Birds

Blackbirds singing in the morning twilight

Three males and one female / Svartþröstur – Blackbird – Turdus merula

The Blackbirds started singing for the females in the morning twilight last week, despite the frost and snow. The days are getting longer and it is quite obvious that it is the light that affects their hormones, not the temperature.

Last night the frost went down to – 18° and up to about 20 Blackbirds came to the feed trays. There was a lot of commotion and fierceness, as they fought to catch the females’ attention.

The Blackbirds usually start breeding in Selfoss in the end of March or beginning of April. It is common for them to breed up to four times during the summer.

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Birds

The Great Backyard Bird Count – Cornell and Audubon

This weekend is the annual Great Backyard Bird Count hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. People from all over the world take part and some Icelanders as well.

Skógarþröstur – Redwing – Turdus iliacus

The Great Backyard Bird Count began in 1998.  Participants need to observe and count the numbers of different kinds of birds in their garden for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, February 14-17. Participants can count from any location, anywhere in the world, for as long as they wish!
More information, and to register, see the website:
https://gbbc.birdcount.org

The Icelandic Backyard Bird Count is a similar event hosted by Fuglavernd in Iceland and is usually in the end of January.

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Birds

White-tailed Eagle near Selfoss

Haförn – White tailed Eagle – Haliaeetus albicilla

White-tailed Eagles are not so uncommon around Selfoss in winter although they breed in the Western part of Iceland. At this time of year they can sometimes be seen flying over the river in search of prey especially when it is cold and snowy.

River Ölfusá is the ideal winter habitat for ducks and geese because it never freezes over, thus making it also an ideal spot to visit for birds of prey such as White-tailed Eagles.

This adult White-tailed Eagle has been spotted several times in recents weeks in the area and I managed to catch these long distance photos on one of my trips.

The White-tailed Eagle’s main breeding territory is around Breiðafjörður Fjord in West Iceland.  In total around 75 pairs breed in Iceland and two thirds of the population in the area around Breiðafjörður.

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Atmosphere, Weather

Mother-of-pearl-clouds

Glitský (perlumóðurský) – nacreous cloud

Mother-of-pearl-clouds have been seen in many places over Iceland in the last few days. These are magnificent manifestations that sometimes appear in Arctic regions from the end November to February. This only occurs in the twilight and can both be in the evening and morning.

This phenomenon appears when it is very cold in the stratosphere (in the altitude of 15–30 km) with temperatures below the ice frost point, near -80°, which turns all moisture in the air into ice crystals.

These luminous clouds are also referred to as Ice polar stratospheric clouds or Nacreous clouds. The photos are taken about one hour before sunrise, at about 10 o’clock, from our house in Selfoss, Iceland.

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Birds

Gyrfalcon chasing ducks

Fálki – Gyrfalcon – Falco rusticolus

Gyrfalcons are out and about at this time of year in search of prey but they are annual guests here in the winter time.  At other times of the year they keep to their territories, most of them in the North. In the last two weeks an adult and a young bird have been spotted in the area. They fly over the river, chasing ducks and occasionally manage to succeed.

These predatory birds are always of interest and these photoes show the young Gyrfalcon. The ducks seemed to feel secure on the water although the falcon was in the air.

 

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Birds

Christmas guests

Silkitoppa – Bohemian Waxwing – Bombycilla garrulus

Not only did we have our precious family here for Christmas but also some very beautiful guests in the garden.  Two Bohemian Waxwings added to the festivities, as well as of course our usual Redpolls, Blackbirds, Redwings, Crossbills and Starlings. A lone Snow Bunting and a Brambling also enjoyed the Christmas feed we put out.

Merry Christmas and peace to everyone – in the hope that we can make our World a good place to live.

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Birds

Lighting up our days

Krossnefur – Common Crossbill – Loxia curvirostra

A flock of Common Crossbills comes to feed in the garden. In the last few days they have been up to fifteen, brightening up our days as they crowd the feeding tray.  In December these colourful  birds and the snow  add to the merriment of Christmas.

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Birds

Two-barred Crossbill

Víxlnefur – Two-barred Crossbill – Loxia leucoptera

A female Two-barred Crossbill has been in outside our living room window now for about a week, much to our delight. This bird is a very rare vagrant in Iceland, making this all the more exciting. The first one of its kind was recorded in Iceland in the Eastfjords, Stöðvarfjörður, in 2009. This female Two-barred Crossbill appeared here in the company of Common Crossbills which have now all left the garden.

With Common Crossbills on the feeder

Speculation is ongoing whether this guest is American or Siberian. The call of the Two-barred Crossbill could give us the answer, but, as of yet, I have not been able to record it successfully. This bird is, however, most likely a guest from the East, i.e. Siberian, as groups of Siberian Two-barred Crossbills visited the country this summer. This is probably one of these summer guests that has decided to stay on.

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Birds

Grey Wagtail in Selfoss

Straumerla – Grey Wagtail – Motacilla cinerea

The Grey Wagtail is an annual guest in Iceland. It is related to the White Wagtail and similar in size and shape, except the tail which is much longer.

They usually stay by streams or lakes and this bird was by River Ölfusá last week looking for and eating small animals from the moss by the riverbank.

This bird probably comes from Western Europe but different races of Grey Wagtails live farther south and east.

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