Topic: For show - Mdina paperweight

[Anne E.B.]

Can't help thinking about frog-spawn when I look at this.  Not too sure about the design, but love the jade colour.
I'm guessing its fairly modern(ish).

[chopin-liszt]

I would guess the same.

[KevinH]

Reminds me of a Thrush (and other) egg. Shame about the lumpy upper surface.

[Anne E.B.]

I'm obviously not a twitcher, so I didn't make that connection
The surface isn't actually lumpy but perfectly smooth, with the inside being kind of frothy and bubbly.

[KevinH]

Yes, I meant the upper surface of the coloured part on the inside - "lumpy / bubbly".

I am not a twitcher either. Just remembered it from a 1950s book showing birds' eggs. 

[Anne E.B.]

Doh! Me being frothy

Does it mean its not a good one?  Should it be smooth?

[chopin-liszt]

I would doubt it, Anne.  (supposed to be smooth)

I thought you were a bit of a birder, Kev?
which is why I stayed quiet, I thought it was robin's eggs that were pale blue and speckled.
They'd be smaller than thrushes' eggs. I have seen one not long ago in the back garden, and we have robins but no thrushes, (unless they've gone off-course during migration).

[KevinH]

Actually, the paperweight could be based on a bird egg, and its "frothy" or "lumpy" surface could be correct, as some eggs are lumpy rather than smooth.

Check out some basic British bird eggs at this site: Note that Song Thrush is blue with black spots and has a smooth surface but Blackbird egg is blue with a few spots and does have a lumpy surface. But I think they they can all vary a bit, so it's not a case of "one pic is right".

[chopin-liszt]

I think the broken shell I found must have been from our resident blackbirds.
Thanks! It's nice to know.