The Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) is mainly a seabird, they say. These pictures are taken in Veiðivötn in the Interior of Iceland, far from the sea, in July this year. Here you can see how aggressive it is during the breeding season, –very protective of its young ones.
The Arctic Tern flies South for the wintertime. It is a long lived bird, reaching the age of 30 even.
The Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) used to be a very rare vagrant in Iceland but in recent years they have been seen more often. The birds that come to Iceland probably come from Great Britain or Ireland where their numbers have been increasing in the last 20 years.
This guy was taking a stroll by the River Ölfusá in October. It is the first Little Egret that I see this year and probably the second bird to be seen in Iceland this year.
More information on the Little Egret
https://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/l/littleegret/
The Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) is the most common passerine, or perching bird, in Iceland. Meadow Pipits in Iceland are believed to be around one million. They usually live in open habitats where they breed and they feed on insects.
Meadow Pipits come to the garden both in spring and autumn, often in groups.
Volcanic eruption in Holuhraun/Bardarbunga, Iceland, is still going strong. The lavafield grows bigger daily and earthquakes are constant.
Here you can see earthquakes in Iceland: http://www.vedur.is/skjalftar-og-eldgos/jardskjalftar
The Blackcap likes apples. The male Blackcap has a black cap but the female has a brown cap. Watch the Blackcap nibbling on the apple.
This is the Red-Throated Diver with one of its chicks. The Red-Throated Diver always lays two eggs and in this case the other chick was nearby. There is some difference in size between the sexes which can only be seen when the pair is together. So whether this is the proud father, or mother, remains unknown. The photo is taken in Flói Nature Reserve.
–Beautiful motive of a baby bird with its parent 🙂
The numbers of owls in Iceland are increasing. There are three species of owls here. This is the Short-Eared Owl (Asio flammeus) and it is the most common, with around 300 -500 pairs in Iceland.
The Long-Eared Owl (Asio otus) comes in second place and then there is the Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus). Their numbers in Iceland are unknown. The chance of seeing an owl is most in the twilight in summertime when they are looking for food for their young ones. The owls mostly eat mice. – It is always a treat to see an owl 🙂
