Deserted eggs, abandoned nest.

We have a pair of collared doves who have lived in and around our tiny garden for years. Each year they make disastrous nesting choices and the nests they build are usually rickety to the point of collapse. This year they decided to build a nest on the windowsill of our study, on a shelf beside a window-box facing south-east. We tried not to disturb them. We virtually abandoned the room, tiptoeing in only rarely to avoid causing the birds any stress. In spite of our efforts the eggs were forsaken a few days ago.

The birds are now occupying a different rickle of sticks, which they seem to believe is a nest, and may well have some new eggs.

I often wonder whether eggs fail to hatch because they are abandoned, or contrariwise, are they abandoned because they are not viable?