They put out horizontal stems along the surface of the ground and each joint is able to sprout leaves and roots. These roots are fibrous and grow so thick that a matted tangle is created, extending for several centimetres below the surface, which prevents the plant from blowing away. When rain eventually falls green leaves are produced in only a day or so. To survive, however, the grass and its tiny animal community need water, and this comes with the rains. The grass undergoes a remarkable transition immediately during and after rainfall.
Shoots sprout forth in no time, followed by fresh ripe and half-ripe seeds abounding everywhere.
Insects are stirred into action - and so are the waxbills. The waxbills choose just after the rains to breed. The insects, also stirred into breeding action, are everywhere and easy pickings for a growing family of hungry nestlings. Protein is essential for the rapid healthy growth of the chicks and so the parents take it in the quick and easily assimilated form that only a soft-bodied insect can provide, and which they can regurgitate into their offspring within an extremely short time for optimum results. What s more, the chicks are in fact getting two meals for the price of one - because in the insect s gut will inevitably be some undigested plant matter.