Eat the cat! Possession of native bird eggs is against the law
without proper permits, plural: state and federal [for named species
if endangered], as well as a federal collecting permit [if general],
which usually limits one to a few [eggs and/or chicks or adults] of
any species per year (other than raptors, game birds, hummingbirds).
EMPTY or provably abandoned nests of non- endangered or threatened
(and non raptor) are fair game - best to wait until fall if
collecting nests, as sometimes a bird will re-use a nest, or take
parts of a failed one for next attempt(s). You can contact a nature
museum or wildlife agent who might be able to transport the eggs to a
museum for its collection - making the contact ASAP absolves you
(usually) of any potential violations. In my early studies, I'd take
abandoned or dumped clutches to a natural history museum with whom
I'd worked (I had necessary collecting and other permits), but in
past decade or so, I let them stay where they lay, in nest or on
ground. Good luck! - Jim in MT

At 01:04 PM 4/16/2010, tweeters-request at mailman2.u.washington.edu wrote:
>Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:54:27 -0700
>From: "David Richardson" <daver at nwlink.com>
>Subject: [Tweeters] Cats and ground nesting birds
>To: "Tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
>Message-ID: <6AD5CFFCA1B84A46A0CDCBCE8E7895DE at Homebuilt>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>Two weeks ago we spotted a Dark-eyed Junco building a nest under a
>clump of grass by the walkway to our front door. Sadly on Monday a
>neighborhood cat caught and "played with" - (ugh!) the female. Not
>surprisingly the father did not return and so this morning I took
>pictures of the abandoned nest as shown in the linked pictures. Now
>- what to do with the nest and eggs ?
>
>http://www.mycamerasees.com/Other/Dark-eyed-Junco/11858537_6J8Ue#838650888_K9iPm
>
>
>David Richardson