I’ll never get tired of…BIRD TONGUES!

Why do I find bird tongues so amusing? I don’t know. They’re just tongues. Birds have to, ehh…lick stuff, too, one presumes. But every time a bird sticks out its tongue, I laugh at it. Especially when it looks like this:

Finally, a use for burst mode:  capturing bird yawns in stop motion!

Finally, a use for burst mode: capturing bird yawns in stop motion!

Doesn't this make you want to yawn?

Doesn’t this make you want to yawn?

Are you yawning, yet?

Are you yawning, yet?

Question for the Internet: is there any way to encourage birds, especially crows, to open their beaks? — without annoying, damaging, or touching them, that is? The gulls are quite obliging with their tongues, but for all my efforts to photograph the inside of a crow’s mouth, I’ve yet to get that lucky shot. Maybe if my regular crows bring their fledglings round my feeder, they’ll feed them right there, like the sparrows do. If that happens, I should be able to snap a crow tongue, or two.

Also, here are some starlings —

I still haven't been able to get properly close to a starling.  I keep putting peanuts out, hoping they'll see them, and come for a snack, but the gulls snap them up right away.  Who knew gulls liked peanuts?

I still haven’t been able to get properly close to a starling. I keep putting peanuts out, hoping they’ll see them, and come for a snack, but the gulls snap them up right away. Who knew gulls liked peanuts?

Starlings, tearing up the lawn.  Can't imagine Mr. Dolgonosov's too fond of these.

Starlings, tearing up the lawn. Can’t imagine Mr. Dolgonosov’s too fond of these.

— and one more gull, to round things out:

Say it; don't spray it.  Give  us the news, not the weather.  Also, sod off.

Say it; don’t spray it. Give us the news, not the weather. Also, sod off.