Tag Archives: Vireo olivaceus

Birds

Common American vagrant

Græningi – Red-eyed Vireo – Vireo olivaceus

The Red-eyed Vireo is an American vagrant and a near annual in Iceland. This autumn two have been spotted in Iceland, one in Stokkseyri and the other near the neighbouring village Eyrarbakki, in Floi Reserve.

This is the third year in a row that a Red-eyed Vireo is spotted in the same garden in Stokkseyri – nice coincident that. The birds that fly off course, way over the North Atlantic, will not survive the winter in Iceland. Their winter habitat is in warmer climates, in lowland forests in South America.

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Birds

Three rare birds in a day

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Græningi – Red-eyed Vireo – Vireo olivaceus

Bird watching is an interesting pass time. There are not as many species to observe on an isolated island like Iceland, out in the North Atlantic Ocean, as there are on the mainland. But there are days when exotic birds are seen,some of which have come from afar. Today was such a day.

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Garðaskotta – Redstart – Phoenicurus phoenicurus

On my  bird watching trip down to the shore I saw three vagrant bird species; Red-eyed Vireo from America, and Chiffchaff and Redstart from Europe.  The Red-eyed Vireo and the Redstart were seen in a garden in the village Stokkseyri on the exact same spot that I saw a Red-eyed Vireo on September 30, last year. Strange coincidence that. The Red-eyed Vireo is one of the most common American vagrants in Iceland and I have seen five in the last few years.

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Chiffchaff – Phylloscopus collybita – Gransöngvari

These are all taken today.

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Birds

Red-eyed Vireo – a rare American guest

American vagrants are rare in Iceland but usually there is a bird or two that accidentally gets blown over here every year. The Red-eyed Vireo  (Vireo olivaceus) is one of the most common small American vagrants and has been recorded here 21 times. This little vagrant has been seen twice in Selfoss and once here in our garden.

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Græningi – Red-eyed Vireo – Vireo olivaceus

These photoes are taken in Stokkseyri, South Iceland, September 30, 2014.

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