It’s 9 days to Christmas and we bring you this snowy Redpoll. It’s not only cold for humans, it’s cold for everyone, including birds. It’s been exceptionally cold for this time of year and blizzards day after day, something that one is not used to until January. – But it looks a lot like Christmas 🙂
The European Robin is a vagrant in Iceland. It’s a long time since we had them in our garden, 20 years actually. This winter we have had two and one is still in the garden. We really like having the Robin and take care to leave food in its favourite place. Hopefully it will manage to survive the winter <3
There are a lot of Wood Mice in Iceland. They are well adapted to the cold and live in underground holes which they dig. They gather all kinds of seeds and stuff in their holes for the winter.
If it gets really cold they might try and get into your house or preferably your summerhouse and you will see their droppings next time you’re there.
It’s 11 days to Christmas and there is snow everywhere. It’s been snowing all morning and I think my car will not make it through our driveway. We walked to the baker this morning and got some bread from yesterday which they birds have been busy at all day. When it’s cold you need to eat more to keep warm 🙂
The Merlin is the most common predatory bird in Iceland. They prey on small birds, mostly feeding on Meadow Pipits and Snow Buntings. Sometimes they even manage to catch Starlings and Redwings.
Most of them are migrating birds and go to West Europe for the winter. There are always some that overwinter here and they follow the flocks of Snow Buntings that come into towns for food in the winter time.
In the last few days they have been daily visitors in the garden, both males and females. Although it is always sad to see them catch their prey, one can not but admire them for their agility and beauty when they fly low between the tree trunks.
It’s 12 days to Christmas and this little bird is so beautiful and tranquil in the snow. It seems that Redpolls are just made for these surroundings. –Remember to take time to relax and enjoy the little things in life.
It’s 13 days to Christmas and this Common Crossbill in its yellow colours is so beautiful in the snow. The Common Crossbill is well adapted to the cold winter and you can almost say that it is nesting time all year round for them. This is probably a female bird rather than a yellow male. Males are more often in orange-red colours.
It’s 14 days to Christmas and here we have three Bohemian Waxwings in the winter snow. They like apples and fight to get to them if neccessary. We wouldn’t say no to have these beautiful vagrants here at Christmas time this year. They are so decorative and would go well with the Christmas lights.
It’s fifteen days to Christmas and we bring you a photo of this beautiful Icelandic Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus). The Ptarmigan used to be the classical Icelandic Christmas dinner but lately there are not as many of them as there used to be. So hunters often come home with no prey at all. This does not make us sad because we are happy for each and every bird that survives the hunting season.
It’s fifteen days because Icelanders celebrate Christmas Eve, the evening before Christmas Day. That is when we have our Christmas dinner and open the presents.
Lots of snow and the Northern Lights light up the night sky. This looks a lot like Christmas. Another photo from last night.