All posts by Örn Óskarsson

Birds

The little delicate Wheatear

Steindepill – Wheatear – Oenanthe oenanthe

The Wheatear is one of the many small passerine birds that can now been seen in lowlands all over the country. It is a common breeding bird in Iceland that usually arrives here in May. These photoes were taken at the shore by Eyrarbakki and in Flói Reserve this week.

Male Wheatear

A lot of Wheatears are already here although most of them usually come to Iceland in May. In September they fly off to their winter grounds in West Africa. Some of them only have a stopover in Iceland on their way to their breeding grounds in Greenland and North Canada.

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Birds

Sand Martin

Bakkasvala – Sand Martin – Riparia riparia

In the last few days southeast storms have probably blown more than just our migrants to Iceland. A rare guest, a Sand Martin, has been flying about in our neighbourhood and what a flier. Getting a photograph of it is almost impossible. It has been so very  busy feeding that it seems never to stop flying. Hence ,these not so great photoes. Its main food source are flies, which are not so many at this time of year.

The Sand Martin is a rare spring vagrant in Iceland and has almost exclusively been spotted in the Southern part of Iceland. Between 30 – 40 Sand Martins have been reported here, all in the South except one. Sand Martins live almost all over the world, wintering mostly in South America and South and Central Africa.

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Birds

Belted Kingfisher

Beltaþyrill – Belted Kingfisher – Megaceryle alcyon

A rare vagrant such as the Belted Kingfisher is surely a treat for Iceland. This colourful bird is not like any Icelandic bird.  Interestingly enough though, this one has gone unnoticed, at least by birders, probably since November. A week ago it was spotted by birders, much to their delight. In November a sighting was reported but the bird had not been photographed and it was not spotted again.  Now it is at the same place by Varmá in Mosfellsbær, a neighbouring town of Reykjavík.

This female bird never goes far from a pond which provides its ideal feed, sticklebacks. In winter the Kingfisher stays by water that doesn’t freeze so this pond is perfect. They make their nests in holes that they dig by lakes, rivers or ponds. Since this female is on her own, there will be no nest making in this otherwise ideal breeding place.

The Belted Kingfisher is an American bird and the one which has the most widely spread habitat of all birds in North America. This is the sixth Belted Kingfisher to be seen in Iceland.

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Birds

Golden Plovers arriving

Heiðlóa – Golden Plover – Pluvialis apricaria

Golden Plovers have now started arriving in huge flocks.  Yesterday in Flói in South Iceland, they were in the hundreds. The Golden Plover is a migrator that goes to the British Isles for the coldest months of winter, usually leaving in October and coming back in April.

A Golden Plover in an ideal habitat in the Icelandic highlands

It is one of the best-loved Icelandic birds and its arrival signals the coming of spring. Its ideal habitat is dry heathland both in lowlands and highlands and the breeding population in Iceland counts around 300,000 pairs.

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Birds

The battle is on!

Gráþröstur – Fieldfare – Turdus pilaris

Three to six Fieldfares have resided here this winter, feeding on the apples we put out every day.  They are fierce birds and intent on surviving. They fight for their apples, determined to keep other thrushes away.

Now when the Redwings have arrived they have a hard time keeping the apples for themselves. Famished the Redwings come at them from all sides and the battle is on.

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Birds

Returning home

Skógarþröstur – Redwing – Turdus iliacus

Redwings in the thousands arrived in Iceland on April 1st and 2nd. The groups in our garden were obviously tired and famished after their flight from the British Isles. Up to 65 Redwings were counted here, feeding on apples and sunflower seeds.

We expect spring to greet our newcomers warmly but that is not the case now. The weather has been windy with frost and snow – not a warm welcome at all.  The Redwings, however, do not seem troubled and are already singing their hearts out  which is sure to signal the coming of warmer days.

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Birds

Rock Dove

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Bjargdúfa – Rock Dove – Columba livia

The newest addition to the birds in the garden are Rock Doves . They are becoming more common in gardens especially during the coldest days of winter when the ground is covered in snow.

Rock Doves are the wild version of the pigeons that we are familiar with from all around the world. In multitudes feral pigeons , descendants of the Rock Dove, have crowded cities much to the annoyance of many.

For a long time a small population of Rock Doves have bred in rock cliffs in East Iceland. With a warmer climate and more grain being grown in Iceland, the population  is getting bigger and spreading to South Iceland.

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Birds

Still going strong

Dvergkráka – Jackdaw – Corvus monedula

Since October last this Jackdaw has been in and around Selfoss. It has been visiting us nearly daily since the last week of November. It comes for the feed we put out and in the afternoon it follows the Ravens to its sleeping place in Mount Ingólfsfjall, about 3 km from Selfoss. It seems quite well adapted to the Icelandic climate.

This little crow is still as shy and difficult to photograph as before, only the slightest movement inside the living room gets it up in the air. It is still the only Jackdaw in Iceland as far as we know.

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Birds

Decline in Redpoll Population

Auðnutittlingur – Redpoll – Carduelis flammea

For several years I have kept track of the number of birds and species here in our garden. Weekly, since 2014, these observations have been published here. The Redpoll is probably the most common bird in the garden and in February in recent years there have sometimes been up to 140 Redpolls here at the same time. This winter, however, has turned out to be quite different. The number of Redpolls has dropped dramatically. On average in February there have only been around 13 Redpolls here daily. The same goes for other places where feed is put out here in the Southwest. 

Daily average of Redpolls in February in our garden, Selfoss, Iceland.

Fluctuations in population sizes from year to year are normal and are more a rule than an exception. The reasons can be various, such as shortage of food, diseases, migration or a combination of these. Redpolls are not migrators but since their main food source, birch seed, was scarce last autumn they may have opted to migrate and will possibly return next spring. 

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Atmosphere

Geomagnetic storms

Aurora Borealis is a mesmerising phenomena. Although solar activity is at a minimum this year the Northern Lights can still be spectacular, as was the case last night.  After midnight I caught these pictures and the Northern Lights were captivating despite the temperature being minus 14° C.

Solar activity is at a minimum this year and will probably be in the next two years as well.  Although solar activity is an indicator for spectacular Northern Lights, it  is not always the case. In the last few days the Earth has been inside a stream of solar winds which cause geomagnetic storms around the Arctic Circle. Thus these magnificent shows of Aurora Borealis.

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