We’ve had some lovely guests at our home in Swakopmund. Not just two-legged ones, but four-legged ones as well. Springboks stroll by, happily munching the green hedgerow and its blossoms. We raised two sparrows that we accidentally shook out of their nest last year until they were able to fly.

For two days now, we’ve had two young waxbills as guests. Their nest was shaken out of the palm tree by the strong wind and rain. And there they were, soaked and anxious in the grass, waiting to see what would happen to them. Luckily, it wasn’t our cat, but Brigitta, who discovered them. The decision to raise them was quickly made. Since we welcomed Piep and Matz, the two sparrows, into our home, we’ve not only had a birdcage but also the appropriate food for young birds.

Now the two have been sitting in the cage, which we leave open so their parents can feed them. They quickly understood that the cage serves to protect their young and that they can find their way in and out again. The cage is hanging on the pergola, out of reach of our cat. We quickly found a name for the two young birds: Wax and Bill!

PS: If you want to know more about these delicate birds, read here.