Because the auk chicks have not yet hatched, and because the rest of our research will be focused on them and how the parents are feeding them, yesterday we got the afternoon off. Along with our friend Vitek, we hiked over to the nearby glacier that we’ve seen from afar every day, but never explored. It was a rocky hike of about a mile… from there, the pictures really speak for themselves.
We came across an eider duck nest. If the mother had not flapped away when we got too close, I’m sure we would have walked right by, she’s so well camouflaged.
At this point we were getting into the danger zone… a wave from a big calving event would not have been pleasant. It sure was a cool spot, though.
I’m down at the bottom there, to give a sense of scale.