Category Archives: Birds

Birds

Flocks of Barn Swallows

In the last few days the wind has been blowing from the Southeast and flocks of Barn Swallows  (Hirundo rustica) have been seen around the Southwest part of the country. Today there were 12 Barn Swallows soaring over River Ölfusá by Selfoss and there were around 23 on the beach by Stokkseyri, South Iceland. Flocks have been seen in several places. These are the biggest groups of Barn Swallows to be seen in many years. They are annual vagrants in Iceland and have bred here a few times. If numbers are anything to go by it is very likely that they will breed here this summer.

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Landsvala – Barn Swallow – Hirundo rustica

This photo is taken today by Ölfusá River.

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This swallow was at the beach in Stokkseyri, South Iceland.

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Courtship in full swing

Courtship is in full swing with the Red-throated Diver in the nature reserve in Flói (Fuglafriðland í Flóa) and soon they will start breeding. This place probably offers the best circumstances to observe the Red-throated Diver while courting, breeding and caring for their offspring. The area is popular among birders and photographers because here you can come quite close to them. The Divers are especially tame and probably more used to people than in many other places.

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Lómur – Red-Throated Diver – Gavia stellata

It is very important during the nesting time to respect the birds privacy by not coming too close. If the Divers get tired of trespassing people they might abandon the nests.

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One lonely Siskin

A female Siskin  (Carduelis spinus) appeared in the garden today. Siskins have bred in Iceland on and off in the last 15 years. The population is small and fragile.

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Barrfinka – Siskin – Carduelis spinus

Siskins are migrants in Iceland and there are probably great losses on their long journey over rough oceans to and from their winter grounds.

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Red-necked Phalarope overwinters in the Pacific

The first Red-Necked Phalaropes  (Phalaropus lobatus) have been arriving in Iceland in the last few days. They are the last of the migrants to arrive along with their cousins the Grey Phalarope/Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) of which there are only a few in Iceland. The Icelandic Red-Necked Phalarope probably overwinters with the North American population on the Pacific coast of Ecuador and Peru. They are seabirds that only come inland to breed but they breed both in lowlands and highlands.

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Óðinshani – Red-Necked Phalarope – Phalaropus lobatus

The Icelandic population is estimated around 50,000 pairs.
More on the Red-necked Phalarope

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Golden Plovers everywhere

A lot of Golden Plovers are still in urban areas, in places where we are not so used to seeing them. You can see them in home gardens and most open areas and they are often  not getting along too well. It seems that they are claiming territory and have to chase away those that come too close.

Heiðlóa - Golden Plower - Pluvialis apricaria
Heiðlóa – Golden Plower – Pluvialis apricaria

The Golden Plover´s habitat is in lowlands and highlands, in meadows and heaths. This spring there has been a lot of snow in the interior so the ones that are used to breeding in the highlands are probably the ones that are still in the towns. Hopefully the snow in the interior will melt soon so they can move to their breeding areas.

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Birds

The Tern is here

The first Arctic Terns were seen in Selfoss yesterday. A few days ago they were seen at the coast. The Tern is known as one of the longest distance migrant. It is an agile flyer and is on constant flight over sea except during the breeding time in the Arctic. Its winter grounds, if you can call it that, are in the sea around South Africa and Antarctica.

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Kría (Sterna paradisaea) – Arctic Tern

The Tern is a breeding bird in Iceland, mostly staying  near the coast but also inland, even as far as the interior. The Icelandic breeding population is estimated around 500,000 pairs.

Video from last summer, Veiðivötn, South Interior, Iceland.

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Meadow Pipits eating leftovers

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Þúfutittlingur – Meadow Pipit – Anthus pratensis

Meadow Pipits visit the garden both in spring and autumn. Now we have had up to four at the same time which is unusual. In the last few days two of them have claimed territory here, one south of the house and the other north of the house. They chase all others of their kind away and are eating the leftovers from this winter, sunflower seeds, something we have not seen before. They will probably move to their natural habitat in the meadows as soon as the weather gets milder.

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Birds

Thousands of Dunlins

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Lóuþræll – Dunlin – Calidris alpina

There are a lot of Dunlins (Calidris alpina) on beaches and in river-mouths in South Iceland now. Yesterday morning there were thousands of them on the beach in Eyrarbakki where these photos were taken.

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The most densely populated  Dunlin breeeding area is in marshlands in South Iceland. The Icelandic breeding population is estimated around 270,000 birds.

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