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This adult female has not quite finished her meal here. Once a spider has caught its prey and will want to eat its food the first step is to literally vomit a digestive fluid all over the food and then to chew the item with the jaws (chelicerae), then on to suck up the fluid back into the mouth together with the liquified meat. Some spiders can produce at least six different kinds of silk and if spiders were scaled to the same size as us it is said that the Web would be strong enough to catch a helicopter. It has also been claimed that a cable of silk as thick as a thumb woven from spider silk would be able to bear the weight of a jumbo jet.
This spider is usually found low down in vegetation in a funnel web often in brambles, gorse and heather, In late summer the female will construct a chamber within the web which is made up of a complex maze of silken tubes that will contain her egg sac and will often be seen guarding the entrance. The spiders main primary function is to quickly immobilize and subdue its prey and start the digesting process. The venom can contain many different substances which can include amino acids, proteolytic enzymes and neurotoxic polypeptides. Once a spider has caught its prey and will want to eat its food the first step is to literally vomit a digestive fluid all over the food and then to chew the item with the jaws (chelicerae), then on to suck up the fluid back into the mouth together with the liquified meat. Some spiders can produce at least six different kinds of silk and if spiders were scaled to the same size as us it is said that the Web would be strong enough to catch a helicopter. It has also been claimed that a cable of silk as thick as a thumb woven from spider silk would be able to bear the weight of a jumbo jet. Unfortunately most of us have been brought up in life from young children to fear a spider and most will feel sorry for the bee straight away but how many feel sorry for the bee in a beak of a stunning looking Bee-Eater Bird or the Stickleback fish repeatably being hit on a branch before being swallowed down whole by a stunning blue King Fisher or even a earth worm that snaps in half when being pulled out of the ground by our friendly Robbin in our gardens. The answer is not many as all three do not have eight legs and look like a spider, its a funny old world that we live in.
The red dog bin in my local park came in very handy for this one. The spider's main primary function is to quickly immobilize and subdue its prey and start the digesting process. The venom can contain many different substances which can include amino acids, proteolytic enzymes and neurotoxic polypeptides. This adult female has not quite finished her meal here. Once a spider has caught its prey and will want to eat its food the first step is to literally vomit a digestive fluid all over the food and then to chew the item with the jaws (chelicerae), then on to suck up the fluid back into the mouth together with the liquified meat.
…is a few minutes of their time each day
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This morning, I went out to check on the Western Grebe family at a local wildlife preserve. I was surprised to see the mother feeding a feather to one of her young! This behavior is actually quite common among grebes. They often eat their own feathers while preening, which then line their stomachs. This feathery lining can help protect their digestive systems from sharp fish bones. Eventually, they regurgitate the feathers in a pellet along with the bones and other indigestible bits.
Western Grebes are almost always in the water, where they dive for prey or rest on the surface. They can disappear for long periods during dives.
Setting off crisp black-and-white plumage with a yellow bill and red eye, the slender Western Grebe is an elegant presence on lakes and ocean coasts of western North America. Along with its close relative, the Clark’s Grebe, it’s renowned for a ballet-like courtship display in which male and female “run” across the water in synchrony, their long necks curved in an S-shape. These water birds rarely come ashore, instead taking long dives to catch fish and other aquatic animals.
The oldest recorded Western Grebe was a female and at least 11 years old when she was found in Minnesota, where she had been banded.
(Nikon Z8, Nikor 600/6.3, 1/1250 @ f/8.0, ISO 450, edited to taste)
Managed to find some Yorkshire tea bags locally and some Digestive biscuits to dunk.
Today's PoD and also #6/119 Afternoon tea.
119 pictures in 2019
Like all desert animals, the desert bighorn sheep have adapted to their environments lack of free-standing water. They have evolved a nine-stage digestive process that allows for the maximum absorption of both nutrients and moisture from the grasses and other vegetation that they eat. Even with this extremely efficient digestive process, desert bighorn sheep must seek out standing water to drink every two to three days.
Polyporus squamosus (Polyporaceae- Polyporacées)
Common name: pheasant-back mushroom.
Polyporus squamosus (Polyporaceae- Polyporacées)
It is a pretty good edible fungus that must be eaten young, later it becomes hard and can then cause digestive disorders.
C'est un assez bon champignon comestible qui doit être consommé jeune, plus tard il devient dur et peut alors causer des troubles digestifs.
A few years ago there was a article about this dog who could balance things on it's head. The main picture was it balancing Digestive biscuits. I think it had a stack of 12. I just said to myself I bet Asha could beat that as she has always balanced things on her head since a little pup. So out came the Digestives. I managed 14. I'm sure I could even have beat that target but I ran out of Digestive biscuits (only had the one pack minus some I ate..lol). As you can see Asha had a few wee mishaps with them...lol. I must get another packet of Digestive Biscuits and try and beat 14...Watch this space!
No escape. I watched as Lucilia's right wing got caught on the sticky 'tentacles' of this Fork-leaved Sundew. A bit of a struggle, but that only brought it into contact with more of those glue-droplets. They're composed of a sugary mucilage apparently attractive to Lucilia. When those tentacles sense a prey is 'stuck' they begin to also secrete a digestive fluid: some enzymes among which a chitinase which dissolves the chitin outer protection of Fly. At the same time the stalk-leaf of Drosera is stimulated to bend a bit to bring as many of those tentacles as possible into contact with Food. The dissolving Fly is then slow absorbed into Sundew through those same tentacles, through the plant's outer cells, and through so-called sessile glands on its surface (the latter are small and unfocused in the photo but you can make them out in particular on the left between the tentacles). The dark spots top right and bottom left are what'll be left of Lucilia, too, once the longish lunch is over.
Here's a Sundew from North America. It has long and slender, erect 'tendrils', filaments covered with tiny hairs or trichomes with globules of sticky exudate at their ends. They serve to trap small insects and also contain digestive enzymes that soon reduce insects to plant nutrients. Then it'll have energy to produce these pretty pink flowers.
Our 'elegant species', as writes Frederick Traugott Pursh (1774-1820), was seen by him near Tuckerton, New Jersey, about 1805. He describes it 1813/1814, too late for Constantine Samuel Raffinesque (1783-1840) to have read it. Usually Raffinesque quotes Pursh if the latter saw a specific plant before he did, but he saw this Drosera around 1803/1804 also in New Jersey and described it in 1808, well before Pursh. Hence its find is attributed to him.
African Elephant digestive systems are quite inefficient; they only digest about 25% of what they eat. Dung beetles feed on feces, recycling the nutrients and are quite important to the ecosystem.
Oudemansiella mucida, commonly known as porcelain fungus, is a basidiomycete fungus of the family Physalacriaceae and native to Europe. O. mucida is a white, slimy wood-rot fungus and is strongly tied to rotting beech, where it grows in clusters
Fungus (plural: fungi or funguses is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from the other eukaryotic kingdoms, which by one traditional classification include Plantae, Animalia, Protozoa, and Chromista.
A characteristic that places fungi in a different kingdom from plants, bacteria, and some protists is chitin in their cell walls. Fungi, like animals, are heterotrophs; they acquire their food by absorbing dissolved molecules, typically by secreting digestive enzymes into their environment. Fungi do not photosynthesize. Growth is their means of mobility, except for spores (a few of which are flagellated), which may travel through the air or water. Fungi are the principal decomposers in ecological systems. These and other differences place fungi in a single group of related organisms, named the Eumycota (true fungi or Eumycetes), that share a common ancestor (i.e. they form a monophyletic group), an interpretation that is also strongly supported by molecular phylogenetics. This fungal group is distinct from the structurally similar myxomycetes (slime molds) and oomycetes (water molds). The discipline of biology devoted to the study of fungi is known as mycology (from the Greek μύκης mykes, mushroom). In the past, mycology was regarded as a branch of botany, although it is now known fungi are genetically more closely related to animals than to plants.
Abundant worldwide, most fungi are inconspicuous because of the small size of their structures, and their cryptic lifestyles in soil or on dead matter. Fungi include symbionts of plants, animals, or other fungi and also parasites. They may become noticeable when fruiting, either as mushrooms or as molds. Fungi perform an essential role in the decomposition of organic matter and have fundamental roles in nutrient cycling and exchange in the environment. They have long been used as a direct source of human food, in the form of mushrooms and truffles; as a leavening agent for bread; and in the fermentation of various food products, such as wine, beer, and soy sauce. Since the 1940s, fungi have been used for the production of antibiotics, and, more recently, various enzymes produced by fungi are used industrially and in detergents. Fungi are also used as biological pesticides to control weeds, plant diseases and insect pests. Many species produce bioactive compounds called mycotoxins, such as alkaloids and polyketides, that are toxic to animals including humans. The fruiting structures of a few species contain psychotropic compounds and are consumed recreationally or in traditional spiritual ceremonies. Fungi can break down manufactured materials and buildings, and become significant pathogens of humans and other animals. Losses of crops due to fungal diseases (e.g., rice blast disease) or food spoilage can have a large impact on human food supplies and local economies.
The fungus kingdom encompasses an enormous diversity of taxa with varied ecologies, life cycle strategies, and morphologies ranging from unicellular aquatic chytrids to large mushrooms. However, little is known of the true biodiversity of Kingdom Fungi, which has been estimated at 2.2 million to 3.8 million species.[5] Of these, only about 148,000 have been described,[6] with over 8,000 species known to be detrimental to plants and at least 300 that can be pathogenic to humans.[7] Ever since the pioneering 18th and 19th century taxonomical works of Carl Linnaeus, Christiaan Hendrik Persoon, and Elias Magnus Fries, fungi have been classified according to their morphology (e.g., characteristics such as spore color or microscopic features) or physiology. Advances in molecular genetics have opened the way for DNA analysis to be incorporated into taxonomy, which has sometimes challenged the historical groupings based on morphology and other traits. Phylogenetic studies published in the first decade of the 21st century have helped reshape the classification within Kingdom Fungi, which is divided into one subkingdom, seven phyla, and ten subphyla.
this was taken during my last digestive disease convention at the washington dc convention center. the bags during this particular convention had always been purple all these years! lol! pretty funky eh? aside from the bags, i found this particular shot quite interesting, the delegates sitting on the stairs in different animated poses! what were they doing out of the conference room anyway? lol! and what was i doing taking pictures and not attending the lectures???
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i posted this shot first in ipernity, and now that i just decided to delete my account there, it will be posted here. i love the site, i think there are a lot of features that definitely make it worth going to, but flickr is my home and it becomes just too difficult and time consuming for an old man like me to toggle between two photo sites in one day! so my friends from the other side, forgive me, but i will just stay here.
CameraCanon EOS 5D Mark II
LensEF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Exposure0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperturef/6.3
Focal Length100 mm
ISO Speed500
SoftwareAdobe Photoshop CS5 Macintosh
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Bonemer Photo
Abdulaziz Al-Duwisan
I have seen Swainson's Hawks feed feathers to their young and was excited to see this behavior in the Eared Grebe also. More photos of this sequence are in the comment box.
"The purpose(s) of feather eating is unproven but evidence suggests that the behavior has these benefits for the birds.
1. Some of the ingested feathers form a plug in the pylorus, between the stomach and small intestine, which acts as a strainer to keep fish bones in the stomach long enough to be completely digested.
2. Most swallowed feathers end up in the stomach lumen, mixed with food. They eventually (along with any indigestible matter) form pellets that are ejected through the mouth. The continuous passage of these pellets through the upper digestive system minimizes the buildup of a variety of parasites that are very common there and plague grebes."
www.featheredphotography.com/blog/2010/10/29/why-grebes-e...
Many thanks for your visit and comments. They are very much appreciated.
MALACHI: “Look what I found, Mutzli!”
MUTZLI: “What is it, Malachi?”
MALACHI: “It’s a delicious chocolate coated McVities Digestive Biscuit!”
MUTZLI: “My goodness Malachi! It’s huge!”
MALACHI: “I know! It’s the perfect size for two little bears with grumbly tummies to enjoy for elevenses, Mutzli.”
MUTZLI: “But where did it come from, Malachi? It can’t have appeared on its own on this pretty plate.”
MALACHI: “That’s true Mutzli. I think Daddy left it on this plate.”
MUTZLI: “Then mightn’t this McVities Chocolate Digestive Biscuit be for Daddy, for his elevenses, Malachi?”
MALACHI: “You can be so dense sometimes, Mutzli. I should have thought it was obvious. Daddy isn’t here, so he must have left it for us to find and enjoy.”
MUTZLI: “Are you sure he just hasn’t left it here whilst he goes to make a cup of tea?”
MALACHI: “Daddy would be very silly to leave a McVites Chocolate Digestive unattended when there are bears with grumbly tummies around, Mutzli. No! It must be for us.”
MUTZLI: “Alright Malachi.” *Ponders.* “Are you quite sure Daddy won’t mind us eating this sweet biscuit?”
MALACHI: “Of course he won’t Mutzli! Daddy has a whole packet of McVites Chocolate Digestive Biscuits in the pantry if he so desires. He can get his own. Besides, don’t you have a grumbly tummy?”
MUTZLI: “Oh I do, Malachi! Grumbly tummy, Malachi. Grumbly tummy.” *Rubs tummy vigorously.*
MALACHI: “That settles it then! Let’s enjoy our elevenses.”
DADDY: “Ummm… Malachi?”
MALACHI: “Oh!” *Looks up and sees Daddy watching he and Mutzli. “Yes Daddy?”
DADDY: “Malachi, pardon me for asking this, but what exactly are you and Mutzli doing?”
MALACHI: “Well, I thought that was obvious Daddy! We are helping ourselves to some elevenses that you kindly left us. Grumbly tummy Daddy! Grumbly tummy!” *Rubs tummy vigorously.*
DADDY: “Well that's all well and good Malachi, but how am I meant to have my elevenses if you and Mutzli are eating it?”
MALACHI: “Well, I'm not entirely sure Daddy, but I'm sure you will think of something.” *Smiles and takes bite from of McVites Chocolate Digestive Biscuit.*
MUTZLI: “Hullo Daddy!” *Blushes pink beneath plush white fur.* “Grumbly tummy?”
The theme for "Looking Close on Friday" for the 14th of July is "sweet food in a square photo". I must confess that the older I get, the less of a sweet tooth I have, but I am still partial to the occasional McVities Dark Chocolate Digestive Biscuit with a cup of tea. I immediately thought of photographing one in the centre of one of my 1920s Art Deco Square plates (in this case a Royal Albert one featuring an unnamed pattern). However, I thought I would add a little bit of humour and interest to my submission for the theme this week by using Malachi and Mutzli again after their reappearance at "Looking Close on Friday" after a long hiatus for the themes "capture the time", "eraser" and "a single marble".
If you follow my photostream, you may know that I collect 1:12 size miniatures, some of which have featured in past themes in the "Looking Close on Friday" and "Smile on Saturday" groups. This includes Malachi the bear, who today is joined by his cousin, Mutzli and the pair are enjoying a larger than life elevenses treat of a sweet biscuit. I do hope that you like my choice, and that this photograph makes you smile!
Malachi I acquired in mid-March 2020 (and mid Coronavirus) from a wonderful Melbourne stalwart toy shop: Dafel Dolls and Bears, when I went looking for a present for one of my goddaughters. Malachi is designed by Mary and hand-made by Wendy Joy in Australia. He has articulated arms and legs, and an extremely sweet face. Malachi was the name he came with, written by hand on his little tag.
Mutzli was a lovely surprise gift from a dear friend in Britain who kindly slipped him into a parcel of other delightful gifts for me. Like Malachi, he is mohair, has articulated arms and legs, and an extremely sweet face. Mutzli got his name from the tiny gold tag around his neck. He is made by Mutzli, a Swiss bear manufacturer since 1949.
This is the oldest and most symbolic fountain in the park of waters.
The name is a homage to emperor D. Pedro II, also represented by the imperial crown reproduction over the marble pilar.
The captation occured on the 19th century and this pavillion was build on 1960.
Having sodium bicarbonate and carbon dioxide, this water used to stimulate the digestive organs and also has others benefits.
Fonte D. Pedro: é uma homenagem à visita da família Imperial em 1868.
Característica: água mineral radioativa, supercarbônica, gasosa forte.
Indicação: tônica e digestiva (água de mesa)
Tracy's Sundew
Sundews emit a sweet smell that entices insects to come near it. Sundews are covered in a sticky mucus-like substance filled with digestive enzymes. Once the insect lands, the tentacle-covered leaves of the sundew curl around it and suffocate the insect before digesting it.
I am learning and testing the lens at the same time. It is taken on fully manual including metering and the image is unedited. Honest opinion will be much appreciated.
Thank you for viewing. If you like please fav and leave a nice comment. Hope to see you here again. Have a wonderful day 😊
Brighton 🇬🇧
August, 2020
Bearded Reedling - Panurus Biarmicus
aka Bearded Tit.
Norfolk
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.
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.
Population:
UK breeding:
630 pairs
Europe:
232 - 437,000 birds
Small and hard to find, but carnivorous: The plant uses its sticky tentacles to ensnare insects, then produces digestive enzymes to consume them.
On a delicate stem about 15 cm above its rosette of leaves almost flat on the ground sways this pretty pink-purple flower of Pinguicula macroceras, Horned Butterworth. Its nectar lines morphing from purple-pink to white lead insects such as Bees to the nectar produced in the 'large horn' - macroceras - which you can just see peeping out from behind the top two petals. Other pollinators, too, are attracted to this sweetness. In order to be effective at their job, they, of course, need to be able to leave Flower. So Flower keeps its stemmed distance from its own leaves (see upper right inset for that rosette).
Those succulent or fatty - Pinguicula - leaves are covered with tiny stalked cells which secrete a sweet, sticky mucilage that attracts other, smaller insects for Plant's meal. These insects - obviously not pollinators - struggle against that stickiness, but to no avail. The more they struggle, the more mucilage is secreted and before long they're totally stuck. In the inset, bottom right, Olymp could just see some of those stalked, sticky-topped stems that had caught themselves a small insect. The unclear brownish blotches on leaf's surface are the so-called sessile glands that now begin to secrete a range of digestive enzymes. And soon Insect'll have been consumed. Then Pinguicula will have energy to produce its flower which will yield seed... And so on...
Spotted in the hibiscus.
"...Zelus longipes has a diabolically clever strategy for catching its prey. Hiding in foliage with its forelegs outstretched, it awaits the approach of an unsuspecting victim. The front legs of this assassin bug are coated with sticky goo (a technical term) perfect for snaring a victim. Once captured, the prey is impaled with a hungry beak that injects proteolytic enzymes, which predigest the contents of the victim. Once that is accomplished, the liquefied contents of the prey are sucked into the digestive tract of the assassin bug with the aid of a tiny muscular pump in the assassin bug’s head."
bugoftheweek.com/blog/2017/10/24/bugs-in-orange-and-black...
Music (right click to open in a new tab):
"Les Consonnes" by LES RITA MITSOUKO, on 'Acoustiques' (1996)
Not just Digestive biscuits either. In an evening after Graham has gone to bed and I'm still watching the TV, I raid the biscuit tin and happily munch my way through 2 of whatever we have in.
Chocolate chip ones are the most difficult to resist and to only have 2 is even harder.
Graham has now discovered my secret - drat!
Thank you for your favourites. :O)
From the days when they put biscuits in bottles ... (actually the full wording on the bottle is "Watkins's Digestive Relish".
Previously posted in an uncropped, more luridly coloured version.
Actually blue Stilton and digestives but the strongest flavour comes from the bacteria so let’s be honest about what we’re eating.
Alligator Gar ~ Aquarium de Lyon ~ Lyon ~ France ~ Saturday November 10th 2018.
Purchase some of my images here ~ www.saatchionline.com/art/view/artist/24360/art/1259239 ~ Should you so desire...go on, make me rich..lol...Oh...and if you see any of the images in my stream that you would like and are not there, then let me know and I'll add them to the site for you..:))
You can also buy my WWT cards here (The Otter and the Sunset images) or in the shop at the Wetland Centre in Barnes ~ London ~ www.wwt.org.uk/shop/catalogue.asp?Page=1&CatID=182
Whilst I was Living in Lyon, France a few weeks ago..:) I went to the Aquarium of Lyon, where I saw this strange looking Fish, it looks like it was put together by a mad scientist lol..:)
Have a wonderful Sunday Y'all..:)
Alligator gar ~ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ~
The alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) is a ray-finned euryhaline fish related to the bowfin in the infraclass Holostei /hoʊˈlɒstiaɪ/. It is the largest species in the gar family, and among the largest freshwater fishes in North America. The fossil record traces its existence back to the Early Cretaceous over a hundred million years ago.
Gars are often referred to as "primitive fishes", or "living fossils" because they have retained some morphological characteristics of their earliest ancestors, such as a spiral valve intestine which is also common to the digestive system of sharks, and the ability to breathe both air and water. Their common name was derived from their resemblance to the American alligator, particularly their broad snout and long, sharp teeth. Anecdotal evidence in several scientific reports suggest that an alligator gar can grow up to 10 ft (3.0 m) in length, but in 2011, the largest alligator gar ever caught and officially recorded was 8 ft 5 1⁄4 in (2.572 m) long, weighed 327 lb (148 kg), and was 47 in (120 cm) around the girth.
The body of an alligator gar is torpedo-shaped, usually brown or olive fading to a lighter Gray or yellow ventral surface. Their scales are not like the scales of other fishes; rather, they are ganoid scales which are bone-like, diamond-shaped scales, often with serrated edges, and covered by an enamel-like substance. Ganoid scales are nearly impenetrable and are excellent protection against predation. Unlike other gar species, the upper jaw of an alligator gar has a dual row of large, sharp teeth which are used to impale and hold prey. Alligator gar are stalking, ambush predators, primarily piscivores, but they will also ambush and eat water fowl and small mammals they find floating on the water's surface.
Populations of alligator gar have been extirpated from much of their historic range as a result of habitat destruction, indiscriminate culling, and unrestricted harvests. Populations are now located primarily in the southern portions of the United States extending into Mexico. They are considered euryhaline because they can adapt to varying salinities ranging from freshwater lakes and swamps to brackish marshes, estuaries, and bays along the Gulf of Mexico.
For nearly a half-century, alligator gar were considered "trash fish", or a "nuisance species" detrimental to sport fisheries, so were targeted for elimination by state and federal authorities in the United States. The 1980s brought a better understanding of the ecological balance necessary to sustain an ecosystem, and eventually an awareness that alligator gar were no less important than any other living organism in the ecosystems they inhabit. Over time, alligator gar were afforded some protection by state and federal resource agencies. They are also protected under the Lacey Act which makes it illegal to transport certain species of fish in interstate commerce when in violation of state law or regulation. Several state and federal resource agencies are monitoring populations in the wild, and have initiated outreach programs to educate the public. Alligator gar are being cultured in ponds, pools, raceways, and tanks by federal hatcheries for mitigation stocking, by universities for research purposes, and in Mexico for consumption.
This is my contribution to Macro Mondays theme of "Perfect Match". It is a Hovis digestive biscuit with a piece of Belton Farm Sage Derby cheese. The biscuit is sweet and is complemented by the smooth, creamy Derby cheese marbled with a delicate sage infusion - I would usually have a glass of port too to accompany this perfect match - HMM
Non, ne vous moquez pas! Le saumon au limoncello, c'est tellement bon que...il faut une petite sieste réparatrice après.
Alors détrompez-vous, je ne dors pas...je somnole!
80g unsalted butter, melted
200g digestive biscuits
600g full-fat cream cheese
100g icing sugar
300ml double cream
½ lemon, finely grated zest only, plus extra zest to serve
½ lime, finely grated zest only, plus extra zest to serve
100ml advocaat liqueur
12 maraschino cherries
1 tbsp desiccated coconut
Brush a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with a little of the melted butter and line the bottom and sides with nonstick baking paper.
Blend the biscuits to crumbs in a food processor (or place them in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin). Put the crumbs into a bowl then stir in the rest of the melted butter until well combined.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and press down with the back of a spoon to create a level surface. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or 15 minutes in the freezer while you make the filling.
Whisk the cream cheese and icing sugar together using an electric hand-held whisk until well combined. Whisk in the cream to just soft peaks, then whisk in the zests and advocaat until soft peaks form again. Spread over the set base and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or ideally overnight.
Decorate the top with a ring of maraschino cherries. Scatter over the lemon and lime zests and coconut, and serve.
These Hypricum Berries are commonly used in floral displays but they are toxic and must never be eaten as it will cause digestive problems, also skin irritation and rashes if the consumer is exposed to sunlight. The flowers are star shaped golden yellow and they grow in clusters on the plant and the leaves have a woody fragrance. Its quite amazing how something that looks lovely can have the opposite effect on people.
Traditionally, Tansy, Tanacetum vulgare, was used to treat digestive disorders. Thinking about this, I wondered how Hoverflies digest those small but quite hard and tough pollen particles. It used to be thought that Our Flies were able to crush the pollen by sheer physical force. That idea has been discarded. Today research has led to the insight that the enzyme action of nectar sugar in the Fly's Stomach opens the pores of the outer skin of pollen grains so that their nutrients can be accessed. Highly fascinating...
This is Myathropa florea, Flower Hoverfly or Deathhead Fly. The name Myathropa was devised by the Italian entomologist Camillo Róndani (1808-1879), but he was clearly a bit sloppy in his Greek derivation. If he'd been precise, he would have written 'Myiatropa' - deriving from the Greek words for fly and for personified death or destiny (=Atropos). This was pointed out by George Henry Verrall (1848-1911) in 1901. But to no avail because the scientific name had already been officially established. So word purists will have to grit their teeth when it is said that 'Myathropa', from the Greek, means 'Deathhead Fly'. The 'blot' of a Deathhead or Skull can vaguely been seen on our Hoverfly's thorax.