A Bird in the Hand …
Voolki, waiting to be fed with a small piece of mince ball!
Marloth Park Bos-News January 2012; a memorable reflection!
Our story on the last day of the old year 2008. There was a knock at the door of our good friends the Keulders, and there stood their neighbours with a small box in their hands and a rather embarrassed expression on their faces. They were looking for a home for a ten-day-old nestling they had found on their property. The kind- hearted neighbours had been feeding and caring for the tiny thing but duty was calling and it was back to the city.
Of course, the Keulders immediately opened their hearts to Voolki (Birdie). They had been informed that it was an insect eating-bird and it flourished on these creepy-crawlies and miniature meatballs.
Soon it was quite annoyed at being caged in and Christa it to investigate its immediate environment. This included the top of the cage, the nearby bed and their laps. But Voolki is an adventurous chappy and before long it was quite at home in the lounge and the rest of the house. At thirty days it was flying strongly and was allowed into the garden close to the verandah (under close supervision) they could now clearly see that it was a bearded robin.
Dirk and Christa feared that once in the wild it would be off never to be seen again. To their great joy, Voolki found a roosting spot in a large tree nearby and came for regular visits to enjoy their company and food. I had often seen it land on the coffee table where it would immediately open its little beak and had a meatball popped in.
Even after long absences by the Keulders, Voolki soon detects their presence and lands close by, even on Dirks head. For an eat-out experience they all go out into the bush where Dirk and Christa turns over rocks and Voolki has a ball ants’ eggs.
Even now after sixteen months, Voolki is still around. When the Keulders go for long walks, Voolki would fly past and when it sees or hears them in the house, it lands on the window- sill and taps on the glass. Christa says this tiny creature has given them a great deal of joy and will be amongst their fondest memories. Should you wish to subscribe to the online Bos-news, than please enter your details into the facilitated e-mail form below to send your details to the editor Jacques de Villiers.
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