any other birds that might be about. That’s when I noticed a slight movement on the path just behind me. I had an unexpected fellow hiker on the trail.

Desert Tarantulas are common in the southwestern US so it wasn’t unusual to find one. But it was unusual that it was moving about on a sunny morning since they normally stay in hiding during the day. This was a fairly large one, about 4 inches (10 cm) across. This is about the size of a man’s hand. It was a female based on the color. She was just “strolling” along the trail and paid no attention to me. I returned the favor with the exception of photographing her. They are venomous and will bite if annoyed. The venom is not any more dangerous than bee venom so it isn’t deadly unless you are allergic to it. But we just figuratively tipped our hats, said “Good Morning” and went about our business.