Photo: 7 May, 09:37 – the first eiders gathering off the beach, seen from one of the five cameras that watch over the colony day and night.
After a few days of getting the farm ready, we are finally set to welcome our birds back to nest. From now until the ducklings leave, someone is always nearby – day and night – keeping a quiet eye on the colony so the eider can settle in complete peace.
It is the most important time of the year at Lækur, and the one we look forward to most.
Why we keep watch
The eider hens come back to Lækur every spring – the same hens, year after year, to nest on the same spot – because they feel safe here. Keeping it that way is the work of May and June. The colony has natural enemies – foxes, mink and the Lesser Black-backed Gull – so someone is always nearby, and five cameras watch over the nests day and night. The aim is simple: that the birds can nest in complete peace. More about the watch: May – protecting the colony, and why it matters for the price of a duvet: Why is eiderdown so expensive?
Follow us on Instagram – @zoffi_eiderdown – for the small moments from Lækur between diary entries: the first eiders in spring, the fjord in every weather, and the work in between.