Charming village on the coast

February 11, 2016 Örn Óskarsson

Eyrarbakki is a small town on the south coast. It was formerly the main harbour town and trading place on the south coast.

It is known for its quint old houses that were built close to one another along the coast. Now it has become a popular place to live in and more and more houses are being renovated.

The House (Húsið) is a museum of olden times. It is in one of Iceland’s oldest buildings from 1765. It was built by Danish merchants who overwintered in Iceland.

The village Eyrarbakki, along with its beautiful coastline, is a popular tourist attraction.

Birds

Just a short stop

February 7, 2016 Örn Óskarsson

krossnefur-9 — Krossnefur – Common Crossbill – Loxia curvirostra

A pair of Common Crossbills came by the garden last week, just this once, as far as we know. We are hoping that these beautiful tame birds come to stay. They eat sunflower seeds from the seed feeders.

The Common Crossbills come and visit every once in a while but more often we see them fly over without coming by.

Birds

Winter birds

February 4, 2016 Örn Óskarsson

audnutittlingur-6 — Auðnutittlingur – Redpoll – Carduelis flammea

In the snow yesterday and today birds have streamed into the garden in search of food. We counted 90 Redpolls, 27 Redwings, 10 Blackbirds, 5 Fieldfares, 50 Starlings, a Snow Bunting and a Goldfinch.

This is a bunch of hungry birds and we went out twice today to fill the feeding trays with sunflower seeds and corn, and to give them bread crumbs and apples.

Birds

Still alive

February 3, 2016 Örn Óskarsson

tistilfinka-16 — Þistilfinka – Goldfinch – Carduelis carduelis

The Goldfinch is still in Selfoss and coming every day to our garden. There was some concern that a Merlin had caught it last weekend. A Merlin made a swift attack and caught a bird but thankfully it was not the Goldfinch as we thought. The next day it appeared again in the garden with the group of Redpolls.

The Goldfinch is staying in the company of Redpolls behaving as they do and eating the same feed. In the last few days it has had to endure a blizzard, frost down to – 13°C and the attacks of a Merlin and a Short-eared Owl.

Birds

Arriving in flocks

January 30, 2016 Örn Óskarsson

audnutittlingur-2 — Auðnutittlingur – Redpoll – Carduelis flammea

Again Redpolls have appeared in flocks in Selfoss hunting for food. In the last few days up to 40 have been in our garden. These chirpy and beautiful birds are welcome guests. Few of them were seen here before Christmas and birders and garden owners missed them and speculated as to their whereabouts. Some even maintained that the stock had declined or that Redpolls had fled the country. The truth is that enough seed was to be had in birch forests after a favourable summer. So there was no need for them to leave the forest in search of feed in urban areas. However, here they are again to the joy of probably everyone.

The photos are from this weekend in our garden in Selfoss.

Birds

First seen in 2005

January 24, 2016 Örn Óskarsson

tistilfinka-2 — Þistilfinka – Goldfinch – Carduelis carduelis

This morning a Goldfinch turned up in the garden. This is a new species in the garden, number 50 and a new bird on our Icelandic bird list. The Goldfinch is common in Europe but seldom ventures more northerly than the southern regions of Scandinavia.

Goldfinches were first seen in Iceland in 2005 and fifteen birds have been spotted since then. Most of these birds have been seen in Hornafjörður in Southeast Iceland. This is the first time the Goldfinch has been seen so westerly.

Birds

Out on the ice

January 23, 2016 Kristin

falki-3 — Fálki – Gyrfalcon – Falco rusticolus

It is always exciting to see a Gyrfalcon, the biggest falcon in the world. Its main food source in Iceland is the Ptarmigan but it also hunts other birds such as ducks, geese and gulls. Last weekend we saw a Gyrfalcon eating a duck far out on the ice on Ellidavatn Lake, just outside Reykjavik. The Gyrfalcon was shy and not prepared to let a photographer get anywhere near.

By cropping the photo identification was possible and this time the Gyrfalcon had managed to catch a male Red-breasted Merganser.

Birds

Singing in January

January 17, 2016 Örn Óskarsson

krossnefur-3 — Krossnefur – Common Crossbill – Loxia curvirostra – young male

I found some Common Crossbills on my walk in Grímsnes, South Iceland, last week. One male was already singing. In the last few years the Common Crossbills have started breeding in spruce and pine forests in February although it is still winter.

krossnefur-4 — Common Crossbill – female

It will be interesting to see if this will also be the case this winter. We will be keeping an eye on them.

Landscape

Clear skies, snow and frost

January 14, 2016 Örn Óskarsson

olfusa — Ölfusá River in Selfoss, South Iceland

On Monday night we had a blizzard with blocked roads and the like. The last two days, however, have been exceptionally beautiful. Clear skies and calm winds, snow and ice everywhere. Winter days do not get much better than this if we leave out how difficult it is to get around, the dangerously slippery conditions and the frost that has been down to minus 10°.

Ölfusá River and Mount Ingólfsfjall — Mount Ingólfsfjall

Birds

Ivory Gull

January 11, 2016 Örn Óskarsson

ismafur-3 — Ísmáfur – Ivory Gull – Pagophila eburnea

The Ivory Gull is a breeding bird by the shores of the Arctic Sea. It has a near-circumpolar distribution in Arctic seas, breeding from north Canada, Greenland, Svalbard and islands off northern Russia.

Young Ivory Gulls are white with specs of grey and black in the wings and tail. When adult they become all white. Young birds are seen by Icelandic shores every year but grown-ups are rarely seen.

Today and yesterday a young Ivory Gull was seen in Þorlákshöfn, in South Iceland. The photos are taken today.

ORNOSK – birds, landscape, weather

Charming village on the coast

Just a short stop

Winter birds

Still alive

Arriving in flocks

First seen in 2005

Out on the ice

Singing in January

Clear skies, snow and frost

Ivory Gull

Enjoy nature with us