All posts by Örn Óskarsson

Birds

New species in the garden

Kjarnbítur – Hawfinch – Coccothraustes coccothraustes

A beautiful female Hawfinch is a new bird for our garden, number 51 to be precise. The Hawfinch stands out for its distinct colours and its blue beak. It is  similar to the Redwing in size and breeds throughout Europe and the temperate part of Asia.

The Hawfinch was very rare in Iceland but in recent years it has become an almost annual visitor. This bird is number two in Iceland this year but the other one was spotted in the east part of the country in early April.

With the temperatures rising the Hawfinch will probably become a more frequent visitor here as its numbers continue to grow in the British Isles. This well liked visitor has now been here for three days and we hope it decides to stay.

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Birds

Vagrant Swans

Black Swan and Mute Swan

These vagrants ended up in Iceland in Hemrunes in Skaftártungu in South East Iceland. They probably came along with the thousands of Whooper Swans that over winter in the British Isles.  The Black Swan is an annual guest with two to three spotted here each spring. The Mute Swan, however, is rarer here and only ten have been seen before.

Hnúðsvanur – Mute Swan – Cygnus olor (juv.)

The Mute Swan is a young one, thus the brownish colour. It is in its first winter and will not reach puberty until four years old.

Svartsvanur – Black Swan – Cygnus atratus

The Black Swan and the  Mute Swan get along well together and seem to have made a pact, having occupied a pond where they have been staying for a week.

The pond they occupy
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Birds

Redpoll with a white crown

Auðnutittlingur – Redpoll – Carduelis flammea

This little guy is easily recognisable from others of its kind because it sports a white crown instead of the usual greyish brown forehead. This Redpoll was here in the garden two days in November and appeared here one day last week. We have not noticed this colour variation before among the thousands of Redpolls that have visited the garden in recent years.

Ordinary Redpoll
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Birds

Teeming with Redwings

Just arriving – Redwings on Eyrarbakki coast

Yesterday the seashore at Eyrarbakki was teeming with Redwings. These are the migrants that arrived on April 3 in the thousands from their winter grounds in the British Isles. They are spread over the South coast, staying near the seaside because of the cold weather. The temperatures this week are going down to minus 6 – 7°C in the night-time.

Newly arrived Redwing on Icelandic shores

Some Redwings stay in Iceland for the winter but most migrate. Just on the shore at Eyrarbakki their numbers were estimated to be at least 500 – 700. The Redwing is one of the best loved migratory birds  in Iceland and its arrival is awaited and  welcomed because it signals the coming of the long awaited spring.

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Will they stay or will they go?

Fjallafinka – Brambling – Fringilla montifringilla

In the beginning of November we told you about flocks of Bramblings that had been seen in Iceland and a group that took to our garden. Well, all through winter we have had them here, up to 15 in the autumn, but usually around 6 to 10. The males have begun to change colours, taking on their black caps to impress the females. We are excited to see whether they will breed here this spring.

Bramblings are vagrants in Iceland. They breed in Northern Europe, although not as northerly as Iceland, and are supposed to fly South for winter. A few instances of breeding have been recorded here.

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Birds

Winter guests on Lake Laugarvatn

Húsönd – Barrow’s Goldeneye – Bucephala islandica

The Barrow’s Goldeneye stays in Iceland the whole year round. Its distribution has been more or less restricted to Mývatn and Laxá in North Iceland. It prefers to stay in spring water and part of the population goes to the South during the coldest time of the year. Lake Laugarvatn is one the places where you can expect to spot them. Due to geothermal heat it does not freeze over even in the harshest of winters. From January to March they can be seen in groups not far from land.

Lake Laugarvatn in March

Iceland is the only breeding place of the Barrow’s Goldeneye in Europe and the distribution has been more or less restricted to Northeast Iceland. More birds now breed in the South, e.g. in the Southern Highlands, in Lake Þingvallavatn and River Sog. Barrow’s Goldeneye stay in spring water lakes or rivers the whole year round and unlike most non-migrators they do not move to the sea around Iceland in winter.

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Coming home

Whooper Swans and Greylags in Flói, South Iceland. Tindfjöll Mountains in the background.

Whooper Swans and Greylags have been arriving in groups in the last two weeks from their winter grounds in the British Isles. They can now be seen grazing in lowlands. Fields are more or less snowless although the mountains are still snow covered. Although we can still expect some snow it is likely to melt during the day as the sun crawls higher in the sky.
The Whooper Swans’ flight to and from their winter grounds has been monitored and in favourable winds their flight can last 8 to 10 hours. However, most are more likely to be in the air for up to 24 hours.

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Landscape

Eldgjá Canyon – South East Interior

Eldgjá

Eldgjá canyon was formed in an eruption in the year 939 – 940 and the lava it produced is typical for the Katla Volcanic System.  It is a 75 km long crack, up to 600 meters wide and 200 meters deep – the longest volcanic canyon in the world.  The eruption produced about 4.5 km3 of aerosols and 18 to 19 km3 of lava which spread over 800 km2 – making it the largest lava field in historic times.

The stone arch in 1977

Ófærufoss is an interesting waterfall that was formed in the eruption. The waterfalls are two and there used to be a very spectacular stone arch across the lower one. It was very popular to walk over this stone bridge but, alas, in spring floods in 1993 the stone arch collapsed.

Ófærufoss without the stone arch

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Birds

North American Sea Duck

Kolönd – White-winged Scoter – Melanitta deglandi

The White-winged Scoter is a rather rare vagrant in Iceland. In recent years, however,  one to two birds have been spotted here almost every year.  It is a North American seabird that sometimes breeds far inland by lakes and ponds. The White-winged Scoter can be seen in gull colonies where  it breeds in high grass which shields the eggs from marauding gulls.

A White-winged Scoter and an Eider (female)

This young male Scoter was in the harbour of Þorlákshöfn, in South Iceland, two weeks ago. It was with a flock of Eiders and Long-tailed Ducks that had sought shelter there from heavy winds on the sea.

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