All posts by Kristin

Birds

Little Egret

bjarthergri

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.

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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/

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Birds

Meadow Pipit

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.

tufutittlingur

Meadow Pipits come to the garden both in spring and autumn, often in groups.

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Birds

I am your baby

lomur-2

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  🙂

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Birds

Owls in Iceland

brandugla
Short-Eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

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.

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Long-Eared Owl (Asio otus)

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 🙂

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Birds

Hoopoe – Upupa epops

The Hoopoe is a very special looking bird and a vagrant that is very seldom seen in Iceland. This one was spotted near IKEA in Kauptún, Garðabær, Iceland. I saw it on October 23 last year and managed to catch a few good pictures of it.

herfugl

It is a very exotic bird which I did not expect to come across in Iceland. It has been seen here 11 times.

The hoopoe is widespread in Europe, Asia, and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. Most of the European and north Asian birds migrate to the tropics in the winter so this one went in the wrong direction.

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Birds, Garden

In the palm of my hand

In the winter time when it’s really cold outside the Redpolls come and eat from the palm of my hand. They like the seed blends you can buy for Canaries and Finches. You can usually buy them in grocery stores and pet stores.

audnutittlingur-65

Holding them in your hand gives you a very special feeling which is not easy to describe.  You could say that I feel like I enjoy some privilege not everyone has access to. –It’s a wonderful feeling.

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