Birds 06 - Ravens Have Their Nest Crowded

The large family of ravens roosted on a fig tree where they assembled everyday at sunset, to sleep. Monsoon had peaked, it rained day and night for many days and it was breeding time for ravens. A raven couple have now parted from the big group and started their search for a perch safe from birds and animals to build their nest. After searching pretty long, the couple found a coconut tree with a slender trunk that stood some eighty feet tall and a graceful crown of large pinnate leaves. Together they collected twigs and sticks feathers and shards of cloth to build their nest at the forking of an upper pinnate leaf of the crown at the top of the tall palm. They decorated the centre of the nest with feathers, cotton wool and cloth shards she laid three pale blue green eggs with brown patches and markings. While she sat in brood on the eggs he flew around to collect food for her, he was back with her food, when a cuckoo flew in to the nest threateningly, they attacked the cuckoo screaming violently, cuckoo flew hesitantly as if to come back to the nest again and again, teasing them and keeping them away from the nest. A few moments of torment and the cuckoo flew away, the ravens returned home the female asked her mate "we'd three eggs or was it four? now we've five, or is it six, dear? " he answered, "you birdbrain, don't you know yet how to count? "