For anyone in the future looking - while I understand your quandary, you certainly did the best thing for your home and your health. Often birds have mites. Being on a wreath on your front door, chances are the mites would have made their way into your home. My understanding is they are extremely difficult to be rid of (minus a match). Our family found out the hard way about mites. Bird had nested in our primary door wreath when we were away on vacation. We just used an alternate door so as to not disturb them. Thought it would be interesting with the kiddos to keep an eye on how things work. A few days after they hatched, I kept noticing a black smudge on the inside of the door. I'd wipe it off, another would show up. I finally looked really close and saw the smudge was moving! MITES. Birds nest had to be moved immediately! We put it in the closest tree (about 40' away) lt turned out fine as momma found her lil ones. They took flight within a couple weeks, it seems like.

They take about 19 days to fledge from egg hatching onwards; you may want to try and figure out approximately how long the parents have been feeding them and that should give you an idea of how many days more to go. Pretty soon you should start to see some action

I'm sorry for the stress your birds, and you, are going through. Were the dropped chicks grackle chicks? Grackles will raid other birds' nests and remove the eggs and/or chicks if they want that particular nesting area. Then again, if the chicks were other than their own, they would have probably eaten them. It's been very cold here, too, and raining nearly every day for two weeks. Most mornings have been down to 32 degrees and we've been lucky to hit 50-55 during the days. Then throw in the North Dakota winds and... Still, my Chickadees are sitting tight on their six teeny-tiny eggs. The Purple Martins are hanging in by their toenails, but they've not even thought of nest building yet. They've been feeding only about every third day in this terrible weather. The Tree Swallows haven't shown up, nor have the Wrens. They should already be nesting in this area. Last year the Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and Hummingbirds arrived around April 23. I've not seen even one of them yet and it's May 11. I've had the nectar feeders out for them since April 15. The house finches and woodpeckers are loving the sugar water. Usually I have Harris Sparrows, Cedar Waxwings, and Cape May Warblers stop by for a few days, or even weeks, during their migration. There has not been a one to be seen. I suppose Spring will arrive, but hopefully before July!

That is a fledgling Mourning Dove. Too early to tell whether it's a male or female...but both parents care for their young...and are mated for life. One usually sits with the young during the day while the other goes food shopping. When the "shopping" parent returns...he/she feeds the fledgling and the parent who sat all day long...goes off for the night...usually returning very early in the morning to relieve the sitting parent. The fact that there's no adult with this fledgling says one of two things. One...the fledgling is old enough to be on his/her own. Or two...the fledgling...while learning to fly...has gotten himself/herself into a real pickle. My bet is that he's on his own...but I'm saying that with very little evidence other than my personal observations around my own home. Mourning doves are renowned for making very flimsy nests...or renting an existing nest...or laying their eggs on the ground in a seemingly secure area. If this area in your yard is sheltered and relatively safe...it wouldn't be at all unusual for the female to use it as her nesting area. She usually lays two eggs...and can lay twice a year...depending on your geographic area. Definitely...if you are able...protect the area from cats. This fledgling is developed enough to fly...but not with the strength or reactive time of an adult dove. Beyond that...just keep an eye out for a returning parent....either at dusk or dawn. You may get a pleasant surprise. HTH Anne