Interesting Eggs Found In Attic (1 Viewer)

[finkyfoo]

Hi, not sure which section to really put this in. I work for an auction house and a gent came in with a few jewellery boxes. Inside one of them were these four eggs. The gent said they must have been in an attic for many years as he'd never seen them before.

Obviously we know the rules about the selling of eggs, but he was just going to throw them away so I asked if I could keep them. I've had a look around the internet for identification and haven't really come up with anything. Obviously I don't want to get arrested if these eggs are illegal or rare!

Thanks!

 

[Jon Turner]

Possibly (!) Moorhen, Coot, Magpie and Blackbird

 

[PhilW]

Its actually an offence to keep any wild bird egg and they should be destroyed.

 

[finkyfoo]

Its actually an offence to keep any wild bird egg and they should be destroyed.

Phil, it would be a shame to destroy them, this is why I wanted to make sure they were not from birds protected by the current Wildlife & Countryside Act, 1981. I understand it is a very very grey subject and would not be selling them. If they turned out to be from a protected bird I would obviously do the right thing and destroy them.

 

[toby]

Phil, it would be a shame to destroy them, this is why I wanted to make sure they were not from birds protected by the current Wildlife & Countryside Act, 1981. I understand it is a very very grey subject and would not be selling them. If they turned out to be from a protected bird I would obviously do the right thing and destroy them.

Even if it were illegal to keep them, would it not be possible to pass them on to a body that is allowed to keep them? Presumably some such bodies (e.g. certain museums) exist? Even if they were wrongly collected in the past, seems a terrible shame that some good may not come out of it?

 

[Jon Turner]

Even if it were illegal to keep them, would it not be possible to pass them on to a body that is allowed to keep them? Presumably some such bodies (e.g. certain museums) exist? Even if they were wrongly collected in the past, seems a terrible shame that some good may not come out of it?

A friend of mine who ran a museum service refused all offers of 'old' egg collections.

 

[Jamie Dunning]

Phil, it would be a shame to destroy them, this is why I wanted to make sure they were not from birds protected by the current Wildlife & Countryside Act, 1981. I understand it is a very very grey subject and would not be selling them. If they turned out to be from a protected bird I would obviously do the right thing and destroy them.

I'm afraid Phil is right, regardless of the status of the bird it is illegal to own eggs from any species. I'm afraid you have very little choice but to destroy them to remain within the law.
Many museums no longer take oology specimen, certainly the ones i've ever been affiliated with are full of 'granddads old collection'.

 

[finkyfoo]

I'm afraid Phil is right, regardless of the status of the bird it is illegal to own eggs from any species. I'm afraid you have very little choice but to destroy them to remain within the law.
Many museums no longer take oology specimen, certainly the ones i've ever been affiliated with are full of 'granddads old collection'.

Thanks all for the help. I will destroy them when I get home tonight.

 

[PhilW]

Finkyfoo
It's a real shame but the law is very strict. Many years ago (44!) I was given an egg collection from an old teacher of mine. It belonged to his father and some of the eggs had dates on from 1843. They were in a beautiful mahogany glass fronted display cabinet (I still have it) but after taking advice a few years ago from the RSPB I destroyed all the eggs. I offered them to a museum but no one would take them.

 

[Boro Birder]

I am a nest recorder and it is illegal even to take eggs what have been abandoned and Jon Turner in his first post was right on all. My local museum has a collection of bird eggs and stuffed birds but they were collected back in the 1800s when oology was part and parcel of Ornithology but NOTHING can be learnt from the collection of eggs no more and depending on your beliefs, its what is inside the egg what is most important.

Damian

 

[King Edward]

Illegality aside, without any accompanying data the eggs are scientifically worthless.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Finkyfoo
It's a real shame but the law is very strict. Many years ago (44!) I was given an egg collection from an old teacher of mine. It belonged to his father and some of the eggs had dates on from 1843. They were in a beautiful mahogany glass fronted display cabinet (I still have it) but after taking advice a few years ago from the RSPB I destroyed all the eggs. I offered them to a museum but no one would take them.

See here:-

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curat...e-collections/bird-group/donations/index.html

All the best

 

[Boro Birder]

Was speaking to a friend who is a Wildlife Crime Officer and he said destroy the egg, I had a Ostrich egg and he told me to do exactly the same.

Damian

 

[Boro Birder]

Its late, destroy ALL the eggs, Dohhh.

A very tired Damian. Good night God Bless.

 

[fugl]

If the eggs please you, I'd hang on to them. If by some ill-chance, your having them comes to the attention of the authorities, the worst that's likely to happen is that you'll be told to destroy them.

 

[dantheman]

Its late, destroy ALL the eggs, Dohhh.

A very tired Damian. Good night God Bless.

But enjoyed your other posts ( ) .

 

[dantheman]

If the eggs please you, I'd hang on to them. If by some ill-chance, your having them comes to the attention of the authorities, the worst that's likely to happen is that you'll be told to destroy them.

All very well and good, but surely that's a highly irresponsible statement to be posting on a PUBLIC forum (and from a moderator too??)


(Shades of the migratory bird act over your way ... but in actuality worse, given the history ... )

 

[fugl]

All very well and good, but surely that's a highly irresponsible statement to be posting on a PUBLIC forum (and from a moderator too??)
(Shades of the migratory bird act over your way ... but in actuality worse, given the history ... )

Well, I've never been much of a stickler for the letter of the law on either side of the pond.

And I'm an ex-moderator by the way, having finally concluded a little while ago that I'm temperamentally unsuited for the job.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Was speaking to a friend who is a Wildlife Crime Officer and he said destroy the egg, I had a Ostrich egg and he told me to do exactly the same.

Damian

See here and here for old egg collections:-

http://www.rspb.org.uk/joinandhelp/campaignwithus/law/old_collections/index.aspx

http://www.rspb.org.uk/joinandhelp/campaignwithus/law/old_collections/disposing.aspx

But also here on Ostriches:-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/ostrich-egg

All the best

 

[finkyfoo]

See here and here for old egg collections:-

http://www.rspb.org.uk/joinandhelp/campaignwithus/law/old_collections/index.aspx

http://www.rspb.org.uk/joinandhelp/campaignwithus/law/old_collections/disposing.aspx

But also here on Ostriches:-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/ostrich-egg

All the best

Eggs have now been destroyed. I was wondering about the Ostrich eggs, especially painted or engraved ones. They are raised for meat, so not technically wild in some cases. I guess it's another grey area. CITES didn't seem too concerned when the auction house had an old painted ostrich egg we asked about before selling.