All posts by Örn Óskarsson

Birds

Black Guillemots in the harbour

Teista – Black Guillemot – Cepphus grylle

In heavy winds the raging sea is not a pleasant place, not even for seabirds. The harbour in Thorlakshofn (Þorlákshöfn) is one of the places where birds flock to seek shelter in bad weathers. We saw some Black Guillemots there last weekend.

Black Guillemot still in winter plumage

The Black Guillemot, or tystie, lives by the sea, in rocks, cliffs and in islands along the North Atlantic coast as far south as Ireland in the east and Maine in the west. It breeds all around the Icelandic coastline and there are estimated around 20 to 30 thousand pairs here. The Black Guillemot can often be seen in seabird colonies along with other alcids. They usually stay near their breeding places in winter or take out to the open sea.

The male chasing the female

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Birds

No mean feat

Himbrimi – Great Northern Diver – Gavia immer

In Þorlákshöfn harbour last weekend we saw this Great Northern Diver in a battle with something we first thought was a bird. Later we saw that it was a fish, a flatfish. This went on all about the place for some time. Eventually the Diver managed to swallow the fish whole. Not a mean feat that. By lifting up its whole body with the bill high in the air down it went. Bon appetite.

Most Icelandic Great Northern Divers stay in the ocean around the country over the winter time but a few overwinter in the UK or West Europe.  Iceland is the only breeding place of the Northern Diver in Europe with  around 300 breeding pairs here.

The flatfish on its way down
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Birds

Courtship in February

Krossnefur – Common Crossbill / Red Crossbill – Loxia curvirostra (males)

In the end of January and in February the male Common Crossbills become quite noticeable in the tops of the Lodgepole Pine forests (Pinus contorta) in Grímsnes area, South Iceland. They sing and try to catch the attention of the females.

Krossnefur – Common Crossbill / Red Crossbill – Loxia curvirostra (females)

Although it is still mid winter in Iceland they have obviously started courtship. Some seem now already paired and are feeding their spouses which is a sign that the nesting period is not far away.

A female and male Common Crossbills

The cones and seeds of the Lodgepole Pine are now becoming ripe and that seems to be the indicator that tells the birds that it is time for mating.

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Landscape, Weather

Brighter days

In February the sun crawls a little bit higher in the sky. We feel its rays warming up our days albeit just slightly.  After the darkness of December and January it feels nice to go out during midday to feel its rays on ones skin. Although the weather has been very turbulent we have had a few nice days in the last couple of weeks as these photos show.

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Birds

Snow Buntings in flocks

Snjótittlingur – Snow Bunting – Plectrophenax nivalis

Snow Buntings have frequented Icelandic gardens all over the country this winter. In the past few weeks they have been seen in huge flocks and we counted 400 birds here in our garden in Selfoss. Last year, however, we didn’t see any Snow Buntings here.

This winter has been harsher than in previous years, with long lasting frost and snow. In the last century The Snow Bunting was the typical Icelandic winter bird and usually the only bird to be seen in winter along with the Raven. In the last few decades there has been a change and the Snow Bunting has been seen more rarely in Icelandic gardens.

The reasons for this change are not certain and people speculate whether this is due to a decrease in the stock. However, an increase in corn production in agricultural could be reducing the Snow Buntings need to come into gardens for feed, at least when snows do not cover the fields.

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Birds

Still here

Glóbrystingur – European Robin – Erithacus rubecula

Since autumn this Robin has been a daily guest in the garden.  Our Robin roams the neighbourhood but always turns up again. We have news of another one just over the river. Hopefully they are a male and a female that will pair up and breed here in the spring.

The Robin is a rather common vagrant in Iceland and is known to have breed here.

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Birds, Garden

Garden birds today

Blackbird (svartþröstur) and Starling (stari)

Today there is a blizzard and a lot of birds in the garden. It is their shelter from the storm, an oasis with food and shelter. The photos are from today.

Brambling – Fjallafinka

Today’s Bird List

  • Merlin (smyrill) 1
  • European Robin (glóbrystingur) 1
  • Blackbird (svartþröstur) 16
  • Redwing (skógarþröstur) 3
  • Raven (hrafn) 1
  • Starling (stari) 40
  • Brambling (fjallafinka) 12
  • Redpoll (auðnutittlingur) 80
  • Common Crossbill (krossnefur) 7
  • Snow Bunting (snjótittlingur) 3

Follow our weekly bird count for 2018 on ORNOSK: http://ornosk.com/weekly-bird-report-2018/

Common Crossbill / Red Crossbill  – Krossnefur
The feeding tray
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Landscape

Frost formations

Frost Boils, ca. one foot in diameter, South Iceland.

Circles or “Frost Boils” are formed when wet surfaces and mud freezes. This happens where there is no vegetation to bind the soil. The soil expands and pushes up the gravel that is in the way, the bigger stones moving outwards to the sides creating a circle. These rings are about one foot in diameter but in the highlands where there is permafrost they can become several meters.

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People

It’s 2018

On our annual winter walk on New Year’s Day

The new year greets us with some cold northerly winds and clear blue skies. We have said goodbye to the old year, which had its ups and downs – hoping that in 2018 we humans will strive to make the world better. If ever there was reason for taking better care of the environment it is now.  We wish you all a prosperous year – peace to all, Kristín and Örn.

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