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Transitioning juvenile male eider
Doc Duck

Transitioning juvenile male eider (Somateria mollissima)

Almost grown-up and ready for mating season.
I think I broke the law getting this pic, btw. We were down at the "New Harbor" (the one the Germans built 70 years ago) to see our neighbor's painting group's art show, when I spied a group of eiders some distance out in the harbor. A gate was open to a pier, clearly marked no trespassing, but I trespassed all the way to the end of the pier, including through yet another open gate to the inner area of some shipping company. When I got there, the eiders had dived, I thought, but I counted slowly to 30 and they turned up again. They were diving right by, and sometimes under, the pier just beyond the furthest I could go without tripping over goods stacked there for shipping. Two males in transition plumage, and one female.
Habitat
fjord
Location
Trondheim, Norway
Date taken
18 March 2012
Scientific name
Somateria mollissima
Equipment used
D90 80-400
Staff member
Opus Editor
Supporter
Tut tut Doc... how very could you ;) Definitely worth it though - a great capture.

D
 
Not only did you break the law, but you posted it on the Internet so 1000s of people know about it, lol. Great capture and bird, Doc.
 
Who cares Doc, ("you got to do what you got to do") To get the shot, well done.
 
He he. The sign included some sort of code I didn't recognize, but I'm guessing that the pier has been closed to the public for security reasons so they can do international shipping. You know, like those long security lines and cargo x-ray equipment at airports? Sea ports have been an Achilles heel for controlling access of humans and materials crossing borders. So now large parts of our harbors have been fenced off. But - while I did understand the bit about "no access for unauthorized persons", I wasn't the one who left the gates wide open with nobody about ;) Had I seen an authorized person, I would have asked for permission.
 

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Category
Britain & Europe
Added by
Doc Duck
Date added
View count
386
Comment count
14

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