twenty third February 2024
An “obsessive” wild hen egg collector from Norfolk has admitted to illegally hoarding 1000’s of uncommon birds’ eggs.Â
Daniel Lingham from Newton St Faith appeared at Norwich Magistrates Court on Tuesday twentieth February, the place he pleaded responsible to 5 offences.Â
He was already summoned to courtroom twice earlier than for related egg offences and was given custodial sentences in 2005 and 2018.
In complete, since 2005, over 10,000 wild hen eggs have been seized at Lingham’s home by Norfolk Police, comprising of many uncommon and threatened species, together with turtle doves and nightjars.Â
Home assortment
The 71-year-old man was captured on a wildlife entice digicam on ninth June 2023 stealing two eggs from a nightjar nest in Holt Lowes.Â
A police search of his home in July 2023 subsequently revealed the extent of his hoard. The officers discovered a complete of 2995 eggs.
Lingham saved a big assortment of eggs in his bed room, together with some non-native species, alongside 2429 native birds’ eggs protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Of these, 548 have been from native birds on the amber record of birds of conservation concern, and an extra 546 have been of probably the most severe concern on the crimson record, together with linnet, inexperienced finch, yellowhammer, home sparrow and plenty of extra.
An extra assortment of eggs, which seemed a lot newer, was discovered behind the bathtub panel, together with a field containing a pair of nightjar eggs with the label ‘Nightjar 2, Holt Lowes June 9.’
Officers additionally discovered figuring out books, binoculars, and an egg-blowing equipment.
Mental well being challenge
In the interview, Lingham stated all the eggs, bar the nightjar ones, had been taken earlier than his earlier conviction in 2018, though the best way they have been saved steered in any other case.
He additional claimed a group on show in a cupboard within the bed room had come from an Essex home clearance, and whereas they have been his, he had not taken them himself from the wild.
Lingham stated he had been on the lookout for adders and tiger beetles when he was “tempted†by the nightjar eggs attributable to his egg gathering dependancy, which was a psychological well being challenge.
Shocking offence
In 2005, the Norfolk man was jailed for 10 weeks after police discovered a group of almost 4,000 eggs in his home.
Then in 2018, he was discovered to be in possession of over 5,000 eggs, for which he was jailed for 18 weeks and handed a 10-year prison behaviour order geared toward stopping him from committing related crimes sooner or later.
Under the CBO, the person is banned from coming into Holt Lowes between 1st February and 1st October in addition to many different websites throughout Norfolk and nationally.
Tom Grose, RSPB Investigations Officer, stated that the dimensions of egg theft that Lingham has dedicated during the last 20 years is “shockingâ€.
He added: “Sadly, his obsession with gathering wild birds’ eggs has finally resulted in 1000’s of breeding birds, which have invested big quantities of vitality into rearing young, to fail.
“We’re relieved that the sort of crime is now comparatively uncommon within the UK, however this latest case has revealed that the breeding success of the nightjar, a species of conservation concern, has once more been focused in Norfolk by Lingham’s unlawful actions.â€
Lingham will seem for sentencing on third May 2024.
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