One branch of a big Rowan tree here in the garden seems to be very attractive to small birds.
A Robin and a Blackcap perched on the same spot of the branch in the lovely weather we had yesterday. The Robin sang his heart out although it is almost December.
Now it is the time of year when we can start looking forward to seeing the Waxwing. They sometimes come in huge flocks from Scandinavia or even all the way east from Siberia. This autumn a few have been spotted in the northern part of the country and the east.
We have apples for them in the garden and as you can see from the photoes they quite like them. –Now we just have to wait patiently and see if they will pay us a visit.
The photoes are taken in January 2011 and do not need explaining. During this time there were groups of Waxwings in Selfoss and we had 6 -10 in our garden most days and sometimes the birds fought for the apples.
In the last few days we have seen one or two Robins (Erithacus rubecula) in the garden. In the “spring” weather today one was singing by our front door. I say spring weather because the temperature has been around 10° C which is most uncommon for this part of the year.
There are a lot of Robins in Iceland now, mainly in the East and Southeast. They are vagrants and probably annual visitors but it is a long time since so many have been seen. Long time no see – it has been 20 years since we last saw one in our garden so we are very excited.
The Robin is a common garden bird in Britian but in Scandinavia they are shy woodland birds. The Robins that are visiting Iceland now are probably originated from Scandinavia.
The Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) used to be a very rare vagrant in Iceland but in recent years they have been seen more often. The birds that come to Iceland probably come from Great Britain or Ireland where their numbers have been increasing in the last 20 years.
This guy was taking a stroll by the River Ölfusá in October. It is the first Little Egret that I see this year and probably the second bird to be seen in Iceland this year.
More information on the Little Egret
https://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/l/littleegret/
The Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) is the most common passerine, or perching bird, in Iceland. Meadow Pipits in Iceland are believed to be around one million. They usually live in open habitats where they breed and they feed on insects.
Meadow Pipits come to the garden both in spring and autumn, often in groups.
There are a lot of Blackcaps in Iceland now. In the last couple of days we have had 4 -5 of both genders staying in the garden. They claim territories and therefore there has been a battle between them. It seems that one of them has taken ownership in the garden south of the house and another north of the house.
The Blackcaps like apples and pears a lot and are in constant competition with Thrushes and Starlings for these delicacies .
Blackcaps are vagrants in Iceland and have in a few instances managed to survive through the winter here in the garden. They have the most chance of surviving when the winters are mild. We’ll see what happens this winter.
This photo was taken yesterday, November 16, of a male Blackcap.
Volcanic eruption in Holuhraun/Bardarbunga, Iceland, is still going strong. The lavafield grows bigger daily and earthquakes are constant.
Here you can see earthquakes in Iceland: http://www.vedur.is/skjalftar-og-eldgos/jardskjalftar
The Blackcap likes apples. The male Blackcap has a black cap but the female has a brown cap. Watch the Blackcap nibbling on the apple.
This is the Red-Throated Diver with one of its chicks. The Red-Throated Diver always lays two eggs and in this case the other chick was nearby. There is some difference in size between the sexes which can only be seen when the pair is together. So whether this is the proud father, or mother, remains unknown. The photo is taken in Flói Nature Reserve.
–Beautiful motive of a baby bird with its parent 🙂
