July 24, 2026 Eider Ducks
In 1979, I worked for a summer on a treeless bird sanctuary on an island off the Quebec North Shore, just 100 miles south of the Labrador border. The scenery, geology, and culture were, in many ways, similar to northern Norway. That summer I discovered that in the harsh Arctic environment, female Eider ducks make their nests by plucking the soft down feathers from their breasts. The down feathers have tiny hooks on them which create an amazing insulating layer for the eggs and chicks.
Far and Away is now tied up to a wharf on the island of Vega. The area is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site because of the tradition of islanders harvesting the down after the ducks leave the nest. They clean the fluff and create incredibly warm duvets. One duvet takes approximately 60 nests and over a week to clean the material. The women pick the down to remove sticks and feathers, and then they put it on a "harp". They vibrate the strings with a wooden mallet to remove finer particles. Over the years, they have created an almost symbiotic relationship with the ducks. They build dry little shelters for the females to nest in. They claim the birds like the human presence.
So, during the summer months, these small out islands are off limits to visitors, except in very controlled circumstances, so the birds can nest in peace and the long-standing tradition of gathering the down can continue. In case you are interested, one duvet costs around $6,000 and some, depending on how much down is used, cost over $10,000.
Here is a website about it: lanan.no (change to English in the menu)
Old photos of children tending the nests.
A typical duck house, although they also nest under sheds and houses.
The harp, used to clean the down, by strumming the wires
The lovely town of Kirkoy, where we are tied up.
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