The cuckoo flew over to the crow’s nest. To lay an egg or two.

For the last three years or so, the spring has been springing on my neighbourhood more chirping birds than in the past. It was like in my childhood when our house abutted a spacious garden populated by lots of chirpers and crooners. They used to hold a symphony every sunrise and sunset. Today I can hear the koel at dawn accompanied by what looks and sounds like a robin red breast and a chorus of parrots. These last three years, in fact, the koel has made it a habit of repeating her repertoire at all times of the day – which is uncharacteristic and a bit disturbing. My mother used to tell me that the dulcet-voiced koel sings to herald the coming of the rains. Surely, the monsoons aren’t about to break, are they? I came across a fascinating article on the koel at this website a while ago:
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/04/22/stories/2003042200020100.htm. By the way, the koel or cuckoo is the avian world’s notorious “brood parasite”. She abdicates her parental responsibilities by laying eggs in Ma Crow’s nest forcing her do the rest of the hard work of hatching the eggs and feeding the chicks. Speak of birdbrains? Hah! http://www.wildlifeofindia.com/artcuckoo.htm.