What would lay a small oval white egg outside?

There are many possibilities! Here are a few ideas, with some clues to help you figure out which is the most likely:

Insects:

* Grasshoppers: They lay their eggs in clusters, sometimes looking like a small oval.

* Crickets: Similar to grasshoppers, their eggs are laid in groups.

* Beetles: Some beetles, like ladybugs, lay individual oval-shaped eggs.

Birds:

* Doves: They lay small white eggs, but they usually nest in sheltered locations.

* Other small birds: Depending on the species, some small birds might lay white eggs and choose to nest near the ground, but this is less common.

Reptiles:

* Snakes: Some snakes lay white oval eggs.

Other possibilities:

* Small mammals: Some small mammals, like rats or mice, can have litters of white pups. However, they don't lay eggs.

* Amphibians: Some amphibians, like salamanders, lay eggs in jelly-like masses, but these are not typically white.

To narrow it down:

* Location: Where did you find the egg? Was it in the grass, under a rock, or near a tree?

* Size: How big is the egg? This can help you rule out some possibilities.

* Time of year: What time of year is it? Some animals only lay eggs during certain seasons.

Let me know more about the egg, and I can try to help you identify it!