Category Archives: Birds

Birds

Little Egret by the river

This Little Egret was taking a stroll by the river Ölfúsá where it flows through Selfoss. It’s the first heron of this kind I have come across this year. Actually only two of these have been spotted in Iceland this year and this is the second one.

bjarthegri-4

The Little Egert used to be a very rare vagrant in Iceland but  in recent years the numbers are increasing. They probably come from Great Britain or Ireland. His relative the Grey Heron, however, is a very common vagrant in Iceland especially during winter.

Share
Birds, Garden

Redpoll or Arctic Redpoll

Redpolls vary both in size and in shade of brown. The Icelandic variety is the palest and has whiter wing bars and less streaked underparts than others.

hrimtittlingur

Today I saw two unusually white Redpolls which resemble the  Arctic Redpoll a lot. They are probably just ordinary Redpolls but quite unlike the normal Icelandic  Redpoll. This is one of the whiter ones

hrimtittlingur-2

and this is the other one. Below is a normal Icelandic Redpoll.

audnutittlingur-61

Share
Birds, Garden

Common Crossbill

krossnefir-9

Common Crossbills are new breeding birds in Iceland.  New spruce and pine forests are growing fast in many places in Iceland and are now big enough to be a habitat for some new settlers like the Crossbills.
They are regular birds in my garden and I feed them on sunflower seeds. This pair was in a group of seven Crossbills coming to the feeding place this beautiful Sunday morning.

Share
Birds, Garden

The most common garden bird

audnutittlingur-58

In former times Redpolls could only be found in birch forests in North Iceland. In the sixties they started to breed in South Iceland and are now among the most common breeding birds in woods and gardens.  Around 50-70 Redpolls visit the feeder in my garden every day.

Redpolls are my favourites because they are very active, charming and have a great diversity in colour and appearance.

audnutittlingur-43

Share
Birds, Garden

Blackcap

blackcap

This male Blackcap visited my garden this morning. He was not shy when I came along with my camera. But it was difficult to get close to the female who accompanied him.  The Blackcap is a vagrant in Iceland but an annual guest in my garden and sometimes I have managed to keep a few of them alive through the whole winter.

– Stay tuned for updates on this couple.

Share