Kite Kouple in Reconnaissance

Part 1:
The couple had been the natives before I moved in the hood. I saw them building a nest a few feet from my balcony on a junction of three major peepal branches which was very satisfying to watch when you live in the middle of concretes. Then I started noticing their quarrel with the only other natives, two big ravens. Sometimes the chases were really fast and furious. Smaller in size, the ravens could easily duck and cock a snook at the couple from every branch around the nest and the kites could hardly do anything due to their large wingspans. They created new flight paths to ward off the two crows. I failed to understand what the fight was about. It was not about foods. It was not about a hatching kite egg as I noticed the nest to be empty when the kites were not there as even crows never came near it in the absence of kites. When one kite would sit on the nest, the other one kept a kite’s eye on the potential trouble makers always. First thing in the morning I used to inspect if the couple were having some peaceful time at the nest. The crows must have been really annoying so much so the kites did not even like me on the balcony. When I was attacked by the guard kite continuously on two mornings, I stopped going their side of the balcony. Still then I saw another daya kite menacingly looking at me from branch of another tree overlooking my living room. The snapped bird net covering my balcony from one of the violent swoops always remind me to respect their presence. That was one and half year ago. The pre-covid days then I would be living off suitcase 20 days a month, rather than spend time with nebours .

Then I discovered slowly that the nest was abandoned though I saw the couple still using their favourite perches on nearby building. It was sad to see the nest so painstakingly created was falling off with winds and rain.

Part 2:
Came Covid era and I spent time in the old (> 60 years, modified by every tenant possibly) stately apartment house and started discovering it more closely. But nothing beats the large long balconies which one would never find in any of the new buildings. I spent most time alone on the balcony watching the trees, birds, squirrels d not a single human being.

Suddenly there were many crows in the trees and I saw them breaking twigs and building nests. Location of two nests were known to me but did not notice a hidden nest right in the shadow of my balcony until one rainy day I heard the voice of a crow chic. I went out and saw it struggling to itself on a branch above its nest, which I discovered then. The red insides of the beak reminded me of childhood days in country side when storms and rains were usual and so may time we had saved various bird chicks after the storm. Next few days were really raucous with the voracious chicks, second one materializing the next day. I saw their mom feeding them, dividing worms between the two, teaching them to hop from the branch where the nest was to other branches, then to nearby trees and to ledges of other buildings. I saw then taking wings and one day all of them were gone. The two ravens are still there. They must be the owners.

Around this time I also noticed the kite couple breaking of thin dry branches with their swoops and flying away with them to the behind of the buildings. The difficulty in picking up a branch if it fell to the ground, the laboured take-off when a heavy branch came as bargain ..it seemed they were picking up their life again.

Part 3:

I have been going to works daily since last two months and the balcony time has been cut down. I don’t know how I discovered suddenly that the old broken nest was built up by them and they were back on their old nest. There is almost no resistance from the two ravens now. What is happier is that now I see one kite is always on the nest in a hatching position. I don’t think I ve seen any egg. The other kite always keeps a sharp eye on the nest and calls (I am so familiar with meaning of their different calls) threateningly if some bird strays the nest’s way. This has been going on for last 20 days or so . I have also discovered that both the kites take turn to crouch in the nest and the relieved kite goes straightens up its wings in the sun in a spread-eagle way. I will be exceedingly happy to see a kite chick next to my balcony.

It is so heartening to see life happening from a lonely rut.