Migrators have started arriving and among these is the Oystercatcher. The country doesn’t great them with spring in the air but cold and snowy weather.
The Oystercatcher is usually one of the first migrants to arrive and signal the coming of a new season. In their bright orange beaks and feet they are such a beautiful sight and their unique call does not go unnoticed.
The Oystercatcher is mostly a migrant here and quite common in lowlands in the summer time. Most Oystercatchers go to the British Isles in the autumn and come back in March to April.
“What do you do if you are lost in an Icelandic forest?” used to be a popular joke, the answer being “you stand up!” Today this joke is obsolete. Spruce and pine forests are growing very fast all over the country and the trees at Snæfoksstaðir probably at least 12-15 metres high or more.
A Sunday stroll in the forest makes the weekend perfect. Nothing beats being outside in the fresh air, surrounded by trees and bird song.
Haförn – White-tailed Eagle – Haliaeetus albicilla (an adult and a younger one)
This snowy Sunday morning we saw a big bird out on the river and for the second time this week we spot a White-tailed Eagle, – see our last blog. It stayed there for quite a while and when it flew away down the river we decided to go for a drive and see if we could spot it again.
On the outskirts of town we noticed it out on the ice, or so we thought. However, after some consideration we saw it was a younger eagle, the white was missing from the tail feathers. When it took off we saw the other one.
The uproar and commotion they caused was quite a sight. Panicked ducks and smaller birds took flight in a flash and the two of them were followed and harassed by flocks of Ravens and Gulls.
The Jackdaw in our garden is the only one in Iceland. At least the only recorded one this year. They used to be common vagrants but not many have been spotted in recent years. This Jackdaw was first spotted in Selfoss near the end of October and it has been in our garden for three weeks.
Dvergkráka – Jackdaw – Corvus monedula
At first the Jackdaw was very shy and difficult to photograph but as the weeks pass it is getting to know us and becoming more at home. It eats all the feed we put out, apples, bread and seeds. It also uses its beak to search for food from under leaves and snow, so it should not have problems surviving here.
The Jackdaw is the smallest of the crow family and the one residing in our garden is of the Southwestern Europe subspecies. Like all crows, they are inquisitive and intelligent. The Jackdaw is related to the Raven and the Starling.
These last few weeks at least three Blackcaps have been in the garden. Around this time of year these annual guests appear and we blog about them. They now come for the apples we put out but also some small berries from the shrubs which there are not a lot of, after the cold and wet summer here in South Iceland.
As is often the case, the name of the species comes from the colour of the male’s black cap but the females have a brown cap.
In a few instances Blackcaps have managed to survive the winter here in the garden but they are usually too cold and wet for them. There is a lot of competition here for the feed we put out as Blackbirds, Redwings and Starlings often have the upper hand and chase the smaller ones away.
The Great Northern Diver is such a picturesque bird in its checkered plumage. Observing and photographing it with the offsprings in the summer is always interesting. Both parents take active part in the hatching and upbringing of the chicks which are never more two.
These photos are taken in July in Veiðivötn, South Iceland Interior.
The forest in Drumbabót was destroyed by a huge flood originated from an eruption in Glacier Mýrdalsjökull some 45 km away. The surge of water and glacial sediment swept away and broke tree stems as big as 30 cm in diameter. This eruption in the autumn of 822, most likely in the volcano Katla, wreaked havoc. Forest remains have in the last century been emerging from the sands by the River Þverá in Fljótshlíð, South Iceland. These are the remains of an ancient birch forest, which covered an area of over 100 hectares. This gives credence to the Icelandic Sagas which say that Iceland was more or less covered with trees from mountain to shore at the time of the settlement which is believed to have begun some fifty year later.
In the twilight the owls go hunting. This Short-Eared Owl just caught an adult Redwing, – such a big prey. You can not but feel sorry for the poor Redwing. The owl was only a few metres from us and caught us off guard when it suddenly took flight . Only a short time later we saw at least four other owls. All of them hunting.
This summer in East and North Iceland was especially favourable for owls and that accounts for the numbers we saw this evening in Hérað, near Hallormstaðaskógur, East Iceland.
Hafnarhólmi islet by Borgarfjörður Eystri in East Iceland is a perfect place to observe Puffins and Kittiwakes, as well as some other sea birds. The time of year is late April until the middle of August but then the birds return out to sea. Not only is it a nice spot for birders but Borgarfjörður Eystri is also special for its beautiful mountain scenery although it is a bit out of the way and the roads are sometimes rough.
Hafnarhólmi is part of the small harbour giving it shelter from the open sea. The islet is covered with Puffin holes and Puffins can be seen flying in and out of them. When Puffins are observed in sea cliffs often you can only see them from above unless in a boat. Here you can look almost straight into the holes and might even see a little one peering out. In Hafnarhólmi you can expect to see Puffins, Kittiwakes, Fulmars and Common Eiders.
Hafnarhólmi is by the harbour located a few km from the small town. To facilitate birdwatching several staircases have been built, as well as a bird hide. Access to the area is free but guests are asked to donate to help maintain the area.
