tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30584505.post3543433716834707971..comments2024-03-21T13:06:46.763-07:00Comments on Wanderin' Weeta (With Waterfowl and Weeds): The mystery of the yawning gullSusannah Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923063322849781223noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30584505.post-54773641522118083942010-10-06T00:52:36.528-07:002010-10-06T00:52:36.528-07:00It makes sense now, thanks to Seabrooke's last...It makes sense now, thanks to Seabrooke's last comment. I can see how the beak is in three parts, of which I only see two. Then the visible tongue is really one part, seen through the skin, and the end, the second part, is out beyond the beak.Susannah Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11923063322849781223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30584505.post-60387762972488308122010-10-05T07:22:32.276-07:002010-10-05T07:22:32.276-07:00Clare - I think you're viewing the jaw as simp...Clare - I think you're viewing the jaw as simply the dark bit of mandible in between the two bits of pink, but the bird's got its head turned away, so we're seeing the lower mandible from below. A bird's lower jaw is made of two outer pieces, like ours is, with a soft fleshy bit in the middle, also like ours. Because of the bird's turned head, the dark bit of mandible is really only the left side of the jaw. The bit of pink on the right is the soft fleshy bit in between the two jawbones, and because the sun is shining from the other side of the bird, it's illuminating the thin membrane.Seabrookehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09400079400485962650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30584505.post-38210581763214518572010-10-05T06:38:45.802-07:002010-10-05T06:38:45.802-07:00no idea but definitely a mysteryno idea but definitely a mysteryCarole Barketthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18068078540295273489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30584505.post-13114393934172523582010-10-05T05:04:01.156-07:002010-10-05T05:04:01.156-07:00Seabrooke may have something there, but if it is t...Seabrooke may have something there, but if it is the tongue, why is it to the right and below the lower jaw?<br /><br />My guess would have been the foot, raised to scratch, but I can't see enough of the lower half to tell, and it would seem that the posture should change if (s)he was reaching that high up. <br /><br />It just looks wrong for both of those answers. Could it be some half regurgitated morsel of food?Clarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13941161274230227274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30584505.post-91437339823849290522010-10-04T20:21:31.165-07:002010-10-04T20:21:31.165-07:00I think you're right about the tongue. Looking...I think you're right about the tongue. Looking at it again, I can see the pink showing through the feathers, too.<br /><br />Shocking, yes.Susannah Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11923063322849781223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30584505.post-26412060244190429792010-10-04T09:13:35.639-07:002010-10-04T09:13:35.639-07:00! That is one of the freakiest things I've se...! That is one of the freakiest things I've seen. WOW. Who knew? The closest (tho much less mysterious) thing I've seen is a western gull with its mouth WIDE open 'cause it'd HALF swallowed a seastar, but that seastar was NOT going down the rest of the way without a fight. The gull just stood there, looking befuddled, with his mouth WIDE open, CRAMMED full of sticky seastar.biobabblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15081382623906668057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30584505.post-50988423423302417172010-10-04T08:29:00.156-07:002010-10-04T08:29:00.156-07:00I think it's his tongue. The lower mandible is...I think it's his tongue. The lower mandible is like our lower jaw, two solid outer ribs with softer flesh between them (that's what the pelican's pouch is modified from), and with the sun shining through it it's glowing. And then he's curling his tongue up as he yawns. It's somewhat shocking how wide his mouth opens!Seabrookehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09400079400485962650noreply@blogger.com