Birds

Purple mountain saxifrage

Purple mountain saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia) is a common plant in mountains and highlands. It has the northernmost plant habitat in the world. In Iceland is rather common throughout the country, from lowlands up to an altitude of about 1500 m. It can be found in rocks, cliffs, crevices, gravel and mountainsides.

vetrarblom-3
Vetrarblóm – Purple mountain saxifrage – Saxifraga oppositifolia

It is among the first plants to bloom. In lowlands it blooms in April but in highlands as late as June. Today the Purple mountain saxifrage was just starting to bloom in the  slopes of Mount Ingólfsfjall, just outside Selfoss.

Share
Birds

Seeing Wheatears made our day

steindepill-5
Steindepill – Wheatear – Oenanthe oenanthe

We were looking for a Gyrfalcon, which we did not find, when we came across our first  Wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) this spring. There were a few at the roots of Mount Ingólfsfjall, most of them males. Their winter grounds are in West Africa.  They make their nests in rocks, lava and  heathland, mostly in lowlands but also in highlands. Greenlandic Wheatears stopover in Iceland in spring and autumn on their way to their breeding grounds in Greenland. The breeding population here counts around 50,000 pairs.

steindepill-4

The photos were taken today.

Share
Birds

The most beautiful wader

jadrakan-3
Jaðrakan – Black-tailed Godwit – Limosa limosa

In the last few days a few Black-tailed Godwits (Limosa limosa) have been spotted near Selfoss. This morning there were 12 on the banks of  Ölfusá River and a few flying by the seaside in Eyrarbakki. The Black-tailed Godwit is one of the most beautiful waders that breed in Iceland and their arrival in spring awaited with anticipation.

jadrakan
Oystercatcher and Black-tailed Godwit this morning near Eyrarbakki
Share
Birds

Celebrating The First Day of Summer

margaesir-2
Brent Geese in huge flocks flying in from the sea and Eiders by Ölfusá River mouth this morning

Today Icelanders celebrate the coming of summer – it is the First Day of Summer. Can you believe it? Here in the North where the weather forecast predicts frost, and snow in the north of the country, we are all hyper optimistic and wishing each other a good summer.  The folk lore says that if there is frost the night before the First Day of Summer, winter and summer freeze together, and the summer will be a good one. This happened tonight. Statistics, on the other hand, tell us that this is not correct. But this we close our ears to.

The photo was taken this morning of Brent Geese and Eiders by Ölfusá River- mouth. Brent Geese are now arriving in huge flocks, having flown over the Atlantic from their winter grounds in the British Isles. Here they have a stopover on their way to their summer grounds in North Canada.

Share
Birds

Tagged Greylag Goose – AZF

You always see tagged birds once in a while. The bigger ones sometimes have tags around the neck but it is more usual to see ringing on the feet, at least on smaller birds. Tagging gives information about the migration of birds between countries. It can also give indictions  of how old wild birds can get .

gragaes-5
Grágæs – Greylag Goose – Anser anser

This Greylag Goose was tagged in Dell of Killyhuntly, near Kinguusie, Highland Region, Scotland on May 22, 2012. Here it is in a meadow just south of Selfoss, South Iceland on April 20, 2015. This is a female Greylag and it was two years old when it was tagged.

It most likely goes to Scotland every year but its breeding place in Iceland is not known.

Share
Birds

The biggest dabbling duck

stokkond
Stokkönd – Mallard – Anas platyrhynchos

The Mallard  (Anas platyrhynchos) is the biggest of the dabbling ducks. It is the most common and widely spread duck in lowlands in Iceland but it is scarce in the interior. Most of them overwinter in Iceland, staying by the seaside or in the sea.  Some probably go to the British Isles for winter.  The breeding population in Iceland is estimated around 15,000 pairs.

Share
Birds

This one is early

The first White Wagtail this spring arrived in the garden today. She went straight to the spruce tree where Wagtails have made their nest in recent years.  It seemed to know its way around the place.

mariuerla-2
Maríuerla – Pied Wagtail – Montacilla alba

The White Wagtail goes all the way to West Africa for winter and most arrive back in Iceland  in May. This one is unusually early. The Icelandic breeding population counts around 50,000 pairs.

Share
Birds

Meadow Pipits coming home

tufutittlingur
Þúfutittlingur – Meadow Pipit – Anthus pratensis

Meadow Pipits (Anthus pratensis) are now arriving in Iceland with the southeast winds. Yesterday and today they were seen flying over Selfoss. The Meadow Pipit is the most common passerine bird in Iceland, with a breeding population estimated 500,000 – 1,000,000 pairs. They are common breeding birds all over the country, also in the interior where there is some vegetation.  The Meadow Pipit’s winter grounds are in Southwest Europe and in Morocco.

Share

Enjoy nature with us