The Redwing is mostly a migrant in Iceland but some of them stay for the winter. There are always some in our garden and we feed them in the wintertime. This summer we have seen a number of young ones and parents that feed them diligently. Our main concern though is keeping the neighbourhood cats away and we think we have been quite successful this summer. We spread coffee grounds, along with egg shell, in the cats’ favourite hiding places and it seems they don’t want to get their feet dirty.
We came across a Ptarmigan family, parents with five chicks. Their camouflage colours in summer match the colours of nature so they are not too easily spotted. The chicks were quite small, perhaps a week old but already able the fly. Naturally the parents were busy trying to distract us, especially the mother though.
Usually the fathers leave the family shortly after the chicks hatch but this dad seems to be taking a responsible part in the upbringing.
All over the moors chicks can be seen – chicks of Golden Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits , Whimbrels, Redshanks, Common Snipes, Ptarmigans and more. They are all over the place, in bogs and moors. Now is the perfect time to observe nature at its most beautiful. Due to mild weather in May and June breeding and hatching went well.
Yesterday we saw Golden Plover chicks and Black-Tailed Godwit chicks in Grímsnes. They were well looked after by the parents.
The Great Northern Diver is without doubt king of its habitat in the interior. Most highland lakes with fish sport at least one couple who nest there every summer and raise their young ones. Usually the chicks are two and the parents take good care of them. It is not unusual to see the chick being transported on the back of the parents.
In Veiðivötn, in English Fishing Lakes, in the southern interior the Great Northern Diver stands out. Pairs are on most of the lakes and non-breeding birds can sometimes be seen in groups.
Not many things are more captivating than the Diver’s wails which can be heard all over the place in the stillness of the twilight.
In Hellisskógur by Selfoss there is a little pond in the wood where wetland has been restored.
In the last four weeks a few Red-Necked Phalaropes have been on the pond feeling at home it seems . The Phalaropes’ nests are well hidden in the dense vegetation and difficult to find so whether they have bred and nested by the pond remains to be seen. Hopefully their chicks will appear on the water in the next couple of weeks.
This weekend we drove into the interior for our annual bird count of the Fishing Lakes area, Veiðivötn, in the Southern part of the Icelandic highlands. The snow is melting quickly now and most roads have cleared. We came across this pair of Ringed Plovers that were hoping around their nest, keeping intruders away.
Ringed Plovers are migrants that breed all over the country, from coastal areas to the interior. Their typical habitat is sandy areas with scarce vegetation.
Now the Eiders are leading their chicks to water and are on their way to the seashore. The adults take care of the young that are in constant danger from predators.
To protect the chicks Eiders often form groups or broods with several hens and dozens of chicks. Non-breeding hens also take the role of babysitters and take part in the chick protection.
The Arctic Tern’s favourite nesting places are near the sea or lakes where they are sure to get some small fish, sticklebacks or fingerlings. During the breeding time the males start feeding the females.
To lay healthy eggs the female needs more food and the male seems to know this. The female squeaks loudly and waits for food, keeping the males very busy. It is an interesting sight to see.
The Common Crossbill’s breeding this spring has gone exceptionally well. Groups of chicks with grown ups are on the move and have been seen in many places. The weather plays a part in this fruitfulness and also the availability of food. The weather was good during the incubation time, few bad winds, few cold spells and little rain.
In the last few days groups of Common Crossbills with chicks have visited the garden and eaten sunflower seeds. Today we counted 15 Crossbills, mostly chicks, on the feeding tray. In Grímsnes, not far from Selfoss, 20 chicks along with several adults were seen around a feeding tray. This is considerably more birds than in recent years.
But how will all these Crossbills fare in Iceland?
It seems that the future is bright for Common Crossbills. There are indications that it will be a record year in cones and seed development in spruce trees, at least in the southern part of the country. These cones will mature by the end of July and then Crossbills will turn to eating seed. Until then their menu will consist of insects and perhaps sunflower seeds from visits to “nice” people’s feeding trays .
During the breeding time the Redwing mostly eats worms and insects. At other times of the year it is more into berries and seeds. Although the Redwing is considered one the Icelandic migrants, big groups of them stay for the winter.
The Redwing builds its nest in various locations and usually lays 4 to 6 eggs which hatch in about 10 to 14 days. The young leave the nest after about two weeks and depend on the parents for an additional two weeks. Then the female often lays eggs for the second time.
Here you can hear the beautiful song of the Redwing: