Photo of the Day - King Eider

King eider male is a magnificent bird with it's colourful forehead. The king eider is a species that utilizes fresh-water ponds as breeding grounds. Early in the season the birds are assembling to the marches in Advendalen (the valley next to Longyearbyen) to find a partner while waiting for the inland bonds to melt. From here they eventually will head to the inland where spotting them is often difficult. This gives the feeling that the species rarer than it actually is.

There was lots of snow this winter. Melting has taken longer than on average. Probably that's why there are much more king eiders around Longyearbyen than before. A flock of hundreds individuals is currently floating around in the bay close to River Adventelva delta!