entry smap 276

here's a fun shot i was lucky to time just right as this female common eider Somateria mollissima was preparing to take to flight.

they are heavy birds with exceptional diving abilities. they compress the air out of their feathers before diving and in addition to using their feet they use their wings in a special manner to fly through the water down to the bottom of the sea to feed on sheels, crabs and sea urchins. being so heavy they have a harder time than most ducks lifting off from the water but they manage well enough, putting on a nice show. in this position the beak adds a rather comic element