The Northern Fulmar’s first known breeding in Icelandic territory was in Grimsey, an island north of Iceland, in the beginning of the 19th century. Since then they have spread over the whole country, first in ocean cliffs and now they have started breeding in mountains and cliffs, even 70 km inland. Despite this they get all their food in the ocean.
Fýll – Northern Fulmar – Fulmarus glacialis
They look for breeding places as early as February and start laying eggs in March. To protect their eggs and chicks they throw up foul smelling bile.
This photo is taken in Látrabjarg, Westfjords, Iceland, 2011.
The Great Northern Diver is a characteristic bird on Icelandic mountain lakes. You can hear its a special laughing call on the lakes and in flight its wailing calls resound in rocks and craters, creating an unforgettable atmosphere, memories of quiet summer nights. In USA it is called the Common Loon but in UK it is called the Great Northern Diver.
Great Northern Diver / Common Loon
The Great Northern Diver chooses its nesting place on islands or islets or else by the banks of the lakes. The nests are most often in moss or grass but sometimes on sandy lakeshores. The nests are usually about 1 – 2 meters from the water level. The eggs are usually two.
Himbrimi – Great Northern Diver / Common Loon – Gavia immer
Big clear mountain lakes full of fish are the Great Northern Divers favourite nesting place. Their main food source is trout. There is usually just one pair on each lake unless the lake is very big.
Fanning its wings
A nesting pair usually claims a whole lake as its territory and makes sure that no one gets too near and uses force to keep other Divers away.
A pair with a 2-3 week old chicks
Most Great Northern Divers stay in the ocean around Iceland over the winter time, a few go to the UK or West Europe.
A perfect place for the Great Northern Diver – Veiðivötn in the South Iceland highlands
There are around 300 breeding pairs in Iceland and it is the Great Northern Divers only nesting place in Europe.
The male Harlequin Duck here is trying to get the female’s attention.
Female and male Harlequin Duck
The Harlequin Duck’s habitat is rapid spring water rivers with benthic in abundance. The larva of the the Blackfly is its main food source. The breeding population in Iceland is around 2000 to 3000 pairs.
Straumönd – Harlequin Duck – Histrionicus histrionicusRapid spring water rivers are the Harequin Duck’s habitiat
The Brunnichs Guillemot (Uria lomvia) is similar to the Common Guillemot. The main difference is a shorter beak with a white beak line and the sides that are whiter. It breeds in big bird colonies in ocean cliffs. No care is taken in the nest making and they lay their eggs on bare rock ledges.
Stuttnefja – Brunnichs Guillemot – Uria lomvia
Látrabjarg and other ocean cliffs in the Westfjords are the main nesting places for the Brunnichs Guillemot. There are around 300,000 breeding pairs in Iceland. The Brunnichs Guillemot is one of the species whose numbers have been decreasing in the last decades.
You might say that asking for a White Christmas has gone a bit out of hand here in Iceland during the last month. There is such a lot of snow everywhere that when it melts there will be tons of water everywhere. Now they are predicting temperatures above zero, and even above 5° C, so the roads will probably be more suitable for going skating than driving. – Drive carefully everyone :*
It’s such a handsome bird with its long legs and fine colours. The Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) is a migratory bird in Iceland and a common breeding bird in grown wetlands. In winter it is mostly in Ireland or by the coasts of West Europe all the way south to Portugal.
We would like to share with you a website on flickr.com. To enjoy all the little things in nature, that the natural eye can’t do justice to, take a look at some exceptional macro photography on Atli Arnarson’s site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/atlapix
