News from Khartoum

When we left Khartoum, we brought Shadow the cat out to South Africa which was a very involved business. However, as it is a lot more involved to bring birds out (due to, among other things, diseases which can be transmitted) we had to leave our budgies behind. If you care to look back here and here when we originally babysat the budgies for the general manager and ultimately how Issam told us to keep the budgies as at least with me in the flat they had someone home all day, you will see the changes which took place in the whole budgie family structure. You read about this here and here as well, if you like.

Issam would have taken the budgies back when we left, but once again, in his case there was no-one home until late at night. I worried about what would become of the birds until it flashed through my mind that I could ask Robyn, one of the Australian school teachers we’d met in the desert, if she’d like to have them. I asked her and she agreed to take the budgies.  Robyn and Mark are also out during the day, but Robyn is home from mid-afternoon and Mark comes home at 4pm.

On the Monday before we left the Sudan, we loaded the budgies’ cage on the Landcruiser seat between me and Grant. From the word go, the budgies were petrified of their new setting in the car. I covered the cage with a towel, but they clung to the sides of the cage, flapped their wings and squeaked and pipped quite hysterically.

When we arrived at Robyn’s home, I carried the cage upstairs while Grant carried two huge bags with magazines, books and puzzles which Robyn could use at the school. We also took the huge bottle of ground egg shells, cage liners and five kilograms of birdseed as a “starter-pack” for the budgies in their new home and to thank Robyn and Mark for taking them.

I placed the budgies’ cage on the coffee table in Robyn’s lounge. The birds seemed a little bewildered and by this time very quiet but other that that, none the worse for the wear. We’d brought the wall hook with us and Mark said he’d attach it out on the patio.

Last week Robyn sent me a mail thanking me again for the budgies and saying how much she and Mark enjoy their chirping and the entertainment they provide. She also sent me photos which I’ve copied across onto this post.

 The budgies are very happy and vocal once more, (thank goodness!) on the patio of Robyn's house

Mark, who knows and loves budgies, watches them from the bar counter in the kitchen

Robyn poses beside the budgies' cage which is suspended on the window leading into the kitchen

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