A flock of Common Crossbills comes to feed in the garden. In the last few days they have been up to fifteen, brightening up our days as they crowd the feeding tray. In December these colourful birds and the snow add to the merriment of Christmas.
A female Two-barred Crossbill has been in outside our living room window now for about a week, much to our delight. This bird is a very rare vagrant in Iceland, making this all the more exciting. The first one of its kind was recorded in Iceland in the Eastfjords, Stöðvarfjörður, in 2009. This female Two-barred Crossbill appeared here in the company of Common Crossbills which have now all left the garden.
Speculation is ongoing whether this guest is American or Siberian. The call of the Two-barred Crossbill could give us the answer, but, as of yet, I have not been able to record it successfully. This bird is, however, most likely a guest from the East, i.e. Siberian, as groups of Siberian Two-barred Crossbills visited the country this summer. This is probably one of these summer guests that has decided to stay on.
The Grey Wagtail is an annual guest in Iceland. It is related to the White Wagtail and similar in size and shape, except the tail which is much longer.
They usually stay by streams or lakes and this bird was by River Ölfusá last week looking for and eating small animals from the moss by the riverbank.
This bird probably comes from Western Europe but different races of Grey Wagtails live farther south and east.
The Little Egret is a majestic bird although quite small. In its very white plumage it stands out and is easily noticed. From August until the beginning of October this Little Egret was on River Ölfusá by Selfoss town.
The Little Egret has become an annual vagrant in Iceland in recent years. They used to be quite rare here but with rising temperatures their numbers are on the increases. Now they are usually seen here both in spring and autumn and some reside through the summer and winter.
These vagrants probably come from the British Isles.
The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is an American vagrant and this is the third recorded bird for Iceland. Last spring one was found dead and the other was spotted in Þorlákshöfn in 2001. This Rose-breasted Grosbeak has been in Sólbrekka, in Reykjanes Peninsula, for more than a week now. It is almost the same size as the Redwings, which there are a lot of, and is easy to spot where it regularly comes to the feeding area – a great treat for birdwatchers.
The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is a large, seed-eating grosbeak of the Cardinal family. It breeds in cool-temperate North America and migrates to tropical America in winter.
The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is a very rare vagrant in western Europe.
One of a great many advantages of forestation is the increase in bird species. With growing spruce forests the Goldcrest has now spread over most of Iceland and become a native here. Its main habitat is spruce forests as its main food source are aphids that suck sap from spruce trees. Goldcrests are usually non-migratory birds but little is known about their behaviour in Iceland. Some birds stay here the whole winter but whether part of them migrate is not known.
The warm and sunny summer here in the South was very favourable for breeding and a great number of Goldcrests can now be seen in forests in South Iceland.
A Citrine Wagtail was spotted in Grindavík in the beginning of October, where is stayed for about a week. It seems that this little guy has had its time of hardship. Its tail is missing. This is the 15th Citrine Wagtail to be seen here in Iceland. It is related to our Icelandic White Wagtail but comes from Siberia.
It breeds in the tundra and in wet meadows and in winter it migrates to South Asia, mostly to highland areas. More vagrants are now spotted in western Europe as its range is spreading.
In the autumn of 1956 the first Tennessee Warbler was recorded for Iceland, then in Snæfellsnes. Now some 63 years later the second one has been spotted in Reykjanes Peninsula on September 8, by the picturesque lighthouse Reykjanesviti.
The Tennessee Warbler is a breeding bird in the Canadian boreal forests and winters in Central and South America. Its arrival in Iceland is the fault of some heavy southerly winds caused by a low pressure area. These have blown our little friend straight over the North Atlantic and the lights from the lighthouse Reykjanesviti have probably guided it ashore. Reykjanes Peninsula, however, is not the best place for this bird that relies heavily on insects as its main food source. The area is mostly without vegetation but hopefully the Tennessee Warbler will soon start looking for a better place with spruces and pines – its ideal habitat.
A lot of birders have already seen this little bird that does not seem alarmed by the attention. It is probably not far from the truth to say it may be the most “twitched” bird in one day ever in Iceland.
By now the Golden Plovers have started gathering for their annual migration flight over the Atlantic to their winter grounds. When it gets colder here, even as late as November, they head south, many to the British Isles but also to Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and North Africa.
It is estimated that a little less than half of the total Golden Plover population in the world breed in Iceland. They are migrators that arrive early in April and leave late in the autumn. They can be seen all over the country, from the seaside into the highlands. Their favourite habitat is in dry heathland where vegetation is rather scarce.
With rising temperatures conditions in the highlands are getting better for the Golden Plover, as well as some other birds that have until a few years ago preferred the lowlands. The breeding population in Iceland counts around 300,000 pairs.
The first Common Kingfisher has been spotted in Iceland. It was first seen August 18 by a forest pond near Mógilsá, just outside Reykjavík. Since then the most avid birders have spent hours trying to get photoes of this rarity which has proved to be quite a feat.
The Common Kingfisher is a native to most of Europe, Asia and North Africa, and breeds as far north as South Scandinavia. Its favourite habitat is clear water ponds, rivers and lakes with overhanging shrubs and trees by the waterside and fish in abundance.
The forest pond by Mógilsá is probably the ideal place to live for the Common Kingfisher with clear fresh water and both trout and sticklebacks. It is very shy and hides in the trees, giving birders a hard time to catch a picture of it. When it emerges and dives for fish, it is like a blur of colour moving quickly across the water – and you can easily miss it if you are not vigilant enough.
In my second trip I managed to get these pictures which are heavily cropped. Hopefully this Common Kingfisher will take a liking to Iceland and manage to survive the winter. The circumstances seem ideal so we can only hope that it will be joined by another of its kind and start breeding here in coming years.