Khartoum: More babies!

Never a dull moment in the Hedges family and household...

The budgies' cage is suspended on an elbow attached to the wall of our office-cum-living-and-dining room

Sweet Pea, the blue budgie in the seed trough, fills up on seeds

What a fortnight it's been. First, in the middle of May, we acquired a baby cat. You can read about this here if you wish. During that period we realised that Sweet Pea (the blue budgie sitting in the seed trough above) had laid three eggs. You can read about this here, if you wish.

Then on 21 May we received a phone call from our older son, John to say that our newest grandchild, a boy, had made an early appearance. They were 1000km/625miles from home and their regular doctor and clinic when this happened. You can read about this here. (BTW, our grandbaby has gained enough weight and with his parents and siblings, is on his way  to our house in the Free State)

On Thursday, 27 May I peeped into the nestbox while momma budgie was filling up on seed, and viola, there were FIVE eggs!

On Friday night I was sitting at the dining room table dealing with Grant's administration, when I heard soft, squeaking sounds above my head. Clutching my torch, I climbed onto a dining chair (the cage hangs against the wall on an elbow since Shadow's arrival) and aimed the beam into the nest. At that moment, Sweet Pea , who doesn't allow me to check in the nest if she can help it, stood up and I had a glimpse of a teeny, completely hairless little bird. Sweetpea had her beak over his and was obviously feeding it. Grant has checked up on the Internet (what would we do without Google?) and we now know that the female feeds the babies her crop milk until three weeks. Then the father steps in and helps with feeding them seeds!

Meanwhile Rambo spends a lot of time eating and then chatting up the pretty bird in the mirror. He loves it when Sweet Pea emerges from the nest and spends ages allopreening and feeding her. I suppose in human terms, this translates into taking flowers and fruit to your spouse in the maternity ward...

An empty eggshell is just visible in the nest is proof that Sweet Pea's wing is concealing the newly hatched baby budgie

Grant has attached an extra suspended birdfeeder near the nest entrance. Google suggested we do this and I'd bought one in South Africa while out there in March. However, Rambo seems to be using it more than the new mommy bird...

Our next purchase here will be a bigger cage...

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