Spotted Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis)
Oh this bird just amuses me, not because of it’s nature but because of it’s name… I have posted on this bird before and to see that post CLICK HERE.
The poor birds name sounds like a strange sickness that you must beware of when walking in the forest… I found these two sitting quietly observing what I was up to…
Does he not look unhappy about the name he has been given ?? Sounds like a schoolboy nickname for some un-sporty type…
And her sitting on eggs too… or hiding her thick knees… not sure which…
The Photographic Journey of bulldog. 
Remarkable pictures, especially the first one.
Thanks Chris…
These are amazing little birds bulldog. Great shots! 😀 *hugs*
Thanks Sonel…
On behalf of this adorable bird, I take offense at the name! I think her legs are very shapely! And she’s really quite cute! Who comes up with these names in the first place? 🙂
Well I wish I knew… but a friend of mine described it as such.. (another bird photographer)…
You may ponder a bit about the listing of the names. It started with the English Thick-knee and Afrikaans Dikkop . Why did the same bird get two such divergent names in the common observation in the wild ? Put in your mind that a very sharp eye is staring at you.
It’s all about the habits of the early explorers , done and dusted.
The Englishmen were prone to imbibing Port which caused a touch of the old gout in the toe and required some explanation for a “Thick Knee ”
The Afrikaners at some stage discovered Klipdrift & Coke and I can only trace the common nomenclature into the 1980’s. consequence the thick head (dikkop)
The Dutch of the famous First Settlement at Caap de Goede Hoop must have had some serious stuff in hand to call it Kaapse Griel , possibly the result of Oude Jenever .
He doesn’t look very happy. Or is that the power of suggestion at work?
No I think he heard me call his name and decided I was being ugly to him…
Well I suppose thick knees are better the knock-knees. 🙂 What a burden to bear, but at least she has lovely feathers and isn’t likely to have a bad hair day. 🙂
Yep AD at least he looks good.. shame having a handle like that…
With such a cute face, it’s easy to overlook its thick knees. 🙂
I think they could have given him a better name… he used to be known as a dikkop..(thick head)… shame he’s been dealt a bag rapt all his life…
haha before I read your commentary and just saw the title I was thinking it could be an insult in some country somewhere. I can see a taxi driver yelling out the window, get out of the way you spotted thick knee!
Now that gave me a good laugh just picturing it… next time I need to adjust someones driving I might just use it myself…
😉 !
Obviously stuck for original ideas when they named this one – still he takes a good photo.
That he does… but shame what a name…
I resemble those knees! 😉
No you don’t you walk too much…
But I never show anyone my knees so one never knows! 😉
Terry will and I bet he doesn’t agree with you…
😀
That really isn’t a nice name at all. Lovely photos though. 🙂
Thanks Louisa…
It reminds me of an owl!
an owl?? can’t see that one…
The feathers and the round eye. Not outer eye but inner iris. ALSO the placement on it’s head. It’s very lizard like. Maybe A cross between a lizard and an owl. . .
Ok now I see it…
lol you think I’m full of shit but I SWARE it does!!!
the “full of shit” is pretty close but if I close one eye and half close the other thereafter looking through thick plastic … I see what you see…
LOL I knew you would see it my way! EVENTUALLY!
Shame! Thick knees and spotted. Don’t know how the bird feels, but for a teenager this would be a nightmare.
Couldn’t agree more… shame the poor bird, someone needs to kick the bird namer awake…
Kind of reminds me of myself as I age, except that I’m getting thick everywhere – not just in the knees!! LOL
Oh dear I think that is happening to all of us… but then I like to think my brain is still developing and it has nowhere else to go, so it moved down to my waist line…
But as we age we should become cuddly, this is natural, don’t you remember your Grandparents when you were just a child.?? They were cuddly and had that lovely old person scent about them that just exuded love.. I’ve convinced myself that is where I am now….
LOL!! That is the best explanation I have ever heard :). I’m going to use that tonight when my hubby calls me “Chubby” :).
“Hiding her think knees” lolol So funny!!! Great shots, Bulldog!! She’s just an angry looking bird. Or, maybe she felt you mocking her and her poor knees.
I have an idea it was them that sneaked off to my car and left me a deposit or two…
*thick knees……lol hard to laugh and type apparently. 😉
The N and the C are obviously a lot closer on your keyboard than on mine… I put it down to that… lol…
Poor little devil, having a crap name and you laughing at him? It’s just not fair.
He probably is the one that sneaked off and left a deposit on my windscreen…