Some of you may remember a post from myself late last August, where I highlighted a mated pair of King Eider ducks. I am glad to report that Eider ducks have returned to the same small ponds north of our cabin. Although I do have to wonder where the second male that was in this group has ended up. Life is rough for waterfowl, but at least the lone female has a mate for this season.
As a refresher, King Eiders are one of those extreme sexual dimorphic species of birds with the male having black-and-white plumage accented by a bulbous red-and-orange bill. He also possesses a pearl-blue crown, and beautiful sea foam green cheeks that make him stand out as one of the most regal birds above the Arctic Circle. And while the female King Eider doesn't have the same magnificence as her male counterpart, her ruddy-brown coloring is quite spectacular in its own right.
This medium sized seabird has a widespread territory that encircles both the high and low Arctic. The King Eider Ducks prefer low, marshy areas to nest in, which are often vegetated habitats near freshwater lakes and ponds. The King Eider prefers to dive deep into the arctic ocean in search of its favorite food sources, which consist of mollusks and sea urchins. Sometimes the King Eider will dive as deep as 20 meters in search of its prey. During breeding season, the Eiders will feed on aquatic plants and insects near their nesting areas.
The female King Eider takes care of the eggs all by herself while waiting for them to hatch. She will rarely leave the nest, staying on it for several days at a time. Some hunters have reported being able to walk right up to the nesting females and pick them up.
One of the more difficult aspects of photographing these beautiful waterfowl is that my Chocolate Labrador, Millie, cannot resist going in the water. She doesn't really care about the ducks or geese, because she knows she can't catch them. But she has to get out there and splish-splash, scaring off the birds. Good thing I use a Nikon p900 with ridiculous zoom, even if it's not as sharp as my D750.
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