All posts by Örn Óskarsson

Birds

The mysterious owl

Owls are mysterious birds often associated with the dusk and night time. They  howl in the night, creating a ghostly atmosphere and are often heard and seen in horror and crime movies.

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Brandugla – Short-Eared Owl – Asio flammeus

They are nocturnal creatures and their wide staring eyes lend them not only a ghostly but also a sharp and wise appearance. They have a very good eyesight and can turn their head around so nothing goes unnoticed. Tufts of feathers on the owl’s head lend them a likeness to horned devils and their shrill howls have given them a place in ancient folklore. Owls are both  fascinating and mysterious.

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Birds

Female putting on a show

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Maríuerla – Pied Wagtail – Montacilla alba

The Pied Wagtail is back, occupying its usual space in the garden, wagging its tail all over the place and enjoying wholemeal crackers, – its favourite.  A male bird was with her early on but now he is nowhere to be seen.  We have noticed that when her kind fly over she puts on a show. Trying to lure potential males to her she bends low sticking her tail straight up in the air. As far as we know she has not been successful.

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She has however been building a nest and in the last few days we have not seen her as often as before. So maybe she has already laid her eggs. We will be on the lookout for Wagtail chicks in the next few weeks.

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Birds

A lone Siskin

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Barrfinka – Siskin – Carduelis spinus

We welcomed a beautiful yellow vagrant in the garden this week. A small Siskin female came and made use of the feed with a group of Redpolls.  It also picked at some insects in the Rowan.

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In recent years a few Siskins have bred in South Iceland and this one is probably on its way to its breeding place. Hopefully it will find a mate there.

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Birds

Battle with an earthworm

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Heiðlóa – Golden Plover – Pluvialis apricaria

Golden Plovers can be seen all over the country by now but the first migrants usually arrive from their winter grounds in the British Isles in the end of March.  They are among the best loved Icelandic birds, the migrant that signals the coming of the long awaited spring here in the North.

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The Plover’s favourite food is earthworm and this bird had quite a long struggle with his lunch, as can be seen in the photos.

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Birds

Pectoral Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs

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Two American waders together at Breiðabólsstaðatjörn/Álftanes (SW-Iceland), Pectoral Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs

This spring three Lesser Yellowlegs have been spotted in Southwest Iceland.  Lesser Yellowlegs are rare vagrants and until now only 19 birds had been seen here, most of them in the autumn.  Lesser Yellowlegs are breeding birds in North America, and fairly common.

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Hrísastelkur – Lesser Yellowlegs – Tringa flavipes

The Pectoral Sandpiper is a more common vagrant in Iceland. It is a breeding bird in North America like the Lesser Yellowlegs.

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Rákatíta – Pectoral Sandpiper – Calidris melanotos

Two Lesser Yellowlegs and the Pectoral Sandpiper were in Álftanes yesterday evening.  The Lesser Yellowlegs is a new bird on my list but the Pectoral Sandpiper was already on the list.

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Birds

Breeding has started

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Tjaldur – Oystercatcher – Haematopus ostralegus

The Oystercatcher is a common breeding bird in Iceland. Its typical breeding places are  near the sea and lakes in lowlands. The nest is usually in gravel or sand, but sometimes by the side of a road.

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This Oystercatcher, that was ringed last summer in Floi Nature Reserve, is back with its siblings

Part of the Icelandic breeding stock goes to the British Isles for  winter and comes back in the middle of March. Now in the beginning of May breeding is already on its way and the first chicks will be arriving in the end of the month.

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Ringed Oystercatchers are seen from time to time.  These have mostly been ringed in their winter grounds in The British Isles but some in Iceland in recent years.

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Birds

Flying inland

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Kría – Arctic Tern – Sterna paradisaea

The first Arctic Terns were seen by Selfoss today. They flew up River Ölfusá against the northern storm in a temperature slightly above zero. They are used to all sorts of weather here in the North but still they arrive every spring year after year all the way from the southernmost part of the Atlantic Ocean.
As early as the end of April they were first spotted by the seaside but now they are on their way inland in search of breeding places. The breeding time is the only time of year that the Arctic Tern searches inland, at other times it is constantly on flight over the open seas.

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Birds

Crossbill with chicks

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Krossnefur – Common Crossbill – Loxia curvirostra juv.

The first Common Crossbills are now with chicks. They breed very early, sometimes in the middle of winter if there is enough feed. Yesterday I found three week-old chicks on my walk in spruce and pine forests in Grímsnes, South Iceland. In previous years the first chicks have also appeared at this time of year, in the latter part of April.

Common Crossbill, male
Common Crossbill, male

The photos are of the chick and the parents.

Common Crossbill, female
Common Crossbill, female
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Birds

Black-Tailed Godwits

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Jaðrakan – Black-Tailed Godwit – Limosa limosa

Migrants are now coming to Iceland from Europe in flocks. In the last couple of weeks there has been headwind on the 800 km migration route over the ocean from Scotland and Ireland. Now weather conditions are better and in the last two days many migrants have started their long and difficult flight.

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Among these is the Black-Tailed Godwit that overwinters on the west coast of Europe from Holland to Portugal. A group of around 300 birds was by the banks of Hvítá River in Grímsnes yesterday. The birds are obviously dead tired and eagerly searched  for food in the in the sand.

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Black-Tailed Godwits – a little part of the group
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