Unidentified Bird Eggs. Can Anyone Help???

fluffyVW

I was taking a walk with my daddy a long the Inny River when he stopped along the path & said he saw a bird fly out of a lump made up of grass & twigs on the ground. When we went closer to investigate there was a nest with little eggs in it!!! It was such an odd place to have a nest, along a pathway, which had overgrown slightly but it was still in use & my daddy also said there was Fox's about. I hope the bird new what she was doing!!! I had my camera with me & took a few shots, this one came out the best, I let the flash go off as it was late & pretty dull & I think it worked perfectly!!! I love it!!! It was very deep in the hump, well hidden. We didn't stay to long, as long as you don't disturb the eggs the bird will come back. When we where leaving we stayed a little distance away from it for a few minutes before we headed off & she was flying around to make sure we were gone!!!

I have no idea what kind of bird it is & this is why I'm posting... Can anyone tell me from just looking at the eggs??? Thanks!!!

I was going to post this in the Photography forum but I said I would give it a try here first.

Alun

Could well be moorhens given the location you described .. were the birds quite large, and black with red beaks with a yellow tip? I think they have eggs with reddish brown specks like that. Could also be coots .. similar but with white beaks.

fluffyVW

Alun wrote: »

Could well be moorhens given the location you described .. were the birds quite large, and black with red beaks with a yellow tip? I think they have eggs with reddish brown specks like that. Could also be coots .. similar but with white beaks.

So sorry it took so long to reply!!! :eek:

I didn't get a right look at the bird that flew out of it at all!!! Sorry!!!

I thought someone might be able to tell me by the eyes!!! I will look up Moorhens and Coots and see what info about their eggs I can get!!! Thanks so much for the help!!! :D:D

If anyone else knows anything please let me know!!!

Edit: This is a Moorhen's nest with eggs...



The specks look the same but my eggs where a bit more blue, those are pretty white.

Just looking up Coots now...

I found this image of a Coots nest



Again they are more white but then I found this image



In that image there seems to be more coloured ones and in the right top corner you can kinda see a blue one??? Hmm... But they are a lot more speckled.

I'm not sure!!! Can the colour variety??? I don't know anything about it but if anyone else does let me know!!!

Alun

I'm no expert, but I believe there can be a small amount of variety in the basic colouring of most bird eggs. It can depend a bit on the minerals present in the birds diet for example, and you get other variations that only seem to be explained by localised evolution to local circumstances. Historically all eggs (look at those of reptile eggs from which birds evoved) were plain white, but evolved to have different colours and markings mainly as a defence mechanism against predators.

So matching up eggs to pictures in books and on websites can sometimes be a tricky job, but personally my money would be on a moorhen, purely because they seem to be more common than coots.

John Griffin

Did you see the parent bird flush? I very much doubt that these are moorhen or coot eggs. They appear to be far too small and the nest looks more like that of a meadow pipit or skylark. Its sounds like the bird was a skylark or meadow pipit. A moorhen or coot would not be flying about watching you and the nest would be at the waters edge.
I'd put my money on a sky lark:). Can you give a description of the bird?

Alun

Ah sorry there, I assumed from the description the OP gave that the nest was at the waters edge, but on closer reading it seems it was the other side of the path.

fluffyVW

Alun: Thanks for the help!!! I'm no expert myself!!! I think we will have a hard job identifying these eggs!!!

Yeah I thought that some bird eggs variety in colour. I was googling some birds and their eggs and even if they are the same kind of bird their eggs do look different.

John Griffin: Sorry I didn't get a good look at the bird at all, it just flew out and then my father noticed it fly away and went over and we seen the eggs, we didn't wait around because we didn't want to scared it or make it not come back so we only saw it flying around.

My father knows most birds but because we didn't see it right he couldn't say what it was.

Sorry I can't give you more of a description on the bird I just thought someone might have known the eggs.

Thanks so much for all the help anyhow!!!

corkpilot

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but does anyone have any suggestions for a good book for birds eggs & nests of Ireland?

Many thanks.

Judgement Day

Could they be a Chiffchaff's eggs - the nest looks right. It would be a bit early but with the unseasonably good weather who knows.

For my money as a former (1960s) egg collector - which I should state clearly is now illegal - the best book on Birds' Eggs and Nests is 'The Pocket Encylopaedia of Birds' Eggs and Nesting Habitats by Siegfried Hoeher published by Blandford Press in 1974. Despite its long title this book is pocket sized but packed with quality colour illustrations and the best on the subject that I have ever come across.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Judgement Day wrote: »

Could they be a Chiffchaff's eggs - the nest looks right. It would be a bit early but with the unseasonably good weather who knows.

For my money as a former (1960s) egg collector - which I should state clearly is now illegal - the best book on Birds' Eggs and Nests is 'The Pocket Encylopaedia of Birds' Eggs and Nesting Habitats by Siegfried Hoeher published by Blandford Press in 1974. Despite its long title this book is pocket sized but packed with quality colour illustrations and the best on the subject that I have ever come across.

As the question was asked in June it's not a bit early at all! :rolleyes:
What nest looks right? The Moorhen or Coots?:D
As an egg collector I hope you have then labelled correctly because the site and location in this case is all wrong for Chaffinches.:)

OP: There are lots of excellent books on eggs. The old Observer series had a good one but to be practical I'd go to a good book store and look at what is available rather than trying to locate a particular publication which may not be what you yourself want. It's like Bird fieldguides. There are loads about because many people prefer different styles, layouts etc.

Judgement Day

Alec Hissing Graphics wrote: »

As the question was asked in June it's not a bit early at all! :rolleyes:
What nest looks right? The Moorhen or Coots?:D
As an egg collector I hope you have then labelled correctly because the site and location in this case is all wrong for Chaffinches.:)

OP: There are lots of excellent books on eggs. The old Observer series had a good one but to be practical I'd go to a good book store and look at what is available rather than trying to locate a particular publication which may not be what you yourself want. It's like Bird fieldguides. There are loads about because many people prefer different styles, layouts etc.

Sorry about that - I didn't look at the date on the OP and it was the fact that there were few replies made me think it had just recently been posted but I see now that it was just the latest posting that was recent.

With regards to further points raised in your 'smart' reply:

(1) There are very few good books on nests and eggs and anyone who would suggest that the Observers book of birds eggs is a good one clearly hasn't a clue what they are talking about.:rolleyes: The Observers book of birds is a good bird book for beginners but the egg one should not be given shelf space.

(2) I was trying to be helpful rather than 'smart' so I was replying to the OP not the later postings showing other eggs. I stated that they might belong to a Chiffchaff NOT a Chaffinch!!! Try using your eyes before dashing off a reply! Possibly a bit low down for a Chiffchaff but the eggs and nest look right.

(3) Purchasing a book such as I suggested is a relatively simple matter and Abe.com would have a number of copies of the particular book specified.