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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Cal Flyn

Country diary: A fine time to admire fancy wildfowl

An eider (Somateria mollissima) drake on the sea. Moray Firth, Scotland. March.HN63WD Eider (Somateria mollissima) drake on sea. Moray Firth, Scotland. March.
An eider (Somateria mollissima) drake on the sea. Photograph: Chris Gomersall/Alamy

In winter it can be hard to remember that the conditions we consider to be cold are, for some, perfectly normal – balmy even. Indeed, as the storms drew in and Orkney battened down the hatches for a rare island blizzard, I was surprised to see the sheltered waters of Stromness harbour crowded with seabirds going about their business, with barely a nod to the subzero weather.

Long-tailed Duck / Oldsquaw Clangula hyemalis, Shetland, Scotland, UKCWYAT5 Long-tailed Duck / Oldsquaw Clangula hyemalis, Shetland, Scotland, UK
Long-tailed ducks in flight. Photograph: Hugh Harrop/Alamy
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