Category Archives: Birds

Birds

White-tailed Eagle on the river

Haförn – White-tailed Eagle – Haliaeetus albicilla

The White-tailed Eagle breeds in the western part of Iceland and therefore is not often seen in other parts of the country except in the winter time. This winter an adult bird has been spotted several times on River Ölfusá where it runs through Selfoss town and seems to have taken a liking to a group of local ducks.

White-tailed Eagle followed by a Raven

In the snow fall one day this week the eagle soared high above the town, then plunged into and attacked the group of ducks. However, its mission was not accomplished this time. I caught a picture of the eagle as it flew away followed by a raven.

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Birds

Splendid colours in the snow

Krossnefur – Common Crossbill / Red Crossbill – Loxia curvirostra

A small flock of Common Crossbills regularly comes by and visits the feeding trays. The males stand out in their splendid red and orange colours and in the snow even more so. Around eight of them come every day but competition is a concern. The Blackbirds, Redwings and Starlings are bullies at the feeders.

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Birds

Flocks of Snow Buntings

Snjótittlingur – Snow Bunting – Plectrophenax nivalis

This winter has been mild and very little snow until now. The Snow Bunting is a bird that seldom comes into towns but prefers the highlands and remote corners of the country for breeding and in winters, fields and grassland. When the earth is covered with snow and they have difficulty finding food, they come into towns. Since it snowed in the beginning of the week they have been here in the garden and we have counted over a hundred of them.

The Snow Buntings eat seeds and special Snow Bunting feed that has been available in Iceland for decades and consist e.g. of ground maize.

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Birds

Birding news on ORNOSK.COM

Common Crossbill in the garden 31 December 2018

We thank you for following our blog the past year, 2018,  and we look forward to keeping you updated on the birdlife in our garden and in Iceland in the new year, 2019.

The year 2019 will be the sixth year of our blog ORNOSK.COM.  How time flies. Every week a list of species and number of birds in the garden has been published. Here is the list for the morning of the first day in the new year.

  • Blackbird (svartþröstur) 16
  • Redwing (skógarþröstur) 6
  • Fieldfare (gráþröstur) 5
  • Jackdaw (dvergkráka) 1
  • Raven (hrafn) 5
  • Starling (stari) 70
  • Redpoll (auðnutittlingur) 4
  • Common Crossbill / Red Crossbill (krossnefur) 6
  • Snow Bunting (snjótittlingur) 1
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Birds

Another Bohemian Waxwing

Silkitoppa – Bohemian Waxwing – Bombycilla garrulus

This magnificent Bohemian Waxwing has been in the garden for over a week now. It is older than the one from our blog in November which can be seen by the red tips on the wings and the yellow tips on the tail. The colour derives from colour pigments found in the fruit the Waxwings eat and these get bigger as the bird gets older.

Bohemian Waxwings are different from many other birds in that they do not claim territories and they don’t sing but have high-pitched calls. Having the Waxwing in the garden and seeing it from our windows is like having an ornament on display. 

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Atmosphere, Birds, Landscape, Weather

Winter Solstice

Selfoss, South Iceland at 13:30, 21 Dec.
The shortest day of the year and the longest night have just passed. We wake up to a new day which is supposedly a tiny bit longer than the last one and hopefully a bit brighter. Winter solstice was yesterday. December has been dark, literally speaking. No snow here in South Iceland to brighten up our days, mostly rain with overcast skies. Christmas lights, however, make up for the lack of daylight in the Yuletide celebrations. – Happy holidays and peace on Earth.
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Birds

The only Jackdaw in Iceland

Dvergkráka – Jackdaw – Corvus monedula

The Jackdaw in our garden  is the only one in Iceland. At least the only recorded one this year. They used to be common vagrants but not many have been spotted in recent years. This Jackdaw was first spotted in Selfoss near the end of October and it has been in our garden for three weeks.  

Dvergkráka – Jackdaw – Corvus monedula

At first the Jackdaw was very shy and difficult to photograph but as the weeks pass it is getting to know us and becoming more at home. It eats all the feed we put out, apples, bread and seeds. It also uses its beak to search for food from under leaves and snow, so it should not have problems surviving here. 

The Jackdaw is the smallest of the crow family and the one residing in our garden is of the Southwestern Europe subspecies. Like all crows, they are inquisitive and intelligent. The Jackdaw is related to the Raven and the Starling.  

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Birds

Groups of Fieldfares

Gráþröstur – Fieldfare – Turdus pilaris

In the last few weeks up to four Fieldfares have been visiting the garden. They come for the berries on the Vosges whitebeam, which is a relative of the Rowan or Sorbus family. The Fieldfare is not put off by the boisterous Starlings that have occupied the garden and claimed as their own.

It seems that more Fieldfares are around this autumn than in the last few years and groups have been seen all over the country. Last winter, however, we only once saw a Fieldfare here in the garden.

Fieldfares are annual guests in Iceland and almost every winter groups come from Scandinavia and overwinter here. They are known to have bred in North Iceland.

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Birds

Bohemian Waxwing

Silkitoppa – Bohemian Waxwing – Bombycilla garrulus

There is a Bohemian Waxwing in our garden!  We have not had one since 2013 and we are happy. These magnificent birds do not go unnoticed as they are so different from all Icelandic birds. Bohemian Waxwings are vagrants in Iceland that probably come from Northern Eurasia.

Bohemian Waxwings breed in the northern forests of Eurasia and North America. They live on fruits and berries in the winter but insects in the summer. When food is scarce they take to travelling, often in groups. Sometimes groups from Eurasia visit Western Europe in search of food.

In the last two weeks it seems that groups have come to Iceland, mostly in the North. This is the only Bohemian Waxwing having been reported here in South Iceland this autumn.

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