These camera shy Eider ducks are some of our closest neighbours. This group normally live about a half mile up the Loch, and have a gentle cooing call that is both question and answer; “ah-ooo”. The males are very smart with their black and white plumage enlivened by a pale greenish nape whereas the females are in basic brown camouflage to keep them safe while incubating the eggs. They are Common Eider Ducks and give their name to the lovely, cosy Eiderdowns of yesteryear that were made from the warm, soft down the females use to line their nests.
Although, harvesting the down is sustainable and does not harm the birds, use of Eider down has been largely replaced with commercial goose down and synthetic materials. What a shame; I remember my Grandmothers’ Eiderdowns (part of her Trousseau), one over each bed and an extra one to wrap in when more cosseting was needed. Snuggled into the sofa wrapped in one of those, covered in the beautiful faded florals of a thousand Edwardian gardens, scented with home grown lavender, was warmth, comfort and an indefinable peace. I think we have forgotten many subtleties of how to live and how to nurture our families and ourselves. It’s a shame that so much quality-of-life has to be lost in the name of progress.
