Some alternative meanings for our bird names...

Avocet: the envy of others optics
Bobolink: agitation at not being able to travel for a bird
Bonxie: what happens to your pants after several days in a rain forest
Brambling: the meandering route taken whilst in search of a rarity
Bufflehead: a group of birders watching gulls
Capercaillie: the air quality in a car after an overnight doss
Chiffchaff: soreness on the inner thigh caused by walking to Blakeney Point
Chough: to silently break wind in a bird hide
Dotterel: a loitering crowd waiting for 'the bird' to turn up
Dunlin: most of the stock in an RSPB shop
Dunnock: to be 'caught short' whilst out birding
Fulmar: an excuse made to bunk off work to go birding
Gadwall: to join in a social media discussion in which you have no direct connection
Garganey: to injure yourself while running for a rare bird
Goosander: to come across a courting couple whilst out birding
Hoopoe: the inside of an observatory fridge
Kittiwake: the drowning of sorrows in a pub after a dip
Linnet: a birder who stands away from the crowd
Osprey: the nervousness experienced when starting out on a twitch
Pheasant: a birder who stands in an inappropriate place at a twitch
Pochard: to be caught out in the open when it starts to rain heavily
Ptarmigan: the relief that is felt having just seen a rare bird
Puffin: to falsify whilst writing a description
Quail: the realisation that you have just strung a bird
Ruff: to wear the same socks on the Scillies for a week
Smew: a smug look after the finding of a good bird
Twite: somebody who finds 'small' Canada Geese interesting
Whimbrel: to visit a place 'on spec'
Wryneck: to have to adjust your viewpoint to be able to clearly see a bird

There are plenty more...

Comments

Derek Faulkner said…
How about Great Tit - a twitcher
21 August 2016 at 05:41
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