It is the time of year when the Redshank is most noticeable. They often sit on fence poles calling loudly. The reason for this is that the chicks are out of the nest and hopping around within their territory.
Noisy Redshank
Category Archives: Birds
Whimbrel on a fence post
The Whimbrel is a wader, has long legs and a long curved bill. It is a migratory bird, a symbol for the coming of summer. Its song is very special, – listen to it here.
The Whimbrels are quite common in Iceland and breed all over the country both in lowlands and highlands. The eggs are usually 3 or 4 and the parents both take responsibility for keeping the eggs warm.
Despite this the Whimbrel is one of the birds that are listed as a threatened species in the UK. It has the status Red which means that the species needs urgent action.
I came across this beautiful Whimbrel this morning in the Bird Reserve in Flói. Already the ones who did not breed are starting to flock and thinking about their long flight back to their winter grounds in Africa.
Harlequins don’t go unnoticed
The Harlequin Duck does not go unnoticed in the males bright maroon, white and blue colors. The males do not give up and try to catch the attention of the females although breeding time is well on its way. The Harlequins like spring water rivers and the individuals that do not mate gather in flocks.
The photos are taken in Veiðivötn in the South Iceland Interior.
Love birds
We enjoy watching out for the birds in our garden and feeding them. Spring and summer are something we look forward to – the time when everything comes alive and the birds start courting and nest making. But summer time is not all blizz. Almost everyday newly hatched chicks fall prey to overfed house cats. This sketch is an interpretation of a pair mourning the loss of a young one.
Rivals driven away
Mýtvatn is the place in Iceland where you can expect to see the Gadwall (Anas strepera). They can very often be seen in pairs because they find their mate as early as late autumn and stay together the whole winter.
Here we see a male vigorously chasing a rival away from his mate.
The Gadwall is known for stealing food from other ducks. They are widespread and increasing in numbers. In Iceland they mainly breed in the North, around Mývatn.
With a beak full of flies
In our last Wagtail blog the White Wagtail had its beak full of nesting material. Now it has its beak full of flies and larva for its young ones. We have not spotted the chicks yet but they stay in the nest until they can fly. The Wagtail lays eggs only once each summer, not twice or three times like the Thrushes.
Colorful Teal
The smallest Icelandic duck is the Teal (Anas crecca). It is also one of the most colorful ducks, as well as perhaps the most beautiful.
It can be seen all over Iceland, both in lowlands and highlands. It is, however, usually not easy to get close to it as it is shy and easily disturbed.
The vigilant Merlin
We spotted a pair of Merlins by Goðafoss. They were fighting with a Raven that was trying to get to their nest. This is the male but the female had gone back to the nest. Ravens are scavengers that do not hesitate to steal eggs from other birds’ nests if they get the chance . It did not succeed here and was forcefully driven away.
Eiders and their down
The Eider (Somateria mollissima) is a sea duck and common in Iceland all year round. In the winter time it stays in the ocean around the country. In summer it nests near the shore but ventures up rivers in a few places.
The Eider is famous for its down which is used in pillows and duvets. The eiderdown is gathered manually from the nests, usually in June. When the bird leaves the nest for a few minutes the farmers gather small amounts of down from the nests, replacing it with dry soft grass. Care is taken not to disturb the nest and shortly afterwards the bird lies down on the eggs again.
The Eiders live in colonies and the Eider farmers carefully protect the flocks that choose to nest on their land and the birds return each year.
Herring Gull
The Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) is very common in the Northern hemisphere and their numbers are increasing. More litter from human beings means more food for many species of gulls. The Herring Gull prefers staying near the sea, often in huge flocks, and rarely ventures far inland. In Iceland it is most common in the eastern part of the country.
We came across this one in the harbour of the picturesque town, Siglufjörður, in Northern Iceland. The Herring Gull often seems more gracious and cleaner than other bigger gulls.
