Þorsteinn calls himself the "Duck Daddy" of Önundarfjörður Fjord, in Iceland's remote Westfjords region

"During night shifts at the fire department, I would sit down and sketch the blueprints of this house," Þorsteinn Ingimundarson says of Blikastaðir, the little house where he watches over his eiders at night, complete with a watchtower. He named the house after the term for a male eider duck, bliki. Þorsteinn grew up at Tannanes in Önundarfjörður, near Flateyri in the northern Westfjords. "I lived here until 1963 when I moved to Reykjavík and studied to become an electrician." He met his wife, Sigríður G. Karvelsdóttir, and they settled in the capital area. Þorsteinn got a job at the fire station, where he would think of his eiders at night and dream up the perfect nightwatchman's fort. Blikastaðir started out as a tent. "Then I built a small wooden cabin with one bench. It didn't age well…" He looks proudly at the current structure. "...I think the tower looks dashing! And it gives me a better view of the area." 

Þorsteinn and Sigríður sometimes hatched and raised a few ducklings during springtime to support the nest. "They all followed me from the house and down to the sea. When I lay down on the grass, they lay all around me and slept."Þorsteinn thinks fondly of his "duck daddy" years, even though they required a lot of work. "The ducklings were very popular with the children, our grandkids, and children from neighboring farms," he says with a nostalgic smile. Their grandchildren still visit, though. "Two of our granddaughters just spent a week here. They are very interested in the eider sanctuary." Þorsteinn tagged some of the eiders he raised, and he's noticed that they've returned after being away for a few years. "It takes 3–4 years for them to enter puberty."  

Tannanes is used as a summer house by Þorsteinn, his siblings, and their families, and there's always someone there in the early summer to watch over the eiders and collect the eiderdown. "My brother and I work together to watch over the eiders," he says. Their parents started the eider farm, and in its golden days, there were 1,300 nests. The number of nests has now decreased to 200–300, partly because of the increase in seagulls – which prey on the eiders. The nesting site also suffered from a very wet and cold spring in 2023.   

But the ducks seem to be thriving now, laying eggs a short distance from each other around Blikastaðir, in the sanctuary the eider farmers have prepared for them. Þorsteinn explains that he and his father made a ditch to channel water down to the nesting area to create ponds. Later, Þorsteinn acquired discarded pipes from a nearby aquafarm and closed the ditch. Colorful little flags are flapping around the eiders. "The eiders like bright colors," he explains.   

As we walk around the nesting ground, black-and-white ducks immediately dart off. "It is the male's role to fly away when danger approaches to draw the attention away from the nesting ducks," informs Þorsteinn. The male duck stays with the female and supports her during nesting for about a week without interaction. Then it's off to sea. Some brown female ducks waddle off, too, but others won't budge. Tenderly, Þorsteinn stretches out his arm. "This is unique. I really enjoy being able to pet them."  

Þorsteinn spends a lot of time at Blikastaðir, staying up through the bright summer nights. "My wife gets bored sleeping alone at the house, so she stays here with me," he says. Þorsteinn admits that the nights can be long. "I read books and listen to music to pass the time." He loves observing the birds. "Once, I noticed a male putting its wing over a female!"Þorsteinn also looks after other birds; on the porch of Blikastaðir is a tiny birdhouse. A white wagtail appears. "That's my neighbor!" he declares.  

Þorsteinn has experimented with various techniques for keeping the foxes out. "I used to sit here with my accordion. When the fox notices that humans are around, it stays away. I also tried playing the radio and having loudspeakers outside."   

After collecting the eiderdown, Þorsteinn and Sigríður also clean it. It is a lot of work, but they don't mind it. "I like having something to do. I'm also working on restoring an old tractor," says Þorsteinn. The surroundings are stunning. "This is the country's most beautiful fjord," Þorsteinn states of Önundarfjörður Fjord, characterized by tall mountains and white beaches. "I come here to recharge." The eiders are the biggest attraction. "I do this because I enjoy it. As long as at least one duck comes for nesting, I will watch over it."  

Þorsteinn Ingimundarson calls himself the "Duck Daddy" of Önundarfjörður Fjord, in Iceland's remote Westfjords region