Lisa, I lost my Robin nest too. I think the horrible wind storm we had earlier in the week did it in. I noticed she wasn't tending yesterday and checked for the eggs - all gone, no shells, nothing. But we had some 75 mph gusts, so they could have been blown to kingdom come for all I know. It was terrible! I was awake much of the night worrying about her and about the House Finch nest in my hanging basket and also about the week-old Blue fledglings that were out there somewhere in the maelstrom. The Finch was fine in the morning (if a bit seasick, I should thing, as she rocked and spun all night long). And then, happily, two of the fledglings popped up in the yard later that afternoon. Whew! Loving birds is hard on the heart. --M

The nature of the Robin's open nesting area make them *very* vulnerable to being preyed upon by Hawks. Once the Hawk has taken whoever is on the nest, the Blue Jays, Crows or Grackles will take the eggs or chicks.

Generally an old nest is not reused should the survivor find another mate.

:-)

There are so many predators of eggs and young for open nesting birds, it's amazing there are so many robins!
Add to that list: snakes, chipmunks and squirrels, mice and rats, raccoons, opossums, skunks, owls, cats, fire ants, and probably more. And we can't forget humans, whether they are vandals or just cutting down a tree.
Bluebars

Lisa I ALWAYS see all my birds (every pair) doing the swishy swishy. I guess I just watch to much. LOL My tres were doing it on the basketball net on Saturday and they don't even have a nest finished yet. Last year they did it on the pool deck railing. Now today another pair of tres just showed up.
Cathy

WELL....still a bit brisk to keep the box open for any length, I was able to see 3 little beaks, to dark in there to see where one ends an another begins, but I am now guessing they hatched shortly after I checked the eggs on Tuesday and not yesterday. Will know soon enough. As for the TRES oddly there is one egg so far (to be expected)after yesterdays activities, but no feathers, the nest is just straw. Maybe a new pair
? They have always had white duck feathers in there. May explain the change in boxes too.
As for the Robin, I do not think it was a Hawk, the area is too covered and DH and I walk in that area many times a day, also the Crows have beenkeeping the Hawks away. Wonder if the Crows would have hurt her or possibly the Red Bellies or Flickers that are trying to nest near by. Also wonder why 1 egg is left. I assume that because there is still an egg Mom must not have been able to return or do Robins abandon the nest once they have been disrupted? Still many Robins around.
Cathy you sure got a lot of bird porno going on there! LOL