Eiderdown Time!

This common male eider will have no problem staying warm while floating in frigid Quincy Bay because of its feathers and the coatings on the feathers.  The downy feathers from the female of this species is used to line the nest of new offspring. Iceland is the biggest producer and exporter of eiderdown. The down is not plucked from the bird but gathered from the nests after the offspring leave which makes eiderdown a rare commodity and very expensive.  An eiderdown duvet may last 40 years and is considered an heirloom in many families.  Sleeping under one is like sleeping under a warm cloud which will be what I will be doing tonight as the temperature plunges below zero!