How amusing can a crow nest be!

A bird which is ignored, disregarded as filthy and most of the time perceived to be having no qualities to be called 'beautiful'. Hence, what is worth about its nest!!

I got to observe a crow-couple and their friends setting up a place for themselves for their short 'fruitful' family time. 

This nest at our home is built on a lemon tree (not sure if technically it's a tree or a shrub). The nest is rather too shabby. I thought they are doing a poor job if it.

Later observed, they are actually building a fortress. Meticulously planned to wave off any threats. A lemon plant naturally has thorns and hence any external interference should be low. But, the crow-couple had other ideas to up the game of security. They had gathered more thorny twigs and laid all over the plant. So many, if not hundreds of these twigs have been laid around the nest. I wonder, why would a crow do this. I assume it is done so that no other animals can easily approach the nest thwarting their plan to procreate. Good one, I admit.

For some while, one crow sat atop a coconut tree right next to the lemon and dropped thorny twigs to the floor near our gate. The gate being our only way to enter home, each time we had to be careful not to step on these thorns. Their scheme would have been to stop us from coming near to the plant. Fair move I say. 

We kept cleaning these twigs each time to see newer ones replaced! 'Patience is a virtue', now put to practice dude. 

In somedays it stopped showering thorny twigs. I assume they must have realised we are harmless.

Meanwhile, eggs were laid one by one each day. There were a total of 5 eggs. I wonder, how on earth did she have all these five eggs. All these eggs put together should be more than her weight. A quick Google search revealed, crows lay upto 7 eggs. What processes would have happened inside her to produce these many eggs?. Bright sky-blue colored eggs. Infact, one may not associate these bright colored eggs to be that of a crow. 

One crow continues to hatch five eggs. Duty-ing day in and day out, be it the rain, the hot sun, immobility and what not. The other is constantly innovating for the safety of the partner as well as their eggs.

I wonder, if the mother crow would need some sort of a physiotherapy or atleast some serious stretching sessions once the 'crowklings' are out.

The one securing the place may need a serious de-stress routine too in my opinion. Man, he is tempered at times. 

There are other crow friends keeping a watch from various vantage points raising alarm for any unusual movement. 

Now, they don't create a ruckus when we are there. I guess they have counted us too as one of their confidant. In fact two of them are friends with my little daughter. They speak 'crow' to each other each day. My daughter addresses them "thlkaaa thlkaaa" which I cannot reproduce. I bet you won't be able too. 

image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Indian_crow_nest.jpg