Golden eagle eggs from a Scottish nest were among nearly 700 rare eggs stolen by a prolific thief.

The eggs of Scotland's rarest birds were taken from their nest on the Isle of Lewis when they were only a week from hatching.

Matthew Gonshaw, one of the most prolific wild bird egg collectors in the UK, is believed to have raided 170 nests over the last eight years.

The 49-year-old was jailed for six months on Tuesday - his third jail term for the same offence - after he was found with nearly 700 rare eggs in his home.

Judge William Ashworth said: "This represents a methodical and meticulously planned venture by you, targeting rare breeding birds, placing them in peril and causing great loss to local communities."

The obsessive collector would use his encyclopaedic knowledge of birds to track down nesting sites, hitchhiking and camping at remote sites while he monitored his targets.

Police found 697 wild birds eggs at his London home, along with notebooks, maps and climbing equipment, after receiving a tip-off.

Forty-five of the eggs were particularly rare, including seven golden eagle eggs, 13 avocet eggs and eight osprey eggs.

Other species targetted by Gonshaw included red kites, peregrine falcons and redwings.

Gonshaw removed developing chicks from some of the eggs, including three golden eagle chicks.

Mark Thomas, RSPB investigations officer, said: "The theft of the golden eagle eggs in particular was incredibly cruel.

"He took them about one week from hatching and he has basically removed a live chick from the eggshell for his own personal satisfaction."

Gonshaw admitted ten offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, including two counts of taking golden eagle eggs from sites on Lewis, both in April 2010.

The judge ordered that the eggs be seized and destroyed.

Gonshaw will return to court in February to find out if he will be subject to an anti-social behaviour order, which would see him face a £20,000 fine and five years in jail if he commits more crimes.