[Edward]

Update: I saw the White-winged Scoter in the harbour at Njarðvík yesterday, there was also a 1w King Eider there earlier in the day but the birds tend to come and go and it had gone when I got there. The American Wigeon is on its usual pond (the most westerly of the series of ponds, i.e the one nearest the harbour). Very few gulls around yesterday, they are all at sea following the capelin fleet.

12 King Eiders at Akranes yesterday and at least 12 today (including six adult drakes) plus 3 Common x King hybirds. Harlequins there too. All these birds tend to be on the west side of the peninsula on which Akranes is located, rather than in the main harbour. There are about 3,000 Common Eider there at the moment, so just find these big rafts and you are in business.

[pandachris]

Tantalising. with luck by this time tomorrow we might have seen 3 or 4 or even 5 new species.

We spent about 4 hours sea-watching in Wales yesterday to get our eyes in. Virtually nothing about. A few Sandwich Terns and a small Gannet passage was about it, plus 20 seconds of one or two unidentified and distant dolphins and a probable Harbour Porpoise. Dense fog about 2 kms offshore probably didn't help. I'm sure there were more Gannets out there.

[pandachris]

It's not quite sunrise on our final full day in Iceland, a land that has already earned a place in my top 10 countries visited (and I didn;t even know I had one) so time for a quick recap of how it has been.

The trip was a birthday present for Julie and based on foreknowledge of Iceland our aspirations regarding what to see/do were more or less as follows:

1. Orcas - 1st for Julie, 2nd for me - done in spades - we've probably spent 6 hours or more watching them over the last three days.
2. Aurora Borealis properly - as above 22:20 on Thursday to 01:40 yesterday in cloudless skies. They were still in full swing when we finally gave up.
3. Gyr Falcon - not yet
4. Harlequin Duck - easy
5. White-beaked Dolphin - 3 yesterday
6. Barrow's Goldeneye - had to work for these but got some great help from Edward and eventually found three.
7. Brunnich's Guillemot - the magic of birding - spent twenty minutes looking at a raft of auks from the car in strong winds and saw several good candidates but we weren't 100% on them so finally gave in and went to get the scope out but when we stood up we could see auks on nest sites at the top of a nearby stack = 2nd bird we checked through binoculars was an obvious Brunnich's :)
8. a swim in the "Blue Lagoon" - later today

and from research and Edward's assistance we added the following:

9. White-winged Scoter - no luck on day 1 but the wind was fierce and we didn't try too hard. Hopefully another try today.
10. King Eider - we have looked at a lot of Eider but still no joy. Off to Akranes after breakfast and hoping that the current dead calm remains.
11. American Wigeon - first for Julie - really easy, despite the wind - the first wigeon that we looked at and one of the first birds we saw in Iceland.
12. Ptarmigan - surprisingly none yet, though we've heard a few. Would be a new species for Julie. We're up in the Scottish Highlands next month so I'll have to work extra hard to fins one or two.

It's getting lighter now so I'll demist our hotel window and see if the Orcas are about... no sign yet so I'll just have to content myself with the hundreds of Glaucous Gulls in all plumages that are feeding a few metres away.

Any birders fancying a trip to Iceland at this time of year would get encouragement from me. I'll do a full report later.

[ESTEBANNIC]

Pandachris, great information, looking foward to your report!

Can you give me info on the whereabouts of the "Glacous Gull" hotel?

I've still got a few days to go before the trip, just wondering, any recommendations on good places to possibly see Orcas around these dates?? (Edward?) I realise it must be very hit and miss.....

[Edward]

Originally Posted by ESTEBANNIC

Pandachris, great information, looking foward to your report!

Can you give me info on the whereabouts of the "Glacous Gull" hotel?

I've still got a few days to go before the trip, just wondering, any recommendations on good places to possibly see Orcas around these dates?? (Edward?) I realise it must be very hit and miss.....

I imagine that the Glaucous Gull hotel is Hotel Framnes in Grundarfjörður
http://www.hotelframnes.is/index.php...d=55&Itemid=71
I was there the other day (birding outside the hotel, not staying there) and there were hundreds of Glaucous Gulls around and several Harlequins right below it too. I didn't see any Killer Whales but it was quite misty and I didn't stay long. But they occur anywhere along that coast and I've seen them in spring from the cliffs at Öndverðarnes at the end of the peninsula and also at Hellnar on the south side of the peninsula. Just look for large numbers of birds out at sea and you will often find whales there too.
You could also try looking for whales from the lighthouse in Garður in SW Iceland - last week there were Minkes, Humpbacks, Killer Whales and White-beaked Dolphins seen from shore in that area.

E

[ESTEBANNIC]

Great! Many thanks again Edward for the invaluable info. Looking to book at the Framnes for a couple of nights. Really looking foward to the trip now as only a week to go... Got to see those Glaucous gulls!!
Would Reykjavik be a good base to visit Vik as a day trip to see Puffins, or is it too far?

[Edward]

Originally Posted by ESTEBANNIC

Great! Many thanks again Edward for the invaluable info. Looking to book at the Framnes for a couple of nights. Really looking foward to the trip now as only a week to go... Got to see those Glaucous gulls!!
Would Reykjavik be a good base to visit Vik as a day trip to see Puffins, or is it too far?

Yes, you can visit Vík in a day trip from Reykjavík, I've done it many times although it is 400 km there and back (it's light until 9:30 in the evening now so there is plenty of light for birding on a long day). There is also a lot to see on the way, especially in good weather, with big waterfalls and glacier views to look at and there should be some good roadside birding now as migrants are streaming to Iceland. There will be lots of geese (Pink-footed, Greylag, Barnacle and White-fronted) especially on side roads branching off from Road No. 1 such as down road no. 25 to Þykkvabær - junction just before Hvolsvöllur) and road 30 towards Flúðir.
Puffins can be unpredictable early in the season, they often vacate their colonies during the day but they will usually be found on the sea. You can try visiting the spectacular rock arch at Dyrhólaey (road 218) - worth it for the view; or the beach in Reynishverfi (road 215 just before Vík) which has a great back drop of columnar basalt, or Vík itself and cliffs towering over the village.

E

[ESTEBANNIC]

Just like to say a big thank you to Edward and Pandachris for the pointers.

We spent the first day in Grundarfjörður/Snafellsness with fantastic birding from our hotel window, Glacous gull a gem. The next day we did the whole Snafellsness peninsula, even though the weather was iffy we still managed some great birds such as Ptarmigan, Brunich's Guillemot, Harlequin Duck, Red brested Merganser and loads of inbound geese (Barnacle and Brent). Great and Artic Skua were also a plus.
The next couple of days we based ourselves in Reykavik and did the Golden Circle and the south coast to Vik. Puffins are just starting to arrive at their colonies in Vik, loads of geese in the lowlands as promised (Greylag, Pink-footed and White-fronted). The Reykjanes peninsula as Edward pointed out is great. We managed three Gyr falcons near Garður! . Also loads of Wheatears about, quite a few of the dark version leucura. Plenty of waders near Grindavik, mainly Dunlin, Purple sandpipers and Turnstones. Also Snow bunting was easy to find along the coast.
Driving was easy, especially as used to Spanish roads and drivers and people really friendly
Iceland is just amazing, the scenery increidible....will definitely be back!

[Edward]

Originally Posted by ESTEBANNIC

Just like to say a big thank you to Edward and Pandachris for the pointers.

We spent the first day in Grundarfjörður/Snafellsness with fantastic birding from our hotel window, Glacous gull a gem. The next day we did the whole Snafellsness peninsula, even though the weather was iffy we still managed some great birds such as Ptarmigan, Brunich's Guillemot, Harlequin Duck, Red brested Merganser and loads of inbound geese (Barnacle and Brent). Great and Artic Skua were also a plus.
The next couple of days we based ourselves in Reykavik and did the Golden Circle and the south coast to Vik. Puffins are just starting to arrive at their colonies in Vik, loads of geese in the lowlands as promised (Greylag, Pink-footed and White-fronted). The Reykjanes peninsula as Edward pointed out is great. We managed three Gyr falcons near Garður! . Also loads of Wheatears about, quite a few of the dark version leucura. Plenty of waders near Grindavik, mainly Dunlin, Purple sandpipers and Turnstones. Also Snow bunting was easy to find along the coast.
Driving was easy, especially as used to Spanish roads and drivers and people really friendly
Iceland is just amazing, the scenery increidible....will definitely be back!

Great to hear that you had such a good trip and managed to pack in so much into four days, especially the three Gyrs. You have four birds there that I still haven't got on my year list (Puffin, Dunlin, Great Skua and Brünnich's Guillemot) and I've only seen one Wheatear. It's been a cold spring and a lot of birds have yet to arrive. I recommend you come back a month later on your next trip when all the migrants will have returned.

E

[Bryn Mayr]

We'll be having an 18-hour layover with my 15 year old son who is a birdwatcher - September 1-2, 2012. Edward Rickson suggested a tour of Garður, Sandgerði, Hafnir, Reykjanes lighthouse and Grindavík for birding. Can anyone tell me what birds to look for in these areas at that time of year?

Thanks for any info/links!

[Nohatch]

Hi Bryn,

With full day (and your own transport?) you could do a lovely trip around the Reykjanes peninsula for some birding and volcanic/geothermal sights, finishing off at the Blue Lagoon if that's your thing (will be quiet that time of year). At a stretch you could also take in either Reykjavik or the Golden Circle. The capital is nice and there's good birding in the harbour and at Seltjarnarnes; the Golden Cirlce has amazing sights (waterfall, geysir) but birding is not so great.
In September most of the breeding species will have left, but you should look out for wintering loons, ducks and waders, White-tailed Eagle (if you're lucky!), Gyrfalcon, Rock Ptarmigan, wintering gulls (incl. Glaucous and Iceland Gull), auks and Snow Bunting.
Let me know if you need any help setting up a trip (and I'm sure Edward will have some great local knowledge to add!)

N

[Edward]

Hi Bryn

If you do travel round the Reykjanes peninsula on these dates then the birds you may see out at sea in Garður include: Great Cormorant, Northern Gannet, Manx Shearwater, Common Eider, Red-breasted Merganser, 8 species of gull, Great Skua, Parasitic Jaeger. By the lakes in Garður there will be Eurasian Wigeon, Mallard, numerous gulls, European Golden Plovers, Common Redshank, Eurasian Oystercatcher etc. On the beach by the lighthouse there may be Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Sanderling, White Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and Northern Wheatear. Merlin and Gyr Falcon could occur anywhere in the area.