Eider Duck

Somateria mollissima

The Eider is one of my favourite ducks, and Iceland is a wonderful place to see them. They are abundant here, and their soft, distinctive calls seem to be part of the soundscape wherever you find them.

One of the most memorable encounters came at an unexpected place — a cemetery, where an entire colony of Eiders had chosen to nest. Females were quietly sitting on their nests, tucked among the graves and seemingly completely at ease with their surroundings. There was something rather peaceful about watching these beautiful wild birds going about their lives in such a place.

But what caught my attention even more was a small detail that I might otherwise have missed. Many of the gravestones had little bird figurines placed on top of them. With the real Eiders nesting all around, it created a strangely beautiful connection between the living birds and these small symbols carved or placed in memory of people who had passed away.