Spectacled Eider

Spectacled Eiders – Male and Female | Deadhorse, Alaska | June, 2011

Spectacled Eiders –  Male and Female | Deadhorse, Alaska | June, 2011

These large sea ducks spend the majority of their lives far offshore, coming to wet coastal tundra areas to nest in the spring. As soon as the female finishes laying eggs, the male will leave for offshore molting areas. In early fall the female and young birds will join with large flocks that will move far offshore to spend the winter in openings in the nearly continuous sea ice. |MC44-0239

Read More

Spectacled Eider – Male | Deadhorse, Alaska | June, 2011

Spectacled Eider –  Male | Deadhorse, Alaska | June, 2011

This picture was taken on a snowy and very windy morning that was far from ideal for photography. It is still one of my favorite pictures of these truly amazing ducks which are experiencing a sharp decline in Alaska and are listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. |MC44-0230

Read More