John Shaw / Common eider duck (Somateria mollissima) female defending her nest from arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen. June.

Pal Hermansen / Eider ducks (Somateria molissima) flock taking off from sea, Trondelag, Norway, January.

Sven Zacek / Eider ducks (Somateria mollissima) males reflected in a small pond, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway. June.

Thomas Hinsche / Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) female, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Wild Wonders of Europe / O. Haarberg / Common eider (Somateria mollissima) pair, Jkulsrln glacial lagoon, Iceland, June 2008

Bernard Castelein / Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) female with chicks walking up beach from water, Helgoland, Germany, May

Bernard Castelein / Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) chick on beach, Helgoland, Germany, May

Orsolya Haarberg / Common eider (Somateria mollissima) male. Jkulsrln glacial lagoon. Iceland. June 2008

Orsolya Haarberg / Common eider (Somateria mollissima) male. Jkulsrln glacial lagoon. Iceland. June 2008

Pete Cairns / Common Eider duck (Somateria mollissima) male taking off from water, Nord-Trondelag, Norway

Flip de Nooyer / Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) adult female at down nest with eggs, Europe

Espen Bergersen / Common eider (Somateria mollissima) swimming in the Jokulsarlon lake. Iceland, May.