In the last couple of days we have had temperatures below zero. The days are getting shorter and the river Ölfusá has begun to freeze. This photo is taken around 5 o’clock this afternoon and as you can see the sun is setting.
All posts by Örn Óskarsson
Blackbird – Turdus merula
This Blackbird is one of a group of eight Blackbirds that are in the garden now. This is a young male which can be seen from the dark brown colour and the colour of its beak, similar to the female’s colours.
When it grows up it becomes black and the beak becomes bright orange-yellow. It also gets an eye-ring of the same colour. This makes the adult male Blackbird one of the most striking garden birds. The song of the Blackbird is also very vocal so it does not go unnoticed.
Today’s garden birds
This weekend my students at the local secondary school are counting their garden birds. Of course I took part in this interesting project and counted the birds in my garden in the hours between 11 and 12 am. I also took some photoes, but that goes without saying 😉
Weather: NE 12 m/sec, clear sky and temperature 0°C.
In this one hour I counted:
Redpolls 40
Starlings 27
Blackbirds 6
Chaffinches 4
Redwings 2
Blackcap 1
Nú um helgina eru nemendur mínir í FSu að telja garðfuglana sína. Ég tók að sjálfsögðu líka þátt í þessu skemmtilega verkefni og taldi garðfuglana mína á milli kl. 11:00 og 12:00 í morgun. Jafnframt tók ég myndir af nokkrum tegundum.
Niðurstaðan:
Auðnutittlingur 40
Stari 27
Svartþröstur 6
Bókfinka 4
Skógarþröstur 2
Hettusöngvari 1
The smallest bird in Europe
The Goldcrest is the smallest bird in Europe, weighing only 5-7 grammes. In 1996 the first known breeding in Iceland was confirmed and since then their numbers have increased. Today they are common breeding birds in spruce forrests. For two years now they have been breeding here and in spruce trees in adjoining gardens. We see these tiny little birds with their golden crown almost daily.
Overnight guests
Hundreds of Starlings stay in our garden every night. Just before dark they come from all directions and in huge flocks they fly in big circles before they land in the trees. They found this place to overnight 25 years ago and have now decided to return.
Starlings have overnighted in different places around Selfoss through the years, changing places regulary.
Three different Finches
This autumn three different finch species visited the garden. All rare birds in Iceland.
A male Siskin was here in the beginning of October, a female Brambling in the middle of October and now there are two Chaffinches, a pair.
It is getting darker in the afternoon and difficult to get good photoes of the birds, especially on cloudy days like today.
But I managed to get these three photoes, –not as bad as I thought.
Grey-cheeked Thrush
A Grey-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus was spotted on Friday, October 31, in Hvolsvöllur (a small town 40 minutes drive east from Selfoss). The Thrush was still there today when I came to look for it. This is a new species for me and it is the fourth time it is seen Iceland. – I was able to add the 200th bird to my list and here is a photo I managed to catch while it was still bright enough 🙂
Northern Lights over Selfoss
This photo is taken yesterday evening in the center of Selfoss. Usually you have to get out of town to get a good photo of the Northern Lights but these were bright enough despite the light pollution.
Morning glow
At 9 o’clock this morning the sun was coming up in the South East. The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer and will continue to do so until around December 22.
The wind was blowing, shaping the clouds, and some mist in the sky from the eruption. –The beauty of it all just takes your breath away 🙂
Colourful Starling
This beautiful Starling is one of the birds that appreciates an apple. Not everyone likes the Starlings because they come in flocks, are noisy and boisterous and people believe they above other birds carry lice. All birds carry lice. The Starlings are bossy and often run other birds away, especially if there are some tasty bites to have. The Starlings that overnight in our garden and adjacent trees are probably well over two hundred and when they arrive in the twilight there is a lot of noise.