Eggers

[FUDGEY]

I have just been looking through the history of previous threads and it came to me that some information on here could be used to good affect by egg collectors. I was once befriended by a man who became to me what I thought a close friend. One day we were stopped by the police and had our houses searched and they found a huge collection at his home. Unbeknown to me he had been using me to show him nests then going back later and raiding them. He got prosecuted and got fined £6000 and I was used as a defence witness against him. Anyhow do you think we might be a little naive at times and to open on here?

[Gill Catton]

I think we're careful enough about the rarer species certaily and any eggar could obtain a greater level of knowledge from purchase of 'where to watch birds' and a relatively basic knowledge of a specie's ecology.

as for 'grooming' to get closer to nests, I think most of our get-togethers are as a large group and actually we tend to focus on insects. I guess there is still potential for what happend to you to happen on here but I'm not sure that its any more likely on here than it would be down your local pub ?

[The Woodman]

I wouldn't worry too much Fudgey. Eggers are resourceful and extremely knowledgeable about their subject. I realise that some of the more "attractive" species are mentioned on WAB, but there's nothing here that could assist them in my opinion.

Sorry to learn about your experience. Did you get a hard time as a defence witness?

[nightshade]

Originally Posted by FUDGEY

I have just been looking through the history of previous threads and it came to me that some information on here could be used to good affect by egg collectors. I was once befriended by a man who became to me what I thought a close friend. One day we were stopped by the police and had our houses searched and they found a huge collection at his home. Unbeknown to me he had been using me to show him nests then going back later and raiding them. He got prosecuted and got fined £6000 and I was used as a defence witness against him. Anyhow do you think we might be a little naive at times and to open on here?

That must have been a shock to the system, have you got over it?
I think you will find that any information posted here that could possibly compromise a species, is very quickly removed by the moderators (who really know their stuff) or reported to the poster for editing.
We do get people try for information but experienced wild lifers usually play their cards close to their chests

[Kayleigh]

That's horrible what some people will go to get info.
As for on here I don't think WABbers give away nest sites but I feel some info is given away especially to new members I have experienced alarm bells where certain questions were asked and the info just came flooding out, you have to be so careful.
You try to help on on hand but I am always wary..

The recent slow worm threads someone wanted to find one info was given out on how and where to look, they got one and kept it as a pet...

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

The recent slow worm threads someone wanted to find one info was given out on how and where to look, they got one and kept it as a pet...

but they werent given any information that they couldnt have found from a good book anyway, and you do need to stike a balance between guarding against this kind of thing and being welcome to new members.

as regards nest sites i dont recall any threads that give specific nest info for target species - unless we are talking about very well known sites (such as my mentioning that stone curlew nest at weeting heath NNR), which information is widely known, heavily publicised by the site owners, and is going to be known in the egging community anyway.