Birds

The Long-Tailed Duck is a threatened species

The Long-Tailed Duck is a noticable duck because of its beautiful colours and long tail. Global warming is probably a threat to its existence.  It is on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with the status vulnerable. In the wintertime it stays in the ocean around Iceland but in the summer it is a breeding bird in the interior where the climate  is colder, more arctic.

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Hávella – Long-Tailed Duck – Clangula hyemalis

This picture is taken in Veiðivötn, Fishing Lakes, in the interior of Iceland. The male bird is at the front, the female behind.

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Birds

Gets its name from stealing food

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The Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus) – dark morph

The Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus) gets its name from stealing food from other birds. Doesn’t sound nice, does it? It is a seabird and also goes by the name of Arctic Skua. We think that is a better name.

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The Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus) – light morph

The Arctic Skua is a migratory bird in Iceland and arrives  here in early May. It can be found throughout the country. It makes its nest in sandy soil even in the interior although it is a seabird that stays mostly near the sea .

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Animals

8 days to Christmas

Today when it’s only 8 days to Christmas we bring you this little wood mouse that we have seen several times this year. The beautiful little thing has some different colour variations than the ordinary ones.  – Here it is in the snow in the food set out for the birds at the family summerhouse, and the birds are glad to share 🙂

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Birds

9 days to Christmas

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Auðnutittlingur – Redpoll – Carduelis flammea

It’s 9 days to Christmas and we bring you this snowy Redpoll. It’s not only cold for humans, it’s cold for everyone, including birds.  It’s been exceptionally cold for this time of year and blizzards day after day, something that one is not used to until January. – But it looks a lot like Christmas 🙂

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Birds

The roles of the sexes is reversed

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Red-Necked Phalarope – Phalaropus lobatus

The Red-Necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) is a wader and can often be seen on ponds, lakes and streams. With the Red-Necked Phalarope the roles of the sexes is reversed. After the female has laid the eggs she goes her way leaving the male with the responsibility of the nest and the upbringing of the chicks. They are migratory birds and leave for the winter. Some probably go all the way to the Pacific, West of Peru.

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Animals

The Wood Mouse is a funny little creature

There are a lot of Wood Mice in Iceland. They are well adapted to the cold and live in underground holes which they dig. They gather all kinds of seeds and stuff in their holes for the winter.

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Hagamús – Wood Mouse – Apodemus sylvaticus

If it gets really cold they might try and get into your house or preferably your summerhouse and you will see their droppings next time you’re there.

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Hagamús – Wood Mouse – Apodemus sylvaticus
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Birds, Garden

The agility of the Merlin

The Merlin is the most common predatory bird in Iceland. They prey on small birds, mostly feeding on Meadow Pipits and Snow Buntings. Sometimes they even manage to catch Starlings and Redwings.

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Smyrill – Merlin – Falco columbarius (female)

Most of them are migrating birds and go to West Europe for the winter. There are always some that overwinter here and they follow the flocks of Snow Buntings that come into towns for food in the winter time.

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Smyrill – Merlin – Falco columbarius (male)

In the last few days they have been daily visitors in the garden, both males and females. Although it is always sad to see them catch their prey, one can not but admire them for their agility and beauty when they fly low between the tree trunks.

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Smyrill – Merlin – Falco columbarius
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