Iceland recommendations for late July / early August (1 Viewer)

I will be visiting Iceland from 26th July to 5th August this year & would like some recommendations for good birding sites please.

I'd be particularly keen to see species that aren't so common in the UK.

We will have a hire car. Ideally would base ourselves in one or two places for a few days each, with some hiking thrown in.

I realise these dates are somewhat past what's recommended as best birding times for Iceland, and the various birding websites I have found aren't clear about what's best beyond the prime May/June time.

thanks !

In late July and early August you can pretty much do the same as you would during the peak birding period in May and June. While some birds will have left their breeding sites (some waders and many auks), there will still be plenty of birds around. If you want two bases, then I recommend Snæfellsnes peninsula in western Iceland and then the north-east around Mývatn and Húsavík. The Snæfellsnes area has varied habitats and scenery. However, your dates are about the time which most auks, including Brünnich's Guillemot, leave the cliffs. I have seen them in the last week of July before but they will be thin on the ground already. Male Harlequin Ducks will mainly be on the sea at this time of year but stay close to land and are generally easy to see at favoured locations (Arnastapi, Svörtuloft etc). There are endless hiking possibilities in this area from seashore to icecaps.
The drawback of visiting Mývatn at this time of the year is that you will see lot of brown ducks, all in eclipse plumage plus ducklings, but all the specialties are still around (minus drake Harlequins). There also might be a lot of flies, but it shouldn’t put you off. Gyr Falcons are usually easier to see in July and August than in spring and there are several pairs around Mývatn and many pairs in the NE of the country in general. Húsavík is also excellent for whalewatching. This website is useful for birding sites in NE Iceland http://www.birdingtrail.is/ and eBird http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ is absolutely invaluable in showing you which birds occur where.

Hi Edward, any places that increase your chances of Arctic Fox



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andyadcock said:

Hi Edward, any places that increase your chances of Arctic Fox



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There is one area of Iceland where Arctic Fox is all but guaranteed, the Hornstrandir area in far NW Iceland but the catch is that it’s a bit of an expedition – access by sea only (easily arranged) and you have to camp and take all your food with you. While it’s generally too much of a faff for visiting birders, you are likely to get frequent and close encounters with Arctic Foxes there. They are protected in this area and tame and curious.

Otherwise I normally recommend visiting the bird cliffs at Látrabjarg in NW Iceland. Foxes frequently occur on the moorlands along the cliff edge but it's generally important to be there late in the evening or at night (bright from mid-May to mid-July) as Arctic Foxes are mainly active at night (although you can come across them in the day too). Visiting birders have also reported them at the end of the Snæfellsnes peninsula (where they are protected) but it’s just a matter of luck. Arctic Foxes are found throughout the country and are not uncommon and you can run in to them just about anywhere, including the outskirts of Reykjavík (saw tracks everywhere in the fresh snow on the edge of town on Christmas Day) BUT they are persecuted and as a result wary and I don’t often see them, maybe a couple of spontaneous sightings a year.

Many thanks Edward



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Andy, I followed Edward's advice on the foxes with great success:

http://www.surfbirds.com/mb/trips/Iceland-1007.pdf

amears said:

Andy, I followed Edward's advice on the foxes with great success:

http://www.surfbirds.com/mb/trips/Iceland-1007.pdf

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Great stuff, many thanks Andy

Surfbirds is down all day today?

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