This reminds me of something my Dad would say when we were all little. With four of us, I doubt my Dad got much time for a quiet read of the Newspaper...and he would suddenly announce " First one to speak's a Donkey!" It would go deathly quiet for a while..but I was always the Donkey

When I first spotted these I thought they were curled up Caterpillers, and was surprised to see they were seed pods. I guess its their way to get the seed scattered by the birds.