Page 84 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #05

PHOTO
STORY

ABOVE Rather than build shelters, people
on some Norwegian coastal farms invite
the birds to establish themselves freely
on their land. This picture was taken in a
garage on a farm in Helgeland, Norway,
where a female has chosen to nest.

RIGHT Manual cleaning of the down is a
time-consuming process, since even the
tiniest particles have to be removed as
they can break down the feather structure.
The tool for removing the particles is
the down harp, and plucking its strings
dislodges any fragments caught in the
feathers. This shot was taken on Lånan,
part of the Vega archipelago, which is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.

84 BBC Wildlife Spring 2018