robin's egg blues

Mr. J discovered this little treasure perched atop a patch of creeping thyme by our front steps. All alone, unprotected. How did it get there? An accident? A predator? A deliberate abandonment? All sorts of fascinating theories came to mind as we considered what should be done with the little blue wonder. Some red-breasted robins had been cavorting amorously among our eaves of late, so I was torn between the rational side of things: leave it as it lies and let nature take its course, and the emotional side of things that clings to thin hope: surely there is a nest nearby wherein we could replace this lone little egg

A little research confirmed the rational so we left it alone. It seems cold and heartless, but it is the proper course of action. This same research also indicated that likely the other eggs in the same nest had already hatched and the mother bird sensed this one egg wouldn't survive so she gently removed it from the nest. Also, it's illegal to incubate a robin egg or any other wild bird egg, in case you were wondering. I wonder if it will still be there in the morning. Uncanny that however it came, it came to rest on the softest spot in the yard and just inches from the front step in plain sight and unscathed.