What's next if there's no hatch?

Unfortunately it is appearing more and more that we may not have a hatch this round. Seeing pipped eggs was definitely a good sign, but as I said in a previous post, evidence of hatching doesn't guarantee the chick will make it out of the egg alive. That may be what has happened. If the chick(s) were continuing to peck and vocalize from inside the egg(s) we would expect to see the adult bird standing over the eggs, looking down in response to the sounds and vibrations coming from inside the egg. However, more times than not the adult on the nest is sitting tight on the eggs as if continuing incubation.

So, where do we go from here? If we did nothing, the adults would likely continue to incubate the eggs for several more days. Eventually, they would give up and be finished for this nesting season. However, if we still do not have a hatch by Friday I will remove the eggs from the nest for two purposes. First, removal of the eggs completely may stimulate Scout and Orville to renest yet this spring. There would be a chance for a second clutch. Secondly, we will have the eggs examined to determine if all were fertile, and how far along development occurred. We can still hope to have a hatch, but something tells me I may be coming face to face with some protective falcons on Friday...