Page 82 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #05
P. 82
LEFT On Lånan, as
on several islands
in northern Norway,
there’s a tradition of
making shelters for
female eiders, where
they can protect their
eggs from predators.
They stay on the nest
for almost a month
without eating, only
leaving it for a few
minutes each night
to rehydrate.
LEFT In Iceland, down is gathered
from wild eiders’ nests before the
eggs hatch, then exchanged for grass.
Surprisingly, they accept the change
and keep incubating. The down of this
nest on Flatey island, Breiða örður,
will probably be collected soon.
82 BBC Wildlife Spring 2018
