Common eiders

This morning I spent three hours watching a flock of 480 Common Eiders Somateria mollissima (N=ærfugl) at Hommelvik, Malvik. These have been feeding in the harbour area, especially around the marina where they feed on Common (or Blue) Mussels. There was plenty of activity with birds searching for mussels under the floating jetties, and there was continuous traffic with birds that had found food being replaced by new birds in search of food. They have kept this up for a number of days now, and their source of food must surely be quite depleted. After feeding, birds loafed around between the boats - preening, wing-stretching and a bit of squabbling among the males. A fantastic start to a cold and clear day!