All posts by Örn Óskarsson

Atmosphere, People

First day of Summer

Today is the first day of summer in Iceland, – a holiday celebrated every year on the first Thursday after the 18th of April. Iceland is the only country that has a special holiday to celebrate the coming of summer. It is part of an Icelandic folklore. In olden days there were only two seasons, equally long, summer and winter.  In this respect the first day of summer was actually new years day.

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First day of summer on the banks of Ölfusá River this morning before 8 o’clock.

The folklore says that if there is frost the night before the first of summer the summer will be good. Tonight the temperatures went slightly below zero and there was frost on the ground. The sun rises at 5:30 now and the sun is shining so it seems we will be having a nice warm day. According to the folklore the summer should be a good one.

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Birds

Barnacle Goose

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Helsingi – Barnacle goose – Branta leucopsis

The Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) is a breeding bird in the southeastern part of Iceland.  A big part of the Barnacle Geese that are seen here in spring and autumn however are on their way to and from their breeding grounds in Northeastern Greenland. Their winter grounds are in the British Isles.

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The first known breeding of a Barnacle Goose  in Iceland was in an island in Breiðafjörður Fjord in 1964 but since 1988 they have breed in islands in  Jökulsárlón Lagoon and in other places in the Southeast. The Icelandic stock now counts several hundred pairs.

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In springtime the Barnacle Goose along with other geese can be seen in meadows in the lowlands, especially in the North. This spring big groups of them have been seen in meadows in the South which is unusual. Possibly some rough northernly winds blew them off course. The photos are taken near Selfoss, South Iceland last week.

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Birds

Exhibition of arial agility

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Haförn – White-tailed Eagle – Haliaeetus albicilla

We witnessed the courtship of a young pair of White-tailed Eagles in Snæfellsnes Peninsula in the week before Easter. They turned around in the air, clasped claws and flew in circles. Later they landed together in a heath not far from where we parked our car.

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Is this one or two birds?

The White-tailed Eagle reaches puberty around the age of six, finds a mate and starts a life long relationship. The eagle usually stays in the same area and its territory is huge. The couple more or less stay in their territory or near it the whole year round. Competition for the best territories is hard. Sometimes they might stray from their territories in October to December but they come back before  courtship begins again in January.

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Relaxing after a spin in the air

The eagle’s courtship begins with a spectacular exhibition of arial agility early in spring, followed by mating and breeding. Such shows of arial competence are also seen among other birds of prey and ravens.

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Birds, Garden

Busy gathering nesting material

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Svartþröstur – Blackbird – Turdus merula

In the last few days a Blackbird couple have been very busy in the garden. The male stands watch, intermittently  singing his soul out, as the female searches for nesting material. She is busy gathering  last years grass, rotting leaves from the gutter and moss.

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Blackbird – female

Placing  the material diligently in her bill she flies up into a spruce where the nest is carefully hidden from bad weather and possible enemies. Soon she will lay her eggs.

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Several Blackbird pairs are in Selfoss now and usually each pair breeds up to four times during the summer time. We can expect the Blackbird stock in Selfoss to have grown considerably this autumn if things go as planned.

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Animals

Fluffy white mink

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Minkur – Mink – Mustela vison

Minks were first imported to Iceland in the autumn of 1931. The first two mink farms were in Grímsnes and in Selfoss, South Iceland. Early on some escaped from their cages and took up permanent residence in the Icelandic nature. Now they can be found all over the country.

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This white mink was spotted on the banks of Ölfusá River. It has probably escaped from a nearby mink farm not so long ago. It is highly unlikely that it will survive for long.

The first minks were imported from Norway but were of North American origin. The mink is usually dark brown with white patches on the lower part of the jaw and neck.

Later minks of different colour  variations were imported; black, grey and white. These are the ones that are now bred in Iceland but they are not as tough and rarely survive in the Icelandic nature like the ones first imported.

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Birds

White-tailed Eagle

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Haförn – White-tailed Eagle – Haliaeetus albicilla (Juv)

This week we went on a tour around Snæfellsnes peninsula. Within a 30 km drive we saw five White-tailed Eagles, adults and young ones. Since these birds were one of the reasons for our trip we thought we were quite lucky when we at last spotted three of them on the second day. As we were driving over the mountain from the Northern side of the peninsula we saw three  birds gliding in the air directly in front of us and lowering their flight as they came nearer. What an amazing sight, – such majestic birds.

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White-tailed Eagle, adult

White-tailed Eagles are more common in this area than in other parts of the country, their main breeding territory being around Breiðafjörður Fjord.  In total around 75 pairs breed in Iceland and two thirds of the population in the area around Breiðafjörður.
– More on the second sighting coming up soon.

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Birds

Iceland Gull is a winter guest in Iceland

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Bjartmáfur – Iceland Gull – Larus glaucoides (adult in winter)

Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) is common along the Icelandic coastline during the winter months. It is a breeding bird in Greenland and on the northernmost islands of Canada. It is however only a winter guest in Iceland and by the end of March it has usually left the island.

Iceland Gull (first year)
Iceland Gull (first year)

The Iceland Gull is very similar to the  Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreusstundu) which is a breeding bird in Iceland. The Iceland Gull is smaller, its head is shorter and more curved, the beak is delicate and the wings longer. It is also a more agile flyer than the Glaucous Gull.

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