and I was watching them take turns building the nest, keeping eggs warm and bringing food for over 2 weeks then one day the nest was on the ground and the eggshells smashed and empty. I didn't know what animal would do this in a city. I thought maybe a cat but my family said Black birds/Crows do that.

They came back about 2 months later and something else scared them off when they started building a new nest. We have tons of Crows around here. The poor Doves don't stand a chance.

I had that same experience of watching a cardinal couple build a nest right outside my kitchen window. I saw them sitting on the eggs, and one day they hatched. It was so exciting. I saw fuzzy little balls with beaks open wide. Then and then one day all of it was gone except for the nest and a few downy feathers and some eggshell fragments. 😢

Mousetoescamper, your photo in the late afternoon sun is gorgeous.

I tried so hard not to bother them, keeping my door closed and peaking through a 1/4" crack. I even went outside and tried to put their nest back up in the tree, hoping it would bring them back to try again.

Mine never did. The nest is still there after 2 years.

We had a hard rain storm at one point and that little bird mama sat out there keeping her eggs warm and dry throughout …..

prepared but something alarming scared them off. They are pretty smart I guess. I even tried to lure them back by imitated cooing sounds when I heard them. It doesn't work.

It’s not a very good picture, but here is my little bird mama.