In the last few nights Northern Lights have adorned the night sky over Iceland. From around August 20 the nights become dim enough for the Northern Lights to become visible, but in summer it is too bright. Last night, around midnight, the Northern Lights could be seen, here in the sky above the church at Úlfljótsvatn (South Iceland, near Þingvallavatn). They were bright enough to be seen despite the bright moonlight.
The Canada Goose is an annual vagrant in Iceland. Most of these geese probably come from Europe. Once in a while, however, a smaller type is seen which could be originated from North America.
In the last few weeks a smaller Canada Goose (perhaps ssp interior) has been seen among some Whooper Swans by Lake Snjóölduvatn in Veiðivötn (Fishing Lakes) in the South Interior. It is rather shy and not easy to get near it.
The wail of the Great Northern Diver (Common Loon) is very familiar and is used unsparingly in the film industry. It is one of the top ten sound effects we all recognise from movies. Hear it here. Movies from all over the world seem to use its call. To the ear of the birder it sounds very silly, especially when it is used in places far from the Great Northern Diver’s habitat.
Icelandic sands are usually black lending the scenery a dark desolate appearance. Black sands are not so common in other places.
The Icelandic sands are composed of volcanic minerals and lava. These sands can be found on the coasts of volcanic islands such as Hawai, the Canary Islands, the Aleutians, to name a few.
Black sands are nice backgrounds for photographing people. Here is Aldís who loves the barren interior of Iceland. It’s raining and the wind is blowing but that only makes the experience more worthwhile.
The sand is black because many volcanic minerals and rocks are dark-coloured. Common rock types of volcanic islands are basalt, andesite and volcanic glass. Minerals such as pyroxene, amphibole and iron oxide also lend the sand its black colour.
Casting orange and pink colours over the now calm river and the night sky makes you want time to stand still. The nights are no longer bright, sunset being at around 9.30 by now, just after the middle of August. Soon we will be saying goodbye to summer but hopefully we will get a few good days before autumn is here. The forecast is promising warm weather for the next week although perhaps a bit wet during the weekend.
The Purple Sandpiper is a breeding bird in the Icelandic highlands but during the winter time it resides along the coast.
In the beginning of August I came across this Purple Sandpiper with its two chicks in Veiðivötn (Fishing Lakes) in the southern interior. They move down to the sea once frost and snow make it impossible for them to get to their feed.
Jökulsárlón, Glacier Lagoon, is in the southeast of Iceland. It is one of the most famous tourist attractions here. Around 200 to 300 thousand people come there every year and several thousand come to see the annual fireworks show.
Yesterday was the 16th time this event took place. The fireworks are lit up from the icebergs in the lagoon and light up the the ice and the water, – a beautiful spectacle. It’s well worth the trip there when the weather is favourable.
These photoes are from the event in August 2012.
The Great Northern Diver raises its chicks on trout fry and therefore resides on lakes that offer such food. This Diver has one chick which is most common although the eggs are two. The parents can seldom find enough food for two chicks to survive, thus only one lives to become an adult. This bird with its chick was in Veiðivötn Lakes in the southern highlands.
I photographed this Barrow’s Goldeneye with 7 recently hatched ducklings at Veiðivötn /Hraunvötn, southern highlands in the week – a very late date for such young birds. In Iceland Barrow’s Goldeneye is more or less restricted to the north-east although some pairs do breed in the southern highlands.
