We had a full Moon tonight and the sky was clear so you could not have missed it if you were looking. We watched as it crawled up into the sky, changing colours from almost orange to yellow and then to white as dusk was falling. –Such a wonderful sight.
The Moon is full when it is completely illuminated as seen from the Earth. This occurs when the Moon is opposite to the Sun. The lunar month is 29-30 days so we have a full Moon about 12 times a year.
Some Redwings are still around but their numbers are decreasing. They are eating berries like there is no tomorrow. It is no telling whether they are preparing for their long journey over the Atlantic to winter grounds in Europe or if they are just trying to put on weight for the winter ahead.
Bird watching is an interesting pass time. There are not as many species to observe on an isolated island like Iceland, out in the North Atlantic Ocean, as there are on the mainland. But there are days when exotic birds are seen,some of which have come from afar. Today was such a day.
On my bird watching trip down to the shore I saw three vagrant bird species; Red-eyed Vireo from America, and Chiffchaff and Redstart from Europe. The Red-eyed Vireo and the Redstart were seen in a garden in the village Stokkseyri on the exact same spot that I saw a Red-eyed Vireo on September 30, last year. Strange coincidence that. The Red-eyed Vireo is one of the most common American vagrants in Iceland and I have seen five in the last few years.
These are all taken today.
Beautiful colours lend a magical light to the early morning just before sunrise.
In recent years it has become popular to have your wedding pictures taken in the great outdoors. Couples often travel long distances to be united in marriage and Iceland is a popular destination.
Last weekend we came upon these newlyweds at Glacier Lagoon, Southeast Iceland. I secretly caught pictures of them when no one was watching – hope they don’t mind. It was windy and the temperature just +5°C. We wish them a very happy future and warmer days than this one by the Lagoon surrounded by icebergs under the biggest glacier in Europe.
More on Glacier Lagoon – Walrus, – Fireworks
The birch (Betula pubescens) is the only tree species that grew natural forests in Iceland before the settlement. Still today it is an important species in forestry and reforestation. Every year considerable amounts of seed is collected and used to raise plants or sown straight into barren landscapes.
Here is a group of students from the upper secondary school in Selfoss collecting birch seed in Þjórsárdalur, South Iceland. There birch has grown in an area where former there were only barren sands. This birch forest is around 15 years old and has started producing seed.
Continue reading Collecting birch seed
Quite a few Wrens have been seen recently in gardens and woodlands in the South. The summer seems to have been a good one for the species. They are now coming down from their breeding grounds in the highlands to spend the summer in the lowlands. The Wren spends the whole year in Iceland. Most spend the winter by the seaside, or by rivers and creeks that do not freeze, and eat insects, spiders and crabs.
Icelandic Wrens are bigger and darker than European ones.
This Wren was photographed in Grímsnes, South Iceland,
The last few nights the Northern Light’s activity over Iceland has been extraordinarily high. Night after night the sky has been glowing with colourful lights, although the greenish one is most prominent.
Northern Lights enthusiasts say this is one of the greatest activity they have yet experienced and also the longest lasting period.
The Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus) is a vagrant in Iceland and only seen here in the autumn. It is a small bird, a little larger than the Goldcrest, so it’s a long flight for such a small thing. This autumn we have probably seen the biggest arrival of this species ever recorded in Iceland. In one day last week birders in East and Southeast Iceland spotted around 55 birds.
This Yellow-browed Warbler was seen near Selfoss, South Iceland last autumn.
Most Yellow-browed Warblers breed in Eastern Russia and their winter grounds are mainly in Southeast Asia. In recent years more and more of them overwinter in Western Europe. A lot of Yellow-browed Warblers have also been seen in Britain this autumn.
The Redwings are migratory birds. Most of them have now moved into towns, feasting on berries along with their usual food, worms and larva. Some of them will endure the long Icelandic winter but others are now waiting for favourable winds for their departure to Britain, and the west coast of France and Spain.