View allAll Photos Tagged digestion
Bohemian Waxwing / bombycilla garrulus. Hassop, Derbyshire. 17/01/24.
'A TIMELY REST BEFORE A DRINK.'
Here is one of the very confiding Hassop Waxwings that I photographed in gorgeous winter sunshine. An added bonus, no distracting background twiggery or clutter!
This Waxwing perched on a thin Hawthorn branch overhanging a field margin that was full of puddles. These constantly attracted individual birds or small groups, from the sizeable flock feeding nearby.
I'd love to know if the haws made the birds especially thirsty, or if a regular intake of water simply aided their digestion. Either way, the puddles acted like powerful magnets, drawing down the birds and this made for some very interesting viewing.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
We've never seen Bohemian Waxwings in our area before so even though they were far too distant for a good photo, I had to grab a shot to at least confirm their ID. Sure enough, they were the Bohemians and the large flock of them, also called an "earful" or "museum," fit the habitat description for these birds of being near water and a berry food source. They are one of the few birds that can survive for longer periods on a diet of only fruits and because of the high sugar content, need a source of water to aid with digestion. The number of red tips on the secondary wing feathers are a sign of maturity and it seems that mating pairs choose each other based on their "age groups." You can learn more about them here: youtu.be/Uug6Tuc24FE?si=w2rbMPZfRjqEZaow
This image is heavily cropped and any editing to bring out remaining detail made them look a bit too digitized for my liking. However, with my generous application of sliders, I'm hoping I can get away with it for Sliders Sunday. Happy Sliders Sunday!
Grèbe huppé juvénile (Podiceps cristatus)
Taille approximative : 61 cm - Poids : 750 à 1200 g
Merci à tous pour vos visites, favoris et commentaires.
Bonne journée.
Thanks you all for your visits, faves and comments.
Have a good day.
After a rather large lunchtime feast (the traditional Thanksgiving turkey with all the trimmings plus apple pie for dessert) it was critical to get out an go for a walk later in the afternoon to aid with digestion.
Danielle and I took a jaunt through the woods near our place (these are the same woods I return to time & again) and as we reached Taylor Creek, I looked up. I'm ever so thankful I did.
Bearded Reedling - Panurus Biarmicus
aka Bearded Tit. (F)
This species is a wetland specialist, breeding colonially in large reed beds by lakes or swamps. It eats reed aphids in summer, and reed seeds in winter, its digestive system changing to cope with the very different seasonal diets.
Often having to take grit in order to help digestion.
The bearded reedling is a species of temperate Europe and Asia. It is resident, and most birds do not migrate other than eruptive or cold weather movements. It is vulnerable to hard winters, which may kill many birds. The English population of about 500 pairs is largely confined to the south and east with a small population in Leighton Moss in north Lancashire. In Ireland a handful of pairs breed in County Wexford. The largest single population in Great Britain is to be found in the reedbeds at the mouth of the River Tay in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, where there may be in excess of 250 pairs.
Other Breeding areas include Norfolk and Somerset and Alkborough Flats, lincolnshire.
Population:
UK breeding:
630 pairs
Europe:
232 - 437,000 birds
Sei ancora quello della pietra e della fionda,
uomo del mio tempo. Eri nella carlinga,
con le ali maligne, le meridiane di morte,
t'ho visto dentro al carro di fuoco, alle forche,
alle ruote di tortura. T'ho visto : eri tu, con la tua scienza esatta persuasa allo sterminio,
senza amore, senza Cristo. Hai ucciso ancora,
come sempre, come uccisero i padri, come uccisero
gli animali che ti videro per la prima volta.
E questo sangue odora come nel giorno
quando il fratello disse all'altro fratello :
"Andiamo ai campi". E quell'eco fredda tenace,
è giunta fino a te, dentro la tua giornata.
Dimenticate, o figli, le nuvole di sangue.
Salite dalla terra, dimenticate i padri, le loro tombe affondano nella cenere, gli uccelli neri, il vento, coprono il loro cuore
Salvatore Quasimodo, Uomo del mio tempo
Il poeta aveva vissuto l'orrore della guerra.
Io, la mia generazione, no. Siamo stati privilegiati.
Che cosa abbiamo sbagliato?
Credo ci siamo riempiti la bocca di troppe, facili, parole ; ma alla fine abbiamo creato una società egoista, stupida, basata sul consumismo, sul piacere personale. Abbiamo chiuso gli occhi di fronte alla povertà, al dolore del mondo, chiusi nel nostro piccolo, fortunato mondo.
Ora ci troviamo di fronte a uno scenario di guerra : spira un vento di violenza che rifiuta il dialogo, la pace e vede nel profitto e in scontri armati l'unica soluzione. Non serve l'esempio della storia passata, non serve vedere il sangue di tanti innocenti, sembra siamo diventati indifferenti, insensibili, chiusi in una pazzia che non può che portare a una catastrofe, dato che esistono le armi atomiche e si parla di armarsi sempre di più.
Forse non occorre essere eroi, andare direttamente ad aiutare o testimoniare nei luoghi di conflitto ( come fanno alcuni, che sono persone speciali ).
Basterebbe essere umani, più accoglienti, meno razzisti. E interessarci un po' di più a quello che accade senza chiudere gli occhi, smettendo di sostenere Stati assassini, o liberare torturatori, stupratori e omicidi, come sta succede con il caso Almasri. Anche se non ci conviene .
Perché in fondo i lager libici, che esistono ormai da anni ( e anche i centri di detenzione italiani ) ci fanno comodo e dei bambini Palestinesi che muoiono in fondo a molti non importa nulla. Basta non vedere immagini scioccanti in Tv, che turbano la nostra digestione.
Comunque ora soffrono loro, i poveri. Un pochino anche noi : il rincaro della vita, la mancanza di lavoro , la violenza che dilaga. Ma non illudiamoci che finisca qui.
Ho scritto di getto, triste, preoccupata. Ora rileggerò.
Il mare da Tellaro, Liguria
Controsole
Stay human
Taken on our after dinner walk. It's supposed to help with digestion, lower blood sugar and triglycerides, and other benefits. Plus we get to see a nice sunset on our inner coastal.
Better for the eyes and soul in the light box. Press L
Image 297 of 366 in 2016
Sitting in the train arriving in Tokyo while supposed to delivery pizza, i might have eat one, or two, after all i had to wait during the travel! What a shame, they should had though about mine first!
Maze soft thights are kinda funny, i don't wear it often but i have to say that one i like it a lot! Thanks to FACS!
How close this tiny fly came to becoming lunch! Big Mama didn't seem to notice this visitor and it flew safely away.
I noticed that in this moment captured, the fly appears to have a bubble of liquid near its mouth parts. (Enlarge for best details).
I've done some reading/research and there appears to be many reasons as to why flies (and other insects) do this. For example, perhaps the cleaning and flushing of mouth parts and playing a part in digestion.
Eriophora transmarina orbweaver, 15 mm body length
© All rights reserved.
some of these droplets are glue-like and others are for digestion.......
personally i'm glad i am not a fly
🇫🇷 Ils possèdent au total 18 dents (en général 10 en haut et 8 en bas6) à croissance continue, canines et prémolaires6, qui leur servent à mâcher des feuilles.
Leur métabolisme, deux fois inférieur à celui des autres mammifères, Leur température varie de 23 à 32 °C au cours de la journée
Le sol est, et de loin, le lieu de sa plus grande vulnérabilité, cette espèce ne descend pour faire ses besoins qu'une fois par semaine, et se libère alors de plus d'un tiers de son poids. Ce mode de vie assez remarquable est dû aux feuilles coriaces que le Bradypus variegatus mange, qui entraînent une digestion particulièrement lente.
🇬🇧
They have a total of 18 continuously growing teeth (usually 10 at the top and 8 at the bottom6), canines and premolars6, which they use to chew leaves.
Their metabolism is half that of other mammals, and their temperature varies between 23 and 32°C during the day.
The ground is by far the most vulnerable place for this species, which only goes down to relieve itself once a week, when it loses more than a third of its body weight. This rather remarkable lifestyle is due to the tough leaves that Bradypus variegatus eats, which result in particularly slow digestion.
🇪🇸 Tienen un total de 18 dientes en continuo crecimiento (normalmente 10 superiores y 8 inferiores6), caninos y premolares6, que utilizan para masticar hojas.
Su metabolismo es la mitad que el de otros mamíferos, y su temperatura varía entre 23 y 32 °C durante el día.
El suelo es, con diferencia, el lugar más vulnerable para esta especie, que sólo baja a hacer sus necesidades una vez a la semana, cuando pierde más de un tercio de su peso corporal. Este estilo de vida tan extraordinario se debe a las duras hojas que come el Bradypus variegatus, que provocan una digestión especialmente lenta.
🇩🇪 Sie haben insgesamt 18 ständig wachsende Zähne (in der Regel 10 oben und 8 unten6), Eckzähne und Prämolaren6 , mit denen sie Blätter kauen.
Ihr Stoffwechsel, der nur halb so groß ist wie der anderer Säugetiere, Ihre Temperatur schwankt im Laufe des Tages zwischen 23 und 32 °C.
Der Boden ist bei weitem der Ort ihrer größten Verletzlichkeit. Diese Art steigt nur einmal pro Woche zur Verrichtung ihrer Notdurft hinab und befreit sich dann von mehr als einem Drittel ihres Körpergewichts. Diese recht bemerkenswerte Lebensweise ist auf die ledrigen Blätter zurückzuführen, die Bradypus variegatus friÿsst und die zu einer besonders langsamen Verdauung führen.
🇮🇹 Hanno un totale di 18 denti a crescita continua (di solito 10 in alto e 8 in basso6), canini e premolari6, che usano per masticare le foglie.
Il loro metabolismo è la metà di quello degli altri mammiferi e la loro temperatura varia tra i 23 e i 32°C durante il giorno.
Il terreno è di gran lunga il luogo più vulnerabile per questa specie, che scende per liberarsi solo una volta alla settimana, quando perde più di un terzo del suo peso corporeo. Questo stile di vita piuttosto notevole è dovuto alle foglie dure di cui si nutre il Bradypus variegatus, che comportano una digestione particolarmente lenta.
Photographed in the Pantanal, Brazil
=> Please click on the image to see the largest size. <=
Besides being impressively large, a Toco Toucan's bill, its entire head in this case, is brilliantly colored. When viewing the image at its largest size, check out the unusual texture/pattern of the blue ring around the eye.
=====================
From Wikipedia: Toucans (/ˈtuːkæn/, UK: /-kən/) are members of the Neotropical near passerine bird family Ramphastidae. The Ramphastidae are most closely related to the American barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often-colorful bills. The family includes five genera and over forty different species.
Toucans are arboreal and typically lay 2–21 white eggs in their nests. They make their nests in tree hollows and holes excavated by other animals such as woodpeckers—the toucan bill has very limited use as an excavation tool. When the eggs hatch, the young emerge completely naked, without any down. Toucans are resident breeders and do not migrate. Toucans are usually found in pairs or small flocks. They sometimes fence with their bills and wrestle, which scientists hypothesize they do to establish dominance hierarchies. In Africa and Asia, hornbills occupy the toucans' ecological niche, an example of convergent evolution.
Description:
Toucans range in size from the lettered aracari (Pteroglossus inscriptus), at 130 g (4.6 oz) and 29 cm (11 in), to the toco toucan (Ramphastos toco), at 680 g (1.50 lb) and 63 cm (25 in). Their bodies are short (of comparable size to a crow's) and compact. The tail is rounded and varies in length, from half the length to the whole length of the body. The neck is short and thick. The wings are small, as they are forest-dwelling birds who only need to travel short distances, and are often of about the same span as the bill-tip-to-tail-tip measurements of the bird.
The legs of the toucan are strong and rather short. Their toes are arranged in pairs with the first and fourth toes turned backward. The majority of toucans do not show any sexual dimorphism in their coloration, the genus Selenidera being the most notable exception to this rule (hence their common name, "dichromatic toucanets"). However, the bills of female toucans are usually shorter, deeper and sometimes straighter, giving more of a "blocky" impression compared to male bills. The feathers in the genus containing the largest toucans are generally purple, with touches of white, yellow, and scarlet, and black. The underparts of the araçaris (smaller toucans) are yellow, crossed by one or more black or red bands. The toucanets have mostly green plumage with blue markings.
The colorful and large bill, which in some large species measures more than half the length of the body, is the hallmark of toucans. Despite its size, the toucan's bill is very light, being composed of bone struts filled with spongy tissue of keratin[4] between them. The bill has forward-facing serrations resembling teeth, which historically led naturalists to believe that toucans captured fish and were primarily carnivorous; today it is known that they eat mostly fruit. Researchers have discovered that the large bill of the toucan is a highly efficient thermoregulation system, though its size may still be advantageous in other ways. It does aid in their feeding behavior (as they sit in one spot and reach for all fruit in range, thereby reducing energy expenditure), and it has also been theorized that the bill may intimidate smaller birds, so that the toucan may plunder nests undisturbed (see Diet below). The beak allows the bird to reach deep into tree-holes to access food unavailable to other birds, and also to ransack suspended nests built by smaller birds.
A toucan's tongue is long (up to 15 cm (5.9 in)), narrow, grey, and singularly frayed on each side, adding to its sensitivity as a tasting organ.
A structural complex probably unique to toucans involves the modification of several tail vertebrae. The rear three vertebrae are fused and attached to the spine by a ball and socket joint. Because of this, toucans may snap their tail forward until it touches the head. This is the posture in which they sleep, often appearing simply as a ball of feathers, with the tip of the tail sticking out over the head.
Distribution and habitat:
Toucans are native to the Neotropics, from Southern Mexico, through Central America, into South America south to northern Argentina. They mostly live in the lowland tropics, but the mountain species from the genus Andigena reach temperate climates at high altitudes in the Andes and can be found up to the tree line.
For the most part the toucans are forest species, and restricted to primary forests. They will enter secondary forests to forage, but are limited to forests with large old trees that have holes large enough to breed in. Toucans are poor dispersers, particularly across water, and have not reached the West Indies. The only non-forest living toucan is the toco toucan, which is found in savannah with forest patches and open woodlands.[8]
Behaviour and ecology:
Toucans are highly social and most species occur in groups of up to 20 or more birds for most of the time. Pairs may retire from the groups during the breeding season, then return with their offspring after the breeding season. Larger groups may form during irruptions, migration or around a particularly large fruiting tree.
Toucans often spend time sparring with their bills, tag-chasing and calling, during the long time it takes for fruit to digest. These behaviours may be related to maintenance of the pair bond or establishing dominance hierarchies, but the digestion time of fruit, which can take up to 75 minutes during which the toucan can't feed, provide this social time.
Diet:
Toucans are primarily frugivorous (fruit eating), but are opportunistically omnivorous and will take prey such as insects, smaller birds, and small lizards. Captive toucans have been reported to hunt insects actively in their cages, and it is possible to keep toucans on an insect-only diet. They also plunder nests of smaller birds, taking eggs and nestlings. This probably provides a crucial addition of protein to their diet. Certainly, apart from being systematically predatory as well as frugivorous, like many omnivorous birds, they particularly prefer animal food for feeding their chicks. However, in their range, toucans are the dominant frugivores, and as such, play an extremely important ecological role as vectors for seed dispersal of fruiting trees
Pan-4F3A9417-Flkrs
a man, his car, his chair and his dog
Davanti all'obiettivo io sono contemporaneamente: quello che credo di essere, quello che vorrei si creda io sia, quello che il fotografo crede io sia e quello di cui egli si serve per far mostra della sua arte.
(Roland Barthes)
Sloths are among the slowest-moving animals on Earth; they can swim but are virtually unable to walk. This makes them an easy target for jaguars, eagles and people that hunt sloths for their meat.
Brown-throated sloths have the ability to rotate their heads like owls. They can turn their heads up to 300 degrees due to their unique neck structure.Sloths evolved to expend very little energy because their diet does not provide them with a lot of calories and nutrition. Brown-throated sloths primarily eat tough, rubbery rainforest leaves. These leaves are also full of toxins (a form of protection for the rainforest trees). But sloths have developed a digestive system to handle these highly indigestible leaves. Their stomachs are multi-chambered, similar to a cow’s stomach, and house a mix of bacteria which helps to slowly break down the leaves. It takes two weeks for a sloth to digest one meal — the slowest digestion time of any mammal! and they only descend from the rainforest canopy to urinate and defecate once a week.
Sloths are specially adapted to live among the treetops. Their fur hangs upside down, running from their stomachs to their backs. This is because sloths themselves usually hang upside down. The orientation of their fur helps the rain water flow away from their body. But sloths take the risk to climb down to the ground because of a symbiotic relationship they have with the flora living in their fur. Sloth fur is rife with macro- and microorganisms like algae, fungi and moths. While these organisms benefit from having a sheltered place to live among the long coarse hairs, the sloth also gains from the relationship.
The algae provides supplemental nutrition for the sloth and tints the fur green, which helps camouflage the sloth among the leaves. The fungi helps fend off parasites known to cause diseases like malaria and Chagas disease. The moths provide fertiliser for the algae.
Another unique trait of sloths is that they rely on solar energy to regulate their body temperature. With such a slow metabolism, sloths must sunbathe in order to keep their body temperature up. In this way, sloths are similar to reptiles.
Male brown-throated three-toed sloths can be easily distinguished from females because they have a bright orange patch with a black stripe on their backs. This patch has scent marking glands that attracts female sloths. Alpha males have a larger patches than other males.
Las arañas son animales depredadores que paralizan a sus presas con el veneno de sus quelíceros, piezas bucales. Una vez paralizadas por el veneno les inyectan jugos digestivos, que producen una digestión externa del animal dentro de sus propios tegumentos, sorbiendo a continuación la papilla resultante. Por eso se observa a las arañas permanecer inmóviles durante largo rato mientras sujetan su presa inmóvil.
Snow partridge is found in the Himalayas from Pakistan to Arunachal Pradesh along the higher ranges, mainly 3000 to 5000 m (rarely below 2000 m) altitude. It is found above the tree line but not on as bare and stony terrain as the snowcocks.Although said to be found in Afghanistan, there is no evidence. The species is found over a large area is generally considered to be of low conservation concern. It is hunted to some extent, due to its habit of being more approachable than snowcock and has declined in population in some areas.
The usual habitat is alpine pastures, open grassy hillsides with grass, lichens, moss, ferns and rhododendrons. Is found among small snow-patches but not in as stony or bare ground as the snowcock. The birds however are very local in their distribution.
The snow partridge is found is small groups, usually about 6 to 8 but up to 30 during the non-breeding season. When flushed, they usually fly up before scattering away with noisy wing beats. The flight is rapid and stirring. It has a habit of sunning itself on rocks during the midday.The call in the breeding season is said to resemble that of the grey francolin of the plains. It has been compared in habit to that of the ptarmigan. It is said to feed on mosses, lichens, berries, and the shoots of plants. It also swallows grit to aid digestion.
The breeding season is May to July. The males are believed to be monogynous. The nest is a scrape on a hill-side under some sheltering rock, either scratched out by themselves or already available, and usually hidden with vegetation. The nest is sometimes lined with moss but well concealed although given away by the male. About 3 to 5 eggs, pale yellow in color and slightly glossy with reddish-brown markings on the rounded end, are laid, and the female incubates while the male stands sentinel. Parent birds may use distraction displays to draw the attention of predators. They call in a comparatively softer lower note to the young, which respond with chicken-like cheep calls.
Apart from Chelopistes lervicola described as an ectoparasite of this species, an Argasid tick Argas himalayensis has been noted
Wishing a super delicious weekend to everyone!
Happiness: a good bank account, a good cook and a good
digestion.
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Not necessity, not desire - no, the love of power is the
demon of men. Let them have everything - health, food,
a place to live, entertainment - they are and remain unhappy
and low-spirited: for the demon waits and waits and will
be satisfied.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
PHOTO:
Appetizers. Restaurant "Alladin", Jaffa, Israel.
Taken 11 November, 2006.
Apparently bee pollen offers a range of potential health benefits due to its rich nutritional profile, including boosting the immune system, aiding digestion, and providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also known to enhance energy levels, potentially help with weight management. As for the taste many people find bee pollen to be pleasantly sweet, similar to honey.
I just bought a sachet of it to phorograph but I will try it later.
Project 365 - Image 127/365
Woohooo, it's finally Friday afternoon - work is finished for the week and all that remains is a quick sleep before the long trip overnight to Glasgow by car.
Poe decided that it would be easier for me to fall asleep if he was to read me some of his favourite poems such as "To Be Ugly or Not To Be" and "There's Cookies On The Starboard Bow" by the famous author from Uglyworld, Sir Reginald the Ugly.
Here's a few quick lines from the poems mentioned above:-
"To be ugly or not to be ugly, that is the question
If the cookie's in your belly, it's time for digestion
Where to look next, for that next elusive batch
Anywhere, everywhere, just find them and snatch!!!"
"There's cookies on the starboard bow
Starboard bow, starboard bow
There's cookies on the starboard bow
So someone save them now..."
It worked, time for my sleep...
From the Uglydoll blog at adventuresinuglyworld.blogspot.com/
THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT AND FAVES
ON THE REACTIONS I WILL TRY TO RESPOND BACK
Meidoorn wordt al sinds de 16e eeuw gebruikt om de bloedsomloop te stimuleren. Deze werking komt onder meer door de inhoudsstof rutine, deze stof is bekend om z'n vermogen om blauwe plekken te voorkomen.
Bovendien helpt meidoornthee om de cholesterol te verlagen.
In de Traditionele Chinese geneeskunde (TCG) wordt Crataegus pinnatifida, een soort meidoorn, al duizenden jaren gebruikt. Shan Zha is de pinyin-naam. Het valt in de TCG onder de kruiden die spijsverteringsproblemen oplossen, met name bij problemen met de vertering van eiwitten en vetten.
Ook bij diarree of dysenterie wordt het gebruikt.
In de Chinese geneeskunde wordt het ook gezien als een kruid dat de stagnering van bloed kan verhelpen en cholesterol en een hoge bloeddruk kan verlagen.
------------------------------------------
Hawthorn has been used since the 16th century to stimulate blood circulation. This effect is partly due to the substance rutin, this substance is known for its ability to prevent bruising.
Moreover, hawthorn tea helps to lower cholesterol.
Crataegus pinnatifida, a type of hawthorn, has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCG). Shan Zha is the pinyin name. In the TCG it is among the herbs that solve digestive problems, in particular with problems with the digestion of proteins and fats.
It is also used for diarrhea or dysentery.
In Chinese medicine it is also seen as an herb that can remedy blood stagnation and lower cholesterol and high blood pressure.
It is surprising to think that this small, delicate looking plant has been used so widely through centuries in the making of clothes and linen but the strong and flexible stems are perfectly suited for the purpose. A comprehensive description of the process can be found here.
www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Linen.html
The name 'usitatissimum' means many uses of which there is a long list. Some of the main ones are the use of the seeds for making nutritious seed cake particularly for feeding cattle. The oil is used to make linseed oils as well as in the making of other paints, varnishes and similar products, also in making quality papers especially for cigarettes. It has medical uses especially to help the digestion.
Thank you so much for sharing your quality photos which is a great way to see and keep some sort of touch with the world from home. Also for your kind comments and favours which are much valued.
I am not able to take on any more members to follow or to post to groups
Antioplelle (Antiopella cristata) – La Lauve –Cap d’Antibes - France
Delicate and elegant, Antiopella cristata glides among algae and hydroids like a colorful veil. Its translucent body reveals the intriate harmony of its internal organs, while its cerata — long, iridescent filaments — sway gently with the current.
Both ornamental and vital, each cerata contains a digestive diverticulum, an extension of the intestine where digestion and absorption take place. But this fragile structure also hides a clever defense strategy: nematocysts harvested from its tinging prey, mainly hydroids, are stored there, ready to deter
potential predators.
Under the light, the cerata glow with a crystalline radiance, highlighting the functional beauty shaped by evolution.
This image was captured off the coast of Cap d’Antibes, at the dive site La Lauve.
Using a Nikon D800E in an Aquatica housing, paired with a 105 mm macro lens, an SMC - 1 (2.3x) wet lens, and a snoot mounted on a Backscatter Mini Flash 2, I isolated texture, form, and light at F/22 to reveal the graphic details of this elegant biological ingenuity.
The dahlia (Dahlia pinnata) is a beautiful plant belonging to the genus Dahlia and the family Asteraceae. It is a tuberous plant, similar to potatoes, and is native to Mexico, where it is considered the national flower. The dahlia was named in honor of the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl by Antonio José Cavanilles, the Spanish abbot and director of the Royal Gardens of Madrid, in 1791.
Dahlias are known for their large, colorful flowers that bloom from the beginning of summer until late autumn. These flowers can be used to add elegance and glamour to gardens and are often used to make bouquets due to their longevity once cut.
In Mexico, dahlias have a rich cultural significance. They were used by the Aztecs for decorative purposes and were named "xicamiti" or "xicami," possibly due to their tuberous roots resembling bulbs. The dahlia was officially designated as the national flower of Mexico in 1963 by President Adolfo López Mateos.
Cultivation of dahlias does not require many inputs and they can adapt to various zones. They thrive in sandy soil with good drainage and full sun exposure.
The dahlia is also valued for its medicinal and nutritional properties. It contains inulin, a prebiotic that aids digestion and helps in the assimilation of certain minerals like calcium and magnesium.
Vor allem die Kerne der Papaya enthalten Papain in hoher Konzentration. Bei Papain, auch Papayotin oder Papyacin genannt, handelt es sich um ein Enzym für die Verstoffwechslung von komplexen Eiweißen. Es sorgt dafür, dass die Proteine gespalten und so verwertet und ausgeschieden werden können. Diese Wirkung von Papaya soll sich im Magen und Darm entfalten und deshalb die Verdauung fördern.
The kernels of papaya in particular contain high concentrations of papain. Papain, also called papayotin or papyacin, is an enzyme for the metabolism of complex proteins. It ensures that the proteins can be split and thus used and excreted. This effect of papaya should develop in the stomach and intestines and therefore promote digestion.
A young elephant wraps her trunk around a bunch of grass and shoves it into her mouth. Grass provides the bulk of elephants' diets, providing a source of minerals, carbohydrates for energy, and roughage for digestion. Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.
14/07/2025 www.allenfotowild.com
Henry was the fly ambassador of goodwill towards humans, he was appointed to raise the profile of flies in the human population and to reduce the loathing felt by certain members of the pink skinned bipedal apes. One of the biggest issues for humans was that flies enjoy regurgitating their stomach contents onto food, dissolving it and sucking up the juices. Henry was thus the first fly to turn vegetarian and to chew his food.
Flies, being diptera, aren’t the smartest of insects, slightly above crane flies, but nowhere as clever as the beetles and social insects and so they hadn’t figured that they needed teeth to properly chew food and start the digestion process. Henry had been trying to chew a piece of this leaf for hours before I came along, to no avail. “Henry, whassup, what ya doin homey’” I said in my most street savvy vernacular (flies, although stupid, liked the latest trend words and spoke like teenagers). “Wicked, bro” said Henry “I’m just chillin wiv dis herbage trying to nyam it”. “Sweet”, I said, continuing to sound like an overaged, underinformed ‘youf’ “dat’s wicked, how long ya bin doin’ dat, innit”. ( I had also figured that using the word innit anywhere in sentences made you sound more street). “abaht free ‘ours, bro’ I feel a bit like I’m gonna puke soon.” I didn’t know what to say, Henry was determined, I watched for a few more minutes and eventually the inevitable happened, Henry puked all over the leaf. “Waste not, want not” said Henry in an almost adult voice as he commenced to suck up the vomit along with the now dissolving vegetation. Nice…
IL TARASSACO SOLITARIO.
Il tarassaco può aiutarci a migliorare la funzionalità del fegato, la digestione, favorire la diuresi e combattere la ritenzione idrica e migliorare l’aspetto della pelle.
Oltre a colorare i prati con i suoi fiori gialli, il tarassaco rappresenta un valido rimedio naturale per diversi disturbi: è soprattutto un ottimo diuretico e depurativo, ma offre anche benefici in caso di inappetenza, problemi digestivi, cattiva circolazione e per la bellezza della pelle.
CANON EOS 600D con ob. SIGMA 10-20 f./4-5,6 EX DC HSM
[ Explored No. 139 on 1 July 2017. Thank you all so much ! ]
In Medieval dwellings, floors were carpeted with rushes, reeds or straw, for insulation and to provide bedding for members of the lower household. These floor coverings were only cleaned out and replaced once or twice a year, so to counteract the accumulated odours, fragrant herbs were scattered (strewn) on top of them, releasing their scents when they were walked upon. Some of these herbs also acted as insect and pest repellants.
With regards to Meadowsweet, John Gerard said that Queen Elizabeth 1st “did more desire it than any other herb to strew her chambers withal.”
Meadowsweet has continued to be used for medicinal purposes - for headaches (it contains aspirin), rheumatism, acid reflux, and poor digestion (as it sooths the mucous membranes in the intestines).
There ! And you thought it was just a weed growing in the countryside meadows, didn't you !
This is from a wild area in our local park and now stands looking lovely and smelling delicious in the kitchen. Taken with a 4x magnifying filter on my lens - I'm quite pleased with it for a first attempt :o) The flowers are tiny - about 1 millimetre across. Hope you like it too !
Thanks, as always, for your support and for just looking and reading ... you are all so appreciated. Please don't eat meadowsweet without checking out whether it's safe for you ... I don't know the dosage or how to prepare it !
Bearded Reedling - Panurus Biarmicus
aka Bearded Tit. (M)
A Schedule 1 Bird.
This species is a wetland specialist, breeding colonially in large reed beds by lakes or swamps. It eats reed aphids in summer, and reed seeds in winter, its digestive system changing to cope with the very different seasonal diets.
Often having to take grit in order to help digestion.
The bearded reedling is a species of temperate Europe and Asia. It is resident, and most birds do not migrate other than eruptive or cold weather movements. It is vulnerable to hard winters, which may kill many birds. The English population of about 500 pairs is largely confined to the south and east with a small population in Leighton Moss in north Lancashire. In Ireland a handful of pairs breed in County Wexford. The largest single population in Great Britain is to be found in the reedbeds at the mouth of the River Tay in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, where there may be in excess of 250 pairs.
Other Breeding areas include Norfolk and Somerset.
Population:
UK breeding:
630 pairs
Europe:
232 - 437,000 birds
Spent the morning walking up and down the path listening for 'pinging' and trying in vain to spot the elusive Bearded Tits / Reedlings lying low in the reed bed. After 4 hours of this I had heard lots, seen few and was heading back to the car.
I then looked on the path in front of me and there were over a dozen birds gathering grit from the path (used to help digestion when they change from insects to seeds in the Autumn). I couldn't believe it! Have rarely seen this behavour before and have never managed to photograph it.
Taken in Suffolk.
Bearded Reedling - Panurus Biarmicus
aka Bearded Tit. (F)
A Schedule 1 Bird.
This species is a wetland specialist, breeding colonially in large reed beds by lakes or swamps. It eats reed aphids in summer, and reed seeds in winter, its digestive system changing to cope with the very different seasonal diets.
Often having to take grit in order to help digestion.
The bearded reedling is a species of temperate Europe and Asia. It is resident, and most birds do not migrate other than eruptive or cold weather movements. It is vulnerable to hard winters, which may kill many birds. The English population of about 500 pairs is largely confined to the south and east with a small population in Leighton Moss in north Lancashire. In Ireland a handful of pairs breed in County Wexford. The largest single population in Great Britain is to be found in the reedbeds at the mouth of the River Tay in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, where there may be in excess of 250 pairs.
Other Breeding areas include Norfolk and Somerset.
Population:
UK breeding:
630 pairs
Europe:
232 - 437,000 birds
Die Kohlmeisen gehören zu den Vögeln die in Deutschland so häufig sind, dass man sie wahrscheinlich nicht so sehr schätzt wie andere, seltenere Vogelarten. Das ist aber ein Fehler, denn sie sind eine bedrohte Art. Schon vor 10 Jahren tauchten die ersten Untersuchungen auf, dass Kohlmeisen bis zum Ende des Jahrhunderts ausgestorben sind. Der Hintergrund ist, dass durch die Klimaerwärmung viele Insekten inzwischen viel früher Eier ablegen und die daraus resultierenden Raupen dann schon verschwunden sind wenn die Kohlmeisen ihre Brut füttern müssen. Die Insekten passen sich viel schneller an die Veränderung an als die Vögel. Kohlmeisen verfüttern dann zwar auch Samen und Kerne an die Jungen, deren Verdauung kann dieses harte Futter aber nicht verwerten und die Kleinen verhungern mit vollem Bauch.
Tech. Info: Ich habe die 1/125s gewählt um die Regentropfen als Striche sichtbar zu machen.
Um die Kohlmeise im Regen besonders detailreich sehen zu können, drückt die Tasten l (kleines L) und F11. Beim vergrößern nur durch Anklicken gehen euch viele Details verloren.
The Great Tits are among the birds that are so common in Germany that they are probably not valued as much as other, rarer bird species. But that is a mistake, because it is an endangered species. The first studies appeared 10 years ago that Great Tits would be extinct by the end of the century. The background is that due to global warming, many insects are now laying eggs much earlier and the resulting caterpillars have already disappeared by the time the great tits have to feed their brood. The insects adapt to the change much more quickly than the birds. Great Tits are already trying to compensate that and also feed seeds and kernels to the young, but their digestion cannot utilize this hard food and the little ones starve to death with a full stomach.
Tech. info: I used 1/125th shutterspeed to make the raindrops visible as streaks.
To view this Great Tit in the rain with the best resolution in full screen press the "l" (small L) and F11 keys. When enlarging the pic by just mouse clicking you lose quality. Enjoy!
www.sciencenews.org/article/so-far-great-tit-has-coped-cl...
Mongolia, neopan 400
“I'd rather sing one wild song and burst my heart with it, than live a thousand years watching my digestion and being afraid of the wet.”
― Jack London
El jengibre, cuyo nombre científico es Zingiber officinale,es una planta medicinal, un antiinflamatorio natural que ayuda a combatir enfermedades respiratorias, artrosis, diabetes y problemas digestivos y que además se utiliza para adelgazar.
El jengibre, gracias a las propiedades y compuestos químicos que contiene, aporta enormes beneficios para la salud, entre los que podemos destacar:
Disminuye los dolores reumáticos y menstruales.
Es eficaz contra la gripe y los resfriados, al favorecer la expectoración.
Mejora el flujo sanguíneo, por lo que previene las enfermedades cardiovasculares.
Elimina el mareo y el vértigo.
Es un afrodisíaco natural, ya que estimula la libido.
Es un antidepresivo natural.
Combate el envejecimiento prematuro y reduce los niveles de estrés oxidativo de las células gracias a los principios antioxidantes.
Disminuye las migrañas al bloquear los efectos de la prostaglandina.
Previene varios tipos de cánceres, como el cáncer de colon y de ovarios.
Facilita la digestión.
Sin duda los beneficios del jengibre para la salud son muchos más, pero además de ser un complemento medicinal y nutricional, es enormemente refrescante preparar con esta raíz bebidas y platos de todo tipo.
___________0_____________
Sierra del Jaral.
D04_7343
Las orquídeas para germinar las semillas necesitan relacionarse simbióticamente con un hongo,lo mismo ocurre con la mayoría de plantas.
"En el caso de las orquídeas, independientemente de que sean terrestres o epifitas, tienen su propia evolución de micorriza, que corresponde a un tipo de endomicorriza particular, llamado orquideoide de ovillo. Las hifas penetran como un guante atravesando la pared celular, provocando una dilatación de la membrana debido a una formación en forma de ovillo en el citoplasma en vez de arbúsculo y el intercambio se produce a través de un ciclo de colonización/“digestión”. Las semillas de orquídeas necesitan de esta colonización para poder germinar, el hongo les facilita sus primeros nutrientes transformados para poder crecer sin reservas. Algunas conservan la relación hasta su estado adulto, sobre todo orquídeas terrestres no fotosintéticas, las orquídeas fotosintéticas son en su mayoría micoheterotróficas durante los primeros estadios de desarrollo y algunas podrían ser mixotróficas en estado adulto, ya que parte del carbono que requieren lo suplen de sus hongos micorrízicos que lo extraen de otras plantas o cambian sus relaciones con el hongo según el estado del ciclo vital anual, incluso algunas especies, presentan micorrizas no solo en las raíces sino también en sus tallos (micothallia). Se puede deducir de esto, que las orquídeas no solo son las angiospermas con los métodos reproductivos mas evolucionados, también en su relaciones con los hongos. Los hongos mas comunes que se encuentran en estas relaciones simbióticas con orquídeas son de los géneros o formas, Rhizoctonia, Ceratobasidium, Tullasnella, Sebacina, Russula y Thanatephorus. En epifitas tropicales, son mas comunes del género Ceratobasidium y en orquídeas terrestres de zonas templadas, Tullasnella, aunque aún queda mucho por investigar al respecto. Algunos de estos géneros de hongos son patógenos para algunas otras familias de plantas, pero se comportan de forma simbionte y beneficiosa con las orquídeas, increíble ¿verdad?.
Tomado de este artículo de Alberto Martínez
Os subo un artículo muy interesante sobre el tema.
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo carbo) in breeding plumage at Millers Crossing, the River Exe, Exeter, Devon, England.
The function of the 'wing-drying' or 'wing-spreading' behaviour of cormorants is uncertain with five proposed functions: wing-drying, thermoregulation, balancing, intraspecific signalling and as an aid to swallow fish/digestion.
Un pregadeu,[1] plegamans,[2] tocacampanes,[3] cavall de serp[4] o científicament, Mantis religiosa és un insecte mantodeu gros: les femelles superen fàcilment els 7 cm de llargada encara que els mascles són més petits. Se solen trobar en indrets assolellats com ara les brolles, sovint camuflats amb els seus tons críptics de colors verd groc o marró clar.
Són característics del pregadeus els fèmurs punxosos del primer parell de potes plegades davant del cap -en una postura que recorda la d'una persona en oració- i el cap triangular, amb dos grans ulls i unes mandíbules potents. El pregadéu és depredador d'altres insectes. Sovint resta quiet prop d'una flor, a l'aguait dels insectes pol·linitzadors. És inofensiu per als humans, ja que les seves mandíbules i les serretes de les seves potes amb les que enxampa les preses, són molt petites per a l'ésser humà.Noms dialectals
pregadeu de rostoll, pregadéu-Bernada, pregamans, (a)plegaman(o)s, plegabraços, cantamisses, (re)voltacampanes, revoltejacampanes, rodacampanes, regatejador de campanes, revol de campanes, campanar, beata, predicador, cabra[5],[6] muntacavalls etc.
I els més locals: dimoni (a l'Urgell), Andreu (La Codonyera), Mateu, tocacampanes (Almatret; Ribera d'Ebre), cantamisses (Terres de Lleida), plegadéus (de rostoll) (Ribera d'Ebre), senyoreta, 'tocamatines (Terres de Lleida), repicacampanes (Terres de Lleida).
També rep noms atribuïts a altres insectes:cuca cantamissa (Ribera d'Ebre), maria (a Senterada i més llocs), mortefuig (Mequinensa), rodadits, cavall de serp (a les Balears), tallanàs (??).
En rossellonès burra (o burro en septentrional de transició), cabra, bernada, marededeu; pregadeu i cabra llosca al Vallespir i l'Alt Empordà.
Per a més noms vegeu el mapa pregadéu Arxivat 2016-08-03 a Wayback Machine. de l'ALDC.
Reproducció
A la fi de l'estiu, els pregadéus surten a aparellar-se per les zones més assolellades dels boscos on viuen. Les femelles són les que dirigeixen la cacera. Són més grans que els mascles i s'encarreguen d'emetre feromones per atreure'ls. El mascle més proper cedirà a la crida silenciosa sense sospitar que, en la majoria dels casos, la còpula acaba amb la mort del mascle entre les mandíbules de la seva parella.
Els ous -n'hi ha fins a dos-cents- romandran tancats dins una coberta anomenada ooteca, unes estructures de contorn el·líptic i consistència esponjosa que contenen els ous i acostumen a trobar-se adherides a la pedra o a la fusta, en un indret prou arrecerat i no naixeran finsMantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks. Their elongated bodies may or may not have wings, but all Mantodea have forelegs that are greatly enlarged and adapted for catching and gripping prey; their upright posture, while remaining stationary with forearms folded, has led to the common name praying mantis.
The closest relatives of mantises are termites and cockroaches (Blattodea), which are all within the superorder Dictyoptera. Mantises are sometimes confused with stick insects (Phasmatodea), other elongated insects such as grasshoppers (Orthoptera), or other unrelated insects with raptorial forelegs such as mantisflies (Mantispidae). Mantises are mostly ambush predators, but a few ground-dwelling species are found actively pursuing their prey. They normally live for about a year. In cooler climates, the adults lay eggs in autumn, then die. The eggs are protected by their hard capsules and hatch in the spring. Females sometimes practice sexual cannibalism, eating their mates after copulation.
Mantises were considered to have supernatural powers by early civilizations, including Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, and Assyria. A cultural trope popular in cartoons imagines the female mantis as a femme fatale. Mantises are among the insects most commonly kept as pets.Taxonomy and evolution
Green mantis in a backyard in Sydney, 2020
Over 2,400 species of mantis in about 430 genera are recognized.[1] They are predominantly found in tropical regions, but some live in temperate areas.[2][3] The systematics of mantises have long been disputed. Mantises, along with stick insects (Phasmatodea), were once placed in the order Orthoptera with the cockroaches (now Blattodea) and ice crawlers (now Grylloblattodea). Kristensen (1991) combined the Mantodea with the cockroaches and termites into the order Dictyoptera, suborder Mantodea.[4][5] The name mantodea is formed from the Ancient Greek words μάντις (mantis) meaning "prophet", and εἶδος (eidos) meaning "form" or "type". It was coined in 1838 by the German entomologist Hermann Burmeister.[6][7] The order is occasionally called the mantes, using a Latinized plural of Greek mantis. The name mantid properly refers only to members of the family Mantidae, which was, historically, the only family in the order. The other common name, praying mantis, applied to any species in the order[8] (though in Europe mainly to Mantis religiosa), comes from the typical "prayer-like" posture with folded forelimbs.[9][10] The vernacular plural "mantises" (used in this article) was confined largely to the US, with "mantids" predominantly used as the plural in the UK and elsewhere, until the family Mantidae was further split in 2002.[11][12]
One of the earliest classifications splitting an all-inclusive Mantidae into multiple families was that proposed by Beier in 1968, recognizing eight families,[13] though it was not until Ehrmann's reclassification into 15 families in 2002[12] that a multiple-family classification became universally adopted. Klass, in 1997, studied the external male genitalia and postulated that the families Chaeteessidae and Metallyticidae diverged from the other families at an early date.[14] However, as previously configured, the Mantidae and Thespidae especially were considered polyphyletic,[15] so the Mantodea have been revised substantially as of 2019 and now includes 29 families.[16]Mantises are generalist predators of arthropods.[2] The majority of mantises are ambush predators that only feed upon live prey within their reach. They either camouflage themselves and remain stationary, waiting for prey to approach, or stalk their prey with slow, stealthy movements.[34] Larger mantises sometimes eat smaller individuals of their own species,[35] as well as small vertebrates such as lizards, frogs, fish, and particularly small birds.[36][37][38]
Most mantises stalk tempting prey if it strays close enough, and will go further when they are especially hungry.[39] Once within reach, mantises strike rapidly to grasp the prey with their spiked raptorial forelegs.[40] Some ground and bark species pursue their prey in a more active way. For example, members of a few genera such as the ground mantises, Entella, Ligaria, and Ligariella run over dry ground seeking prey, much as tiger beetles do.[20]
The fore gut of some species extends the whole length of the insect and can be used to store prey for digestion later. This may be advantageous in an insect that feeds intermittently.[41] Chinese mantises live longer, grow faster, and produce more young when they are able to eat pollen.[42]Antipredator adaptations
Further information: flower mantis
Mantises are preyed on by vertebrates such as frogs, lizards, and birds, and by invertebrates such as spiders, large species of hornets, and ants.[43] Some hunting wasps, such as some species of Tachytes also paralyse some species of mantis to feed their young.[44] Generally, mantises protect themselves by camouflage, most species being cryptically colored to resemble foliage or other backgrounds, both to avoid predators and to better snare their prey.[45] Those that live on uniformly colored surfaces such as bare earth or tree bark are dorsoventrally flattened so as to eliminate shadows that might reveal their presence.[46] The species from different families called flower mantises are aggressive mimics: they resemble flowers convincingly enough to attract prey that come to collect pollen and nectar.[47][48][49] Some species in Africa and Australia are able to turn black after a molt towards the end of the dry season; at this time of year, bush fires occur and this coloration enables them to blend in with the fire-ravaged landscape (fire melanism).[46]When directly threatened, many mantis species stand tall and spread their forelegs, with their wings fanning out wide. The fanning of the wings makes the mantis seem larger and more threatening, with some species enhancing this effect with bright colors and patterns on their hindwings and inner surfaces of their front legs. If harassment persists, a mantis may strike with its forelegs and attempt to pinch or bite. As part of the bluffing (deimatic) threat display, some species may also produce a hissing sound by expelling air from the abdominal spiracles. Mantises lack chemical protection, so their displays are largely bluff. When flying at night, at least some mantises are able to detect the echolocation sounds produced by bats; when the frequency begins to increase rapidly, indicating an approaching bat, they stop flying horizontally and begin a descending spiral toward the safety of the ground, often preceded by an aerial loop or spin. If caught, they may slash captors with their raptorial legs.[46][50][51]
Mantises, like stick insects, show rocking behavior in which the insect makes rhythmic, repetitive side-to-side movements. Functions proposed for this behavior include the enhancement of crypsis by means of the resemblance to vegetation moving in the wind. However, the repetitive swaying movements may be most important in allowing the insects to discriminate objects from the background by their relative movement, a visual mechanism typical of animals with simpler sight systems. Rocking movements by these generally sedentary insects may replace flying or running as a source of relative motion of objects in the visual field.[52] As ants may be predators of mantises, genera such as Loxomantis, Orthodera, and Statilia, like many other arthropods, avoid attacking them. Exploiting this behavior, a variety of arthropods, including some early-instar mantises, mimic ants to evade their predators.[53] wikipedia dixit
A natural antibacterial, antioxidant, wound healing and great for digestion, nature's gift. Come over and help me extract honey from my bees!
Food Credit:
Kraftwork - Nectar honey Collection
This will be a series of images starting with the regular protocol- stalk the crab, catch the crab, break the shell to ease digestion, remove all limbs, then swallow. Here we join the YCNH just before the crab heads down the gullet. You can see at her feet all the discarded bits- claws and legs- but hunger prevailed and two legs are still present.