Birds

Grey Wagtail wintering in Reykjavík

Straumerla – Grey Wagtail – Motacilla cinerea  (with Black-headed Gull in winter plumage)

A Grey Wagtail has been spotted in downtown Reykjavík in the last two weeks. It has mostly been seen around the Pond.

Grey Wagtails are rather uncommon in Iceland but they have been spotted here around 50 times.They are common breeding birds in West Europe to the east of Asia. Their winter grounds are in South Asia and Africa.

The photos are taken by the Pond in Reykjavík, on Friday, 6 January, (500 mm lens and 70-80% crop), from a distance of 70 m.  The birds on the photos are Black-headed gulls in winter plumage.

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Landscape

Hjálp waterfall

Hjálp waterfall in Þjórsárdalur

Hjálparfoss Waterfall in Thjosardalur (Þjórsárdalur)  is situated just before the road takes you into the Southern Highlands and is easy to access from the main road. It is a beautiful place, the double waterfall, the lagoon and some interesting lava formations make it a place you should definitely not leave out if you are in the area. It is more than worth the while to hike down the short footpath to the river although the view from the parking place is great.

There are some very interesting places to visit in Thjorsardalur Valley and you should not pass them by. One of these is Gjáin, not far from Hálparfoss.

Hjálp at summer time
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Birds

Little Auk in the harbour

Haftyrðill – Little Auk (dovekie) – Alle alle

Today and in the last few days Little Auks have been spotted in the harbour in Thorlakshofn (Þorlákshöfn) where they seek shelter from the storm. The Little Auk is an Arctic bird and rather common by the Icelandic coastline in the winter time.

It used to be a breeding bird by the north coast and in islands north of Iceland but has now disappeared as a breeding bird from these areas probably because of global warming. It is now a common breeding bird in Arctic areas such as Greenland, Jan Mayen and Svalbard.

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Birds, Weather

Stormy weather

Storm at the sea

In the last few days one storm after another has moved across Iceland. Most days the wind has  been between 15 – 23 m/s. This has disrupted travels and plans for Christmas. Life for sea birds has also been difficult in the turbulent sea.  Some look for shelter in fjords and harbours where the wind is not as harsh as out in the open seas.

The harbour in Thorlakshofn (Þorlákshöfn) is one of these sheltering places where birds flock in bad weathers.

Black Guillemot – Teista – Cepphus grylle (winter plumage)

Groups of Eiders, Long-Tailed Ducks, Red-Breasted Mergansers and Gulls have been there and a few Cormorants and King Eiders have been seen. Also a Black Guillemot and a Razorbill in the company of Little Auks.

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Garden, Weather

The shortest day of the year

Today was the shortest day of the year, winter solstice. The sun rose at about 11.15  and will set at around 15.30. It was a beautiful day, with intermittent snowfall and some blue skies could even be seen during the brightest time of the day. The weather forecast predicts a White Christmas and today was one of these perfect days to get into a Christmas mood.

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Birds

No two are the same

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Auðnutittlingur – Redpoll – Carduelis flammea

After a few years decline the Redpoll population seems to have grown considerably. The summer was extra warm and huge flocks are now seen in gardens and forests. Today there were 80 of them here in the garden.

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They are feeding on sunflower seeds that we put out for them. Sunflower seed attracts a wide variety of birds into gardens.  It is interesting to study the Redpolls different colour variations, no two are the same.

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Birds, Landscape

Gauksmýri – bird watching

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Gauksmýri is in the western part of North Iceland, in the county Húnavatnssýsla. Near the farm, by the same name, is a birdwatching location where wetland has been restored. The birdlife there is colourful and diverse.

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On your way North it is ideal to visit the bird watching house by the pond. There you will find some binoculars and birding guidebooks. 35 different bird species have been spotted there, e.g. swans, ducks, geese, horned grebes to name a few.

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Birds

Wrong destination – Iceland

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Peðgrípur – Red-breasted Flycatcher – Ficedula parva

We have had endless rains and southeasterly storms in the last few weeks. With these quite a number of small European birds have been blown over here. This is not uncommon but this autumn is special because we have also had vagrants from Asia. The Red-breasted Flycatcher is one of these. It is originated all the way from Eastern Europe and Siberia. Its winter grounds are in Asia and instead going there it ended up in the North, in Iceland.

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This bird was spotted in some shrubs in a garden near Vík in Mýrdalur, Southeast Iceland. This is a new bird for me! X

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