The Abandoned Egg

Warning: this is not a happy-ending sort of tale. Those with tender hearts may wish to check back on a happier day.

A little more than a week ago, we watched with great interest as a robin built a nest in one of the bushes between the house and the shed. Things were very active in the yard, with quite a few birds setting up housekeeping. (In related news, a blue jay also built a nest in the big lilac bush by the bedroom window.)

We tried to avoid the nest area so as not to disturb the robin. But then, a few days ago, my husband reported sadly that he had found a broken blue egg at the back of the yard. He said the mama robin was very upset. We looked and found one blue egg remaining in the nest. Sadly, the mother stopped returning to take care of it.

Of course, we looked it up online right away: what to do, what to do?  And we learned that, alas, there isn't much a regular human being can do to help in such situations. (Those who are interested may read about the proper care for robin eggs and the feeding of baby birds here.)

According to what I read, something probably happened - an attack by another bird, or even by another one of our yard creatures - that convinced the mother that this was not a viable nesting situation.

*heavy sigh* No, dear hearts, as much as we wish it were so, not every yard tale that begins in beauty and optimism ends well. I decided this: at least I could tell its story. So I went out into the yard and pushed the bushes aside and took a photograph. Here it is: one blue egg, abandoned in the nest.

The soundtrack song for an abandoned egg: Eric Carmen, with All By Myself.