Post by 7even on May 25, 2006 23:28:12 GMT
A 63-year-old man who fell to his death after climbing a 40ft tree to examine a bird's nest was a convicted egg thief, it has emerged.
Colin Watson from Selby had at one time been one of the most notorious thieves of rare bird eggs in the country, the RSPB said.
He had several previous convictions for collecting eggs spanning 14 years, with fines totalling more than £4,600.
But his last conviction was more than 10 years ago, the RSPB said.
A spokesman for the RSPB said Mr Watson had at one time been
"public enemy number one" in the bird protection world.
'Shocking reminder'
He said the society extended its sympathies to Mr Watson's friends and family.
"Deaths like this are always a shocking reminder of how dangerous these sorts of activities can be," he said.
Mr Watson, of Garman Carr Lane, Wistow, had been walking with a friend in woods near Churchfield Road in Campsall, Doncaster, when he decided to climb the 40ft larch tree.
He got about three quarters of the way to the nest before he fell. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious.
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Ha ha, I know I shouldn’t laugh, but I couldn’t help it. I guess he got what was coming to him.
