Badhai ho badhai….
Ever since last October, I noticed a pair of black kites hovering around our building, scrutinizing the palm trees that are their favorite haunts in the place I live. Then one November morning was pleasantly surprised to see one right outside my window at close quarters. She was checking out each branch ever so delicately as if every little leaf mattered in her decision to build that haven where she would mate, conceive, lay & propagate.
Just like one has those initial hiccups before tying the knot….so did she perhaps! Coz in between building the nest midway, she was gone! Despite the regular vigil…couldn’t place her from Adam. I worried if the close proximity of our building to the tree had frightened her away. Or had she given up on the idea to sit whole days for months incubating her egg shelving the enriching experience that she so enjoyed soaring the heights.
Return she did in a couple of days. Back to collecting twigs, bits of paper, plastic et all that the big bad polluted city had to offer from its labyrinth. Both the partners went about industriously fetching & building bit by bit their love nest.
It was a welcome change indeed to see the lady who once sang “ Main albeli, ghoomoon akeli…koi paheli hoon main” singing a different tune as in “dil main tumhe bitha ke…main band kar loon ankhen…puja karongi teri…hoke rahongi teri”
The building of nest itself was a huge project. It took them almost 2 months to build their secure refuge. And then came the pregnancy that probably spilled the hormones as usual all around the palm tree.
Suddenly this very regal seldom-reacting bird became nasty n petty & could not tolerate anyone at our window. Fortunately for us…there are many more windows in other directions of the apartment that saved us from fatal suffocation.
No one was spared. The resident crows that were the original tenants scampered hurriedly as she protested noisily signaling a befitting warning that came dripping with dangerous overtones. Talking about warnings n signals, I wonder why people call a nitwit “pigeon brains”! These fellows are ingeniously foresighted & kept a safe distance that allowed cushion time to vamoose lest our future mommy got a little too pugnacious.
There was one particular common crow though, that I recollect had suicidal tendencies. He would hide n perch right below the expecting mother. If that was his idea of adventurous roosting…it was one swell way to become a pearly gate entrant in haste!
After much ado about every damn thing, our fertile bird in question finally lays her egg. Yup….she’s a bird of modern times n she does not believe in tribes.*
The egg turned out to be her most precious possession that she fiercely guarded & the only living thing that she allowed close to her was Mr. Black Kite himself. The fine gentleman that he was, he patiently helped out in sharing the parental duties.
So after many noisy cacophonic fortnights, I noticed one morning that her behaviour from being ill tempered had escalated to our very own Durga devi!
This needs some serious investigation dear Watson (I ponder in careful consideration). So one carefully peeps through a curtain camouflaging any existence of life in this side of the drapes. Mrs. Kite has this 6th sense that makes her look directly at the curtain despite me behaving like a log of wood.
And behold! There was this son-of-a- gun cutie peeping from under his mommy’s belly! He would try getting curious about his bearings to only be smothered by protective maternity. Poor guy! I hope he doesn’t end up being a bourn vita drinking, thumb sucking….mamma’s boy!
* The black kite generally lays 2 or 4 eggs.
Copyright © BuntysBanter 2007
Just like one has those initial hiccups before tying the knot….so did she perhaps! Coz in between building the nest midway, she was gone! Despite the regular vigil…couldn’t place her from Adam. I worried if the close proximity of our building to the tree had frightened her away. Or had she given up on the idea to sit whole days for months incubating her egg shelving the enriching experience that she so enjoyed soaring the heights.
Return she did in a couple of days. Back to collecting twigs, bits of paper, plastic et all that the big bad polluted city had to offer from its labyrinth. Both the partners went about industriously fetching & building bit by bit their love nest.
It was a welcome change indeed to see the lady who once sang “ Main albeli, ghoomoon akeli…koi paheli hoon main” singing a different tune as in “dil main tumhe bitha ke…main band kar loon ankhen…puja karongi teri…hoke rahongi teri”
The building of nest itself was a huge project. It took them almost 2 months to build their secure refuge. And then came the pregnancy that probably spilled the hormones as usual all around the palm tree.
Suddenly this very regal seldom-reacting bird became nasty n petty & could not tolerate anyone at our window. Fortunately for us…there are many more windows in other directions of the apartment that saved us from fatal suffocation.
No one was spared. The resident crows that were the original tenants scampered hurriedly as she protested noisily signaling a befitting warning that came dripping with dangerous overtones. Talking about warnings n signals, I wonder why people call a nitwit “pigeon brains”! These fellows are ingeniously foresighted & kept a safe distance that allowed cushion time to vamoose lest our future mommy got a little too pugnacious.
There was one particular common crow though, that I recollect had suicidal tendencies. He would hide n perch right below the expecting mother. If that was his idea of adventurous roosting…it was one swell way to become a pearly gate entrant in haste!
After much ado about every damn thing, our fertile bird in question finally lays her egg. Yup….she’s a bird of modern times n she does not believe in tribes.*
The egg turned out to be her most precious possession that she fiercely guarded & the only living thing that she allowed close to her was Mr. Black Kite himself. The fine gentleman that he was, he patiently helped out in sharing the parental duties.
So after many noisy cacophonic fortnights, I noticed one morning that her behaviour from being ill tempered had escalated to our very own Durga devi!
This needs some serious investigation dear Watson (I ponder in careful consideration). So one carefully peeps through a curtain camouflaging any existence of life in this side of the drapes. Mrs. Kite has this 6th sense that makes her look directly at the curtain despite me behaving like a log of wood.
And behold! There was this son-of-a- gun cutie peeping from under his mommy’s belly! He would try getting curious about his bearings to only be smothered by protective maternity. Poor guy! I hope he doesn’t end up being a bourn vita drinking, thumb sucking….mamma’s boy!
* The black kite generally lays 2 or 4 eggs.
Copyright © BuntysBanter 2007
posted by Bunty's Banter at 10:03 AM
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