Cardinal's Eggs Disappearing

[Denise Johnson Email]

Can someone please say how a Cardinal's nest in a 4-foot wild blueberry bush could be missing eggs? My daughter glimpsed 3 speckled eggs in the nest one day, then only two the next, and today there's only one left. No branches on the bush were damaged or broken.
We've got plenty of native critters and woodland birds at the eastern edge of the Mt A conservation region. Could they have been stolen, or could the mama bird have deemed them infertile and pushed the eggs out? Thank you.
Denise in Cape Neddick.

Sent from my iPhone

[RALPH ELDRIDGE]

"........plenty of native critters and woodland birds .......".  There you have it, Denise.

Virtually any animal that can break into, swallow or carry off an egg will do it any every opportunity.

For some critters it's a random chance for a nutritional boost. For others, it's an anticipated annual food source.

Mamma pushing the eggs out is unlikely. That would draw predators to the nest and birds take great pains to avoid attention around their nest.

Perhaps you have noted that there are never egg shells around an active nest or perhaps you have seen birds flying with egg fragments for distant disposal.

Many animals that we think of as vegetarian will readily eat flesh and eggs when available.

Snakes, Squirrels, Bluejays and Starlings are just a sample of the smaller villains. It's a long list.

Fortunately, lots of birds routinely nest more than once each season. They can re-locate, re-nest and still have a successful season. 

[Susan Guare]

Random comment here.  I really appreciate the time people take to write lengthy informative answers so that we all can learn.  

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[Maggie Strickland]

I enthusiastically agree with your comment, Susan. And I might add that those comments are written with never a trace of condescension. 

Maggie Strickland

Harmony, ME

[Maggie Strickland]

By "comments" I mean answers.

Maggie