Expert: Roger Lederer - 6/3/2009

Question
I have a hanging plant at my front door and a dove has made her nest in it, I have been monitoring her for a couple of days now she has laid one egg in the nest from what I can see but today I saw something new a robins egg next to the Dove's egg... is what will happen I haven't see either bird for at least a day now is this normal and have the birds abandoned the nest ??

Answer
This is not normal, but it is not totally unusual either. I can't tell you if the birds have abandoned the nest because I just can't predict that. I don't know how you have been monitoring the nest, but if the nest has been disturbed (like someone looking in it every few hours), I suspect the dove abandoned it and then the robin took over and it too abandoned the nest because of the disturbance. Might be your monitoring, or it might just be the fact the nest is at the front door where I suspect a lot of activity takes place. On the other hand, either one or both of the birds might come back and lay more eggs. Only  time will tell.