Like many people, 58-year-old grandfather Allan Malcolm Dyche, was an avid collector. But it is what he collected that has gotten him into a nest of trouble.
Dyche told the Daily Post he has been collecting things since he was nine. His collection includes clay pipes, gramophone needle boxes and various odds-and-ends. But wait – there is one more thing Dyche collected – rare bird eggs!
Based on a Crimestoppers tip earlier this year, North Wales police raided Dyche’s home and uncovered nearly 500 wild bird eggs in an upstairs bedroom. Eight endangered eggs including a cirl bunting, avocet, crossbill, red-necked phalarope, red-backed shike and three merlin eggs were found in the collection. Dyche allegedly told officials he inherited most of the eggs from his father and received a few others for free from an unidentified man at a sale.
Dyche plead guilty to one count of possessing eight eggs of rare wild birds and also plead guilty to possessing 466 wild bird eggs. He was sentenced to 12-months community order and must complete 80 hours of unpaid work. He will 
be electronically monitored during a 28-day curfew between 8:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. and was ordered to pay nearly $100 in court costs. The eggs were seized by authorities and will be preserved by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
Photo of Red-necked Phalarope via Public Domain
Cirl Bunting photo by Robert Nash under Creative Commons
Bird eggs photo by Bukk
I’m sorry but a 12-months community order for a lifetime of harm against nature doesn’t really sound like justice.
One person doing their utmost to drive species to extinction… grandfather or not it’s not right.