By Tara Kyle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — It's a day of heartache for bird-lovers.
It appears unlikely that any new life will spring from a hawk's nest on a ledge outside NYU President John Sexton's office, the New York Times reported.
Two red-tailed hawks, dubbed Violet and Bobby, began caring for three brown-speckled eggs in a nest near Washington Square Park in late March, prompting the Times to set up a "Hawk Cam" intended to ultimately capture the birth.
But the time window for those eggs, at rest in a nest off the 12th floor of 70 Washington Square South, to hatch has now come and gone, according to the Times. Experts say the maximum incubation period is 35 days.
"No chance," Ohio breeder John Blakeman told the Times of the eggs' probability of yielding life. Blakeman told the paper that more than a quarter of eggs laid by first time hawk mothers like Violet never hatch.
The sad news comes days after a Riverside Park hawk papa died. His death has been linked to rat poison.
NYU press representative Christopher James has been speaking for Violet and Bobby on Twitter through the @NYURedtailHawks since early April.
The account was initially filled with exclamation points, emoticons and commentary from "Violet" about her mate's lack of nest decorating prowess, but it took a somber turn Wednesday, when James began blogging in his own voice for the first time.
"It is bitter-sweet to have come this far and not have the wonder of life come to fruit for the pair," James tweeted. "The privilege of being able to watch these elegant creatures up close and has been a real treat for me and the rest of us at NYU.
Experts expect Bobby and Violet to return to the NYU nest to try again next January, the Times reported.
