All posts by Örn Óskarsson

Birds

55 Yellow-browed Warblers in one day

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.

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Hnoðrasöngvari – Yellow-browed Warbler – Phylloscopus inornatus

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.

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Weather

Luminescent colours

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Stari – Starling – Sturnus vulgaris

It is autumn and we have started putting out apples for the birds. There is no way to chose the ones the come to feed  in the garden  and the Starling is quite common here. This is the first apple this autumn and with the Starlings around it was finished within an hour.
Why does the Starling have such a bad reputation? Is it not a beautiful bird? Not many sport such luminescent blue and green colours.

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Weather

Early in the morning

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Krossnefur – Common Crossbill – Loxia curvirostra

This Common Crossbill pair was here in the beginning of summer with three chicks. They are in the garden again, now with two other chicks. Early in the morning they come to eat the sunflower seeds that we put out for our feathered friends.  These former vagrants have in the past six to seven years made Iceland their home.

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Birds

Cattle Egret

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Kúhegri – Cattle Egret – Bubulcus ibis

Cattle Egerts (Bubulcus ibis) are breeding birds en the southern most parts of Europe and also in the southern states of North America. This Cattle Egret was first seen in Ölfus in South Iceland September 14.

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The Cattle Egret is a very rare vagrant in Iceland and this is only the seventh time it is spotted here. It eats insects and is often seen in dry grassland and plains, preferably where there is life stock, cattle or other big grass eating animals. The Cattle Egret in Ölfus is in the company of some horses and was seen there this morning, September 22.

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Landscape

Autumn colours

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Fjallavíðir – Salix arctica in black sand

Autumn is beginning to show. Highland vegetation has started to wilt, bringing us colours in a multitude of shades and hues.  The orange colours of the willow and the light green colour of the moss go well with the black sand. These colours will not stay for long. Soon it will start snowing and the white snow will cover the vegetation until next spring when everything comes alive again.

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From Veiðivötn in the Southern Interior

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Atmosphere, Weather

Strong and bright Northern Lights

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This evening the Northern lights over Selfoss were so strong and bright that the lights from the town did not affect them.  A group of people had gathered, many of them tourist, and the atmosphere was filled with excitement. Every time the lights danced across the sky you could hear people applause, and I did too.

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Info on Northern Lights on Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora

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Birds

Young Gyrfalcons

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Fálki – Gyrfalcon – Falco rusticolus

The Gyrfalcon is not a common breeding bird in Iceland so seeing one is always a treat. Estimated number of breeding pairs is 300. They are more common in the North but can be spotted all over the country. Their numbers are determined by the numbers of Ptarmigan which is their main food although they hunt most birds.

Gyrfalcon on flight

The two Gyrfalcon siblings that I came across had killed a Pink-footed Goose and were busy eating it. They did not want to leave their prey which made photographing them not to difficult.

The remains of a Pink-footed Goose
The remains of a Pink-footed Goose
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