this year there is a group of common eider in the outer harbor. while in the past it was possible to see occasional visitors on odd days this year they seem to be based here. at first i thought it didn't bode well for them. normally they are rather shy in their native habitat and now they are daily seen very close to the floating docks. i thought they would be better off along the rocky shore where they traditionally reside.
but then i observed them diving and returning with food in their mouths from under the docks. their normal feeding behaviour is to dive down to the sea floor and feed on mussels and other crustaceans which are common in these waters. these eider in the harbor feed specifically under the docks rather than in the harbor in general.
the floating docks are a recent addition providing more docking space for visiting boats so i presume that over the years they have existed the undergrowth has developed to the extent that crustaceans now thrive there. either small crabs and such in the algae or mussels growing directly on the dock's submerged structure. it's always been a pleasure to see them so near and though i was earlier concerned about so many being in the harbor for so long i now tend to believe they are doing just fine with easy access to a newfound food source
before i needed my camera with a good zoom to get decent shots of eider but with them being so close to the dock i was able to take these shots with my S22 phone
