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Svalbard part 5 |
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20 June 2003: Today we did research work again, but there were a few things worth noting. As we drove our car to Adventalen, we spotted a pair of King Eiders. Of course we just had to go back and check them out with the telescope.  Pair of Long-tailed Ducks While we were standing there, we discovered a pair of Long-tailed Ducks swimming behind us in a small patch of open water of Isdammen. They were very shy. On our way back, we stopped at the dog cages to take a few pictures of the Eiders on their nests.  Female Eider on her Nest  Close-up shot of the same Eider |
They really have a wonderful camouflage color and you have to look twice before you see them. Under the first picture of the Eider is a different close-up shot of the same duck.  Pair of Arctic Terns On the dike beside the breeding Eiders sat a pair of Arctic Terns. The Arctic Terns' young hardly ever mature due to the constant attacks of the Arctic Fox on their nests. 21 June 2003: Early today, we went for a ride to the UNIS. From there we drove to the research fields. On our way down the hill I saw a group of tourists with camera's standing along the road. This could only mean one thing: There were Svalbard Ptarmigans around. We were right; there were indeed 2 Svalbard Ptarmigan there. The male was still, for the most part, in his winter feathers. In the picture, he is in the process of fluffing up his feathers. That's why he looks fatter. After we took our pictures of the ptarmigans, we did research work for the rest of the day.  The male Svalbard Ptarmigan fluffing his feathers |
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