All posts by Örn Óskarsson

Birds

The Common Gull

The Common Gull (Larus canus) is a new breeding bird in Iceland, or so they say, although  the first known breeding was in 1936. That was in Eyjafjörður, North Iceland. The Common Gull started breeding in other parts of the country much later.

Stormmáfur - Common Gull - Larus canus
Stormmáfur – Common Gull – Larus canus

Now there is a breeding area near Selfoss but it is only around 20 years since these birds were first spotted in this area in the summer time. Today the Common Gull is quite common all year round in this area. The breeding population in Iceland is estimated around 700 pairs.

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Birds

The Gadwall

The Gadwall (Anas strepera) is a dabbling duck like the Mallard. It is uncommon in Iceland except around Mývatn in the North. In the winter time and also in the migration time in spring this beautiful duck can sometimes be seen in the South.

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Gargönd – Gadwall – Anas strepera

The breeding population is estimated around 500 pairs.

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This Gadwall was on the Pond in Reykjavík.

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Animals

Grey Seal

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Útselur – Grey Seal – Halichoerus grypus

Two kinds of seals can be found around Iceland, the Harbour Seal and the Grey Seal. This is the Grey Seal. It is not as common as the Harbour Seal and  also much bigger and not as cute. We came across this one by the bridge in Kolgrafarfjörður Fjord in Snæfellsnes, Iceland, March 2013.

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Birds

Five Crossbill chicks

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Krossnefur – Common Crossbill / Red Crossbill – Loxia curvirostra

Today a male Crossbill  appeared in the garden with as much as five chicks. The chicks let the father feed them sunflower seeds which they seemed to like a lot.  The chicks are probably approximately a month old and possibly about 1 -2 weeks since they left they nest. Crossbills have not been seen here in the garden since the first week of April.

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Common Crossbill / Red Crossbill chick

At the same time last year a female Crossbill appeared here with two chicks.

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Yesterday we saw several Crossbills with six chicks in Grímsnes, South Iceland.

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Birds

The first Redpoll chicks

We saw the first Redpoll chicks in the garden yesterday. Two chicks were looking for food in the feed leftovers from this winter. We usually see  the first chicks at the same time every year.

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Auðnutittlingur – Redpoll – Carduelis flammea

Redpolls breed more than once every summer and the eggs are most often 4 -6 in each breeding although more than four chicks are very seldom seen.

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Redpoll – adult
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Birds

The Pintail

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Grafönd – Pintail – Anas acuta

The Pintail (Anas acuta) is a common duck and has a wide distribution all over the Northern hemisphere. In Iceland there are only around 500 breeding pairs, scattered all over the country including the interior.

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The Pintail is a dabbling duck like the Mallard, only dipping its head in the water to find food, not the whole body.

Pintail chicks in Nature Reserve in Flói
Pintail chicks in Nature Reserve in Flói
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Birds

Sanderling

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Sanderla – Sanderling – Calidris alba

The Sanderling (Calidris alba) is a small wader, quick in movements, and only a guest in Iceland in the spring. It has a stopover here in May on its way to Northeast Greenland where it breeds. Its winter grounds are in West Europe all the way  south to Namibia in West Africa.

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Some Sanderlings are still in their gray winter plumage when they arrive in Iceland

It is estimated that around 25,000 birds stopover here, mainly on the Southwest coast.  The photos are taken near Eyrarbakki, South Iceland.

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Birds

Annual American visitor

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Hringönd – Ring-necked Duck – Aythya collaris

Today I saw a  Ring-necked Duck on a pond by Þingvallavatn Lake. This was an adult male in a group of Tufted Ducks. Ring-necked Ducks are annual vagrants in Iceland and usually the visitors are males. Sometimes they mate with Tufted Duck females and once in a while you see hybrids of these species.
Ring-necked Ducks are North American and there they are common on woodland ponds.

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A Ring-necked Duck and a Tufted Duck.
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