For several mornings, very early, we have been hearing loud mating calls of the peacocks. Yesterday, I stood on the roof terrace and saw  them flying  from roof top to roof top in a sort of mating dance.  Yes, peacocks do fly, if rather awkwardly and slowly.  Spring is in the air and we even have a pigeon nesting in a cut out area of the ceiling near our room at the hostel. . . .Yes, I said a pigeon building a nest inside the hostel!

Trust me that this is a picture of a pigeon up on the shelf. How is that possible, you might ask.  Well it is India, which is always the response to such a question. . . .

This is  the window just outside our room and the landing before the pigeon nest. You may be able to tell that the window has no glass or screen, but is forever open, thus allowing birds easy access!   Thankfully no monkeys have decided to enter , uninvited!

We first saw feathers on the floor and then a smashed egg on the floor.  This peaked our curiosity and Mukess the cook, stood on a chair and showed us another unbroken egg on the shelf where the bird had been nesting.

 I was worried the mama would reject the egg if she sensed human interference, but trusted that Mukess  knew what he was talking about.  He also put up some screen with an opening both to protect this egg from falling and let the mom have access.

We are familiar with bird rescues, having saved, fed and let go both Robins and Starlings in Kansas and in New York when baby birds fell from their nests.  But we had never touched an unhatched egg.

I had started this tale before the south trip began and now we are back and here is the update.  The mama bird has switched sides of the shelf opening , the screen is still protecting the egg, but there is still no sign of a baby pigeon!

Here are Mukess and his wife  Jayssree. 

He is 27  years old and worked in the hotel business since he was 17 in Goa and in Amdavad.  He has worked very hard on his English since we were here two years ago. He carries a well worn little dictionary to use and reuse in trying to learn more English. My thoughts are that he is capable enough to have continued in school but had to stop to earn money. Jayssree  helps prepare the vegetables and also does our laundry for a very small price.  How many more Indian people are in the same situation?

This is Incredible India!