Scandinavia Idea wanted (1 Viewer)

Gees i know where i would go in july and i'm half finnish!

Ps it wouldn't be finland

OK I get the hint! So this would be my Iceland wish list!


• Bean Goose Anser fabalis Rare/Accidental
• Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus
• Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons
• Greylag Goose Anser anser
• Snow Goose Chen caerulescens Rare/Accidental
• Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis
• Brent Goose Branta bernicla
• Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis Rare/Accidental
• Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea Rare/Accidental
• American Wigeon Anas americana Rare/Accidental
• Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis Rare/Accidental
• Greater Scaup Aythya marila

• King Eider Somateria spectabilis Rare/Accidental
• Steller's Eider Polysticta stelleri Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
• Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus
• Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis
• Common Scoter Melanitta nigra
• Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata Rare/Accidental
• Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca Rare/Accidental
• Barrow's Goldeneye Bucephala islandica
• Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus muta

• Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata
• Great Northern Diver Gavia immer
• Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus

• Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus Rare/Accidental Near-threatened
• Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus

• Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus Rare/Accidental
• European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
• Leach's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa
• White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla
• Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus
• Corn Crake Crex crex Rare/Accidental Near-threatened
• Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus

• Eurasian Dotterel Charadrius morinellus Rare/Accidental
• American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica Rare/Accidental


• Red Knot Calidris canutus
• Sanderling Calidris alba
• Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla Rare/Accidental
• Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri Rare/Accidental
• Little Stint Calidris minuta Rare/Accidental
• Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Rare/Accidental
• White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis Rare/Accidental
• Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii Rare/Accidental
• Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos Rare/Accidental
• Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea Rare/Accidental
• Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus Rare/Accidental
• Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima

• Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus Rare/Accidental
• Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis Rare/Accidental Near-threatened

• Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
• Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius

• Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus Rare/Accidental
• Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus
• Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus Rare/Accidental
• Great Skua Stercorarius skua

• Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides
• Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus
• Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea Rare/Accidental Near-threatened
• Brunnich's Guillemot Uria lomvia

• Little Auk Alle alle
• Crested Auklet Aethia cristatella Rare/Accidental
• Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica
• Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens
• Cerulean Warbler Dendroica cerulea Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
• Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis
• Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola Rare/Accidental Near-threatened


Add to it Polar Bear, Arctic Fox, Reindeer, Wolf and any marine mammals.

Which birds are a realistic target. Once again I will hire a car. 7 day stay minimum. Will try to clean up but if i dont good excuse to visit again

Himalaya,

I don't know where you're finding these lists but they give a wholly unrealistic picture of what it will be possible to see on any one trip. A very high proportion of the species listed are rare to very rare vagrants, that have turned-up no more than a handful of times. To give a more realistic picture, I have edited your original list to give a more realistic impression of which species from it that you could see in a one week trip in July:

• Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus
• Greylag Goose Anser anser
• Greater Scaup Aythya marila

• King Eider Somateria spectabilis Rare/Accidental
• Steller's Eider Polysticta stelleri Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
• Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus
• Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis
• Common Scoter Melanitta nigra
• Barrow's Goldeneye Bucephala islandica
• Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus muta

• Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata
• Great Northern Diver Gavia immer
• Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus

• Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus

• White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla
• Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus


• Red Knot Calidris canutus
• Sanderling Calidris alba
• Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima

• Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
• Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius

• Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus
• Great Skua Stercorarius skua

• Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides
• Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus
• Brunnich's Guillemot Uria lomvia


• Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica

• Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis

I'm sure Edward will be along soon to correct this list, but in the mean time, you can find more useful info on the Birding Iceland site, and on the Iceland eBird page.

In terms of mammals, wolf and reindeer are not present and Polar Bear is a very rare vagrant, but Arctic Fox is possible. A much wider range of marine mammals occur, and you would have a very reasonable chance of Humpback, Minke and Blue Whales as well as White-beaked Dolphin. There may also be a few seals around, and maybe even Killer Whale.

Thanks so much for your input. I have replaced the list i have with yours.
I got the list form Wikipedia and I know some are vagrants as listed. I just wanted to present the list just to see what is realistic and see if there any of the species around at the moment.

Will have to look into the whale trips i think. I hope to leave in the next 2 weeks.

StuartReeves said:

Himalaya,

I don't know where you're finding these lists but they give a wholly unrealistic picture of what it will be possible to see on any one trip. A very high proportion of the species listed are rare to very rare vagrants, that have turned-up no more than a handful of times. To give a more realistic picture, I have edited your original list to give a more realistic impression of which species from it that you could see in a one week trip in July:

• Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus
• Greylag Goose Anser anser
• Greater Scaup Aythya marila

• King Eider Somateria spectabilis Rare/Accidental
• Steller's Eider Polysticta stelleri Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
• Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus
• Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis
• Common Scoter Melanitta nigra
• Barrow's Goldeneye Bucephala islandica
• Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus muta

• Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata
• Great Northern Diver Gavia immer
• Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus

• Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus

• White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla
• Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus


• Red Knot Calidris canutus
• Sanderling Calidris alba
• Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima

• Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
• Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius

• Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus
• Great Skua Stercorarius skua

• Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides
• Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus
• Brunnich's Guillemot Uria lomvia


• Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica

• Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis

I'm sure Edward will be along soon to correct this list, but in the mean time, you can find more useful info on the Birding Iceland site, and on the Iceland eBird page.

In terms of mammals, wolf and reindeer are not present and Polar Bear is a very rare vagrant, but Arctic Fox is possible. A much wider range of marine mammals occur, and you would have a very reasonable chance of Humpback, Minke and Blue Whales as well as White-beaked Dolphin. There may also be a few seals around, and maybe even Killer Whale.

Click to expand...

7-10 days is what I am hoping for. Are there any endemic species in Iceland or species which are easier to see?

I dont know how many times I will visit Iceland but i do hope to see as much of it as possible and return after a few years.

My plans are open and flexible. I do hope to see some landscapes, historic sites and culture too.

Edward said:

Just to add to what Stuart said, then you can see a lot in seven days, whether it is long enough is entirely up to you - some birders come here and try to "clean up" in a couple of days and never return; zoologist and author Mark Carwardine was interviewed on TV here last year after he'd been Blue Whale watching and he said it was his 73rd trip to Iceland!

The general circuit for birders takes in western Iceland (Snæfellsnes peninsula) and then the north-east (Mývatn and Húsavík). The seabirds (5 species of breeding auk) are the main draw in the west and the wildfowl and Gyr Falcons in the north-east. If you are prepared to drive a bit, then you could drive to Europe's biggest bird cliff (well worth it in IMO) at Látrabjarg, the most westerly point of the country, but it adds quite a few miles on. But you could easily spend 2 days in the west, a day driving cross country and then 2-3 days at Mývatn and Húsavík and a day driving back to Reykjavík.

Blue Whales have been pretty regular at Húsavík from mid-June onwards I think, check the diaries of the tour companies from previous years - a few years ago 10 different Blue Whales were seen on a single trip! A friend of mine saw one this week, probably on this trip http://www.gentlegiants.is/news/nr/635/big-whale-safari-at-its-best/

E

Click to expand...

this website is very helpful!

StuartReeves said:

I would echo what others have said that Iceland would be a much better bet in July than Finland/Varanger. Seven days would be fine for Iceland; the distances are much more manageable than Lapland. I'd also venture that you are likely to see many more birds in Iceland than in Finland, as it is a very birdy place, with high densities of breeding waders and waterfowl. To get an idea of the specialities of Iceland, have a look at: https://notendur.hi.is/~yannk/specialities.htm. In general, the specialities of Iceland are pretty straightforward to see, which isn't the case in Finland/Varanger.



Around about now looks pretty good - check out the blog at: http://www.northsailing.is/home/

Click to expand...

Himalaya said:

7-10 days is what I am hoping for. Are there any endemic species in Iceland or species which are easier to see?

I dont know how many times I will visit Iceland but i do hope to see as much of it as possible and return after a few years.

My plans are open and flexible. I do hope to see some landscapes, historic sites and culture too.

Click to expand...

Harlequin Duck (endemic)
Barrow's Goldeneye (only location in Europe)
Gyrfalcon (difficult elsewhere in Europe)
are probably the 3 birds you want to connect with most as well as
Brunnich's Guillemot (otherwise occurring in the far north of Norway)
+ any yanks that happen to be present, and the general birding as described by others ...

http://www.birdforum.net/search.php?searchid=12719499 (bf trip reports) Never been myself, maybe one day if I can find a cheap enough flight ...

dantheman said:

Harlequin Duck (endemic)

Click to expand...

(in a European/WP context)

Richard Klim said:

(in a European/WP context)

Click to expand...

Doh! Indeed ... although the WP context is the only important one of course

Having a good read of the information so kindly given to me by all here i have made a brief plan:-

1.At Reykjavík - Great Northern Diver, Harlequin Duck, Great Skua, Atlantic Puffin


2. Garður manx shearwater, European Storm-petrel


3. Stykkishólmur - White-tailed Eagle

4. then drive to Snæfellsnes peninsula which appears 1-2 hours away. - Slavonian Grebe, Red-necked Phalarope, Glaucous Gull, Brünnich's Guillemot, Atlantic Puffin

5. Flatey Island - Grey Phalarope

6. Then on to Látrabjarg



7. Then onto Mývatn - which is about 6 hours away from the Western side? - Great Northern Diver, Slavonian Grebe, Harlequin Duck, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Gyr Falcon, Ptarmigan, Red-necked Phalarope


8. Then onto Húsavík - blue whales, Ptarmigan


9. Then 6 hour drive to Reykjavík


OR might add some of these too

Borgarfjörður eystri (a.k.a. Bakkagerði) in eastern Iceland - Steller's Eider

South east - Great Skua

Vestmannaeyjar - manx shearwater, European Storm-petrel, Leach's Storm-petrel


So how feasible is this? How far are the distances apart? How long would I need to stay in the areas for?

Stuart's editing of your target list was entirely correct. If it says rare/accidental next to the species name, then you aren't going to see it, with the exception perhaps of King Eider which is a scarce visitor rather than rare/accidental, but you still need to look quite hard for them in summer.

Dan has already mentioned Iceland's "Big Four" (Harlequin, Barrow's G, Brünnich's Guillemot, and Gyr Falcon, which visiting Scandinavian birders ensure me is much easier to see in Iceland than in Scandinavia. Iceland also has very large populations of certain species from a global perspective, including Puffin, Razorbill, Golden Plover, Whimbrel and Great Skua.

As for your itinerary, then you don't need to spend time looking for the target birds in Reykjavík as you can see them elsewhere and you are better off visiting Garður on the way from the airport when you've picked up the car. Garður is only 15 minutes from the airport and does not require a whole day at this time of year. There are plenty of Manx Shearwaters there at the moment and you might also see European Storm-petrel and cetaceans.

The most reliable way to see White-tailed Eagle is to go on a boat trip from Stykkishólmur. Flatey is the place for Grey Phalarope but they tend to be difficult to see after early July.

You could skip Snæfellsnes if you you want to save time and head out to Látrabjarg as all the auks can be seen at Látrajarg. There again all the auks can also be seen on Snæfellsnes so you could skip Látrabjarg, although Látrabjarg does offer a much better chance of Arctic Fox. The attraction of Látrabjarg is the sheer number of seabirds and the feeling that you are sitting on the edge of the world, but it does add a lot of miles and the drive out there on your own will seem very long - but the scenery is nice and there's no traffic.

All the target birds you mention at Mývatn are realistic although drake Harlequins tend to have left the rivers by now, and seeing Gyr Falcon is always a matter of luck. Driving to Borgarfjörður eystri for the long-staying Steller's Eider (it is there, 14 years and counting) does add a lot on to your journey, but it's a lovely place. If you make it there, then you may as well drive the whole circle around southern Iceland back to Reykjavík. The SE has Iceland's best scenery in my opinion (glacier country) and is the home of a very large and visible Great Skua population.

As for distances, then these are approximate journey times, but of course this depends entirely on how much you stop:
Garður - Reykjavík 45 minutes
Reykjavík - Stykkishólmur 3 hrs
Reykjavík - Látrabjarg - 6 hrs
Látrabjarg - Mývatn - 8 hrs
Mývatn - Reykjavík - 6 hrs

You could try looking at the websites of some of the UK bird tour companies to get an idea of an itinerary.

E

I'd be quite interested in a last minute trip to Iceland myself. What would be the latest date to go and pick up the "Big four" mentioned at the breeding sites?

Also, no one has mentioned little auk, does this breed on Iceland?

Cheers

FWIW, here are some brief notes from my first crazily short 'raid' on Iceland (targeting Harlequin Duck, Barrow's Goldeneye, Brünnich's Guillemot, Icelandic Redpoll – all seen within 24 hours). But, I went back with my wife in June 2004 to do it properly at a more leisurely pace – staying in hostels, rather than an uncomfortable car – much more enjoyable!

European visitors are naturally keen to find the specialities, but my best memories of Iceland are actually of the commoner species – the seabird cliffs; volcanic landscapes with singing Whimbrels, Snow Buntings and Wheatears, skuas cruising overhead; the abundance of waders breeding around coastal villages; huge clouds of Arctic Terns; divers and grebes on roadside pools; singing Redwings; countless spinning Red-necked Phalaropes; huge numbers of breeding wildfowl... And all in summer plumage – absolute magic!

ICELAND 8-10 July 2001

I travelled to Reykjavík/Keflavík from London/Stansted with Go (arrival 8 July 01:20, departure 11 July 02:15). I booked a Hertz Toyota Yaris through Holiday Autos. Map used: Ísland Ferðakort (Iceland Touring Map) 1 : 600 000 (Mál og Menning). Driving is easy on the generally quiet roads, and even the gravel roads are no problem for an ordinary car.

Day 1: 8 July

I immediately drove to the seabird colony at Hafnaberg (30-40 min walk from parking area) and soon located a few Brünnich's Guillemots amongst the commoner auks.

With the first target species seen, I began the long drive to Mývatn. This took about 8 hours with many short stops along the way for roadside birding. I saw the first three Barrow's Goldeneyes on a roadside pond at Narfastaðir, several km before reaching Mývatn.

On arriving in the Mývatn area, I first birded the reaches of the River Laxá accessible from the road in the Laxárbakki area. I soon found several female Harlequin Ducks (including one with young) diving in the fast flowing stretches. As expected I was probably too late to see any drakes – they leave for the sea immediately after breeding. A couple of Barrow's Goldeneyes were also seen on more sheltered parts of the river.

I then drove a clockwise circuit of Mývatn. Barrow's Goldeneyes were common, with groups of tens of birds seen roosting on the water at several points near the lakeside. A pair of Gyr Falcons was visible from the W side of the lake feeding young on a nest on the E face of the obvious mountain Vindbelgjarfall. In the birch woods S of Reykjahlíõ I found the first Icelandic Redpolls. All target species had been seen.

I spent the evening again watching Harlequins on the River Laxá and slept in the car overnight – the mist descended and it got quite cold.

Day 2: 9 July

I drove back to the Reykjanes Peninsula at a more leisurely pace, with stops for birding at Akureyri (Icelandic Redpolls seen very easily in the Botanical Gardens / Lystigarður Akureyrar), Blönduós (good views of Harlequin roosting with Eiders on gravel bank in river mouth), Akranes, Þingvallavatn, River Sog (only one Harlequin seen, but very close views both diving and preening on bank – by bridge on Route 35), Eyrarbakki.

I spent the night in the car in a beautiful location on the clifftop at Krýsuvikurberg with the seabirds to myself. This was a more impressive colony than Hafnaberg and again several Brünnich's Guillemots were seen. However the final 6 km is along a very rutted track, but was driveable with care (although it may be difficult after heavy rain).

Day 3: 10 July

I spent a pleasant final day birding at various sites on the Reykjanes Peninsula (Þórkötlustaðir, Grindavík, Reykjanestá, Hafnir, Sandgerði, Garður, Garðskagi, Vogar, Njarðvík), mainly watching waders and seabirds.

Trystan said:

I'd be quite interested in a last minute trip to Iceland myself. What would be the latest date to go and pick up the "Big four" mentioned at the breeding sites?

Also, no one has mentioned little auk, does this breed on Iceland?

Cheers

Click to expand...

Hi Trystan

Barrow's Goldeneye is resident at Mývatn and so can be seen all year there. Harlequins are resident in Iceland but winter at sea and the drakes tend to leave the rivers by mid June back to the sea but females and young can be found on rivers throughout the summer. Adult Gyr Falcons stay on territory all year and thus can be found in their strongholds of the NW and NE at any time. The most critical one for timing is Brünnich's Guillemot which tends to have left its breeding cliffs by early August.

Little Auk no longer breeds in Iceland (despite what you might read in some places) and is only see in winter. The nearest breeding sites are in East Greenland - I can give you up-to-date sites there if you want but it's a bit of a trek

E

Thanks so much for your help. I havde made a little sketch which I hope to stick too. Is this realistic? I do not want to rush and I do not want to be too leisurely

Day one

Arrive in Reykjavík, possibly around 3pm, out by 4pm then stop at Garður.

Then to Stykkishólmur. Maybe spend night there


Day two

Boat trip from Stykkishólmur , then drive to Látrabjarg which is 6 hr



Day 3

Around Látrabjarg then head to Mývatn - 8 hour journey. Night around there.


Day 4

Around Mývatn then on to Húsavík. What times do whale tours operate?





From here on wards if I decide to visit the East, which places are best for landscapes and birds.


I will stay a maximum of 8 nights I think. I have no idea what I should do after day 4. Any tips?

Edward said:

Stuart's editing of your target list was entirely correct. If it says rare/accidental next to the species name, then you aren't going to see it, with the exception perhaps of King Eider which is a scarce visitor rather than rare/accidental, but you still need to look quite hard for them in summer.

Dan has already mentioned Iceland's "Big Four" (Harlequin, Barrow's G, Brünnich's Guillemot, and Gyr Falcon, which visiting Scandinavian birders ensure me is much easier to see in Iceland than in Scandinavia. Iceland also has very large populations of certain species from a global perspective, including Puffin, Razorbill, Golden Plover, Whimbrel and Great Skua.

As for your itinerary, then you don't need to spend time looking for the target birds in Reykjavík as you can see them elsewhere and you are better off visiting Garður on the way from the airport when you've picked up the car. Garður is only 15 minutes from the airport and does not require a whole day at this time of year. There are plenty of Manx Shearwaters there at the moment and you might also see European Storm-petrel and cetaceans.

The most reliable way to see White-tailed Eagle is to go on a boat trip from Stykkishólmur. Flatey is the place for Grey Phalarope but they tend to be difficult to see after early July.

You could skip Snæfellsnes if you you want to save time and head out to Látrabjarg as all the auks can be seen at Látrajarg. There again all the auks can also be seen on Snæfellsnes so you could skip Látrabjarg, although Látrabjarg does offer a much better chance of Arctic Fox. The attraction of Látrabjarg is the sheer number of seabirds and the feeling that you are sitting on the edge of the world, but it does add a lot of miles and the drive out there on your own will seem very long - but the scenery is nice and there's no traffic.

All the target birds you mention at Mývatn are realistic although drake Harlequins tend to have left the rivers by now, and seeing Gyr Falcon is always a matter of luck. Driving to Borgarfjörður eystri for the long-staying Steller's Eider (it is there, 14 years and counting) does add a lot on to your journey, but it's a lovely place. If you make it there, then you may as well drive the whole circle around southern Iceland back to Reykjavík. The SE has Iceland's best scenery in my opinion (glacier country) and is the home of a very large and visible Great Skua population.

As for distances, then these are approximate journey times, but of course this depends entirely on how much you stop:
Garður - Reykjavík 45 minutes
Reykjavík - Stykkishólmur 3 hrs
Reykjavík - Látrabjarg - 6 hrs
Látrabjarg - Mývatn - 8 hrs
Mývatn - Reykjavík - 6 hrs

You could try looking at the websites of some of the UK bird tour companies to get an idea of an itinerary.

E

Click to expand...

Himalaya said:

Thanks so much for your help. I havde made a little sketch which I hope to stick too. Is this realistic? I do not want to rush and I do not want to be too leisurely

Day one

Arrive in Reykjavík, possibly around 3pm, out by 4pm then stop at Garður.

Then to Stykkishólmur. Maybe spend night there


Day two

Boat trip from Stykkishólmur , then drive to Látrabjarg which is 6 hr



Day 3

Around Látrabjarg then head to Mývatn - 8 hour journey. Night around there.


Day 4

Around Mývatn then on to Húsavík. What times do whale tours operate?





From here on wards if I decide to visit the East, which places are best for landscapes and birds.


I will stay a maximum of 8 nights I think. I have no idea what I should do after day 4. Any tips?

Click to expand...

Can't decide if I want to try a Richard style raid on Iceland or do it more leisurely another year as you are planning when I have more holiday available.

Thankyou for the advice Edward. Very useful.

I do not want to tire myself out and I do wish to see more of Iceland than just birds. I could do a 4-5 day trip as well. I would like to spend time in the capital and see birds there too.

If you want to do 4-5 days then going out to Látrabjarg and then up to Mývatn is a pretty punishing schedule (even though it would have been a doddle for Richard looking at his 2001 blitzkrieg ) As for seeing Reykjavík, well that's up to you, but it's just a small city like any other city and I'd rather spend time out in the countryside if I were only visiting for a short time.

How about
Day one
Land at Keflavik, drive to Garður for seabirds and then on to Stykkisholmur or Grundarfjörður for the night.
Day two
Snæfellsnes peninsula - auks and Harlequins Stykkisholmur or Grundarfjörður for the night
Day three
A.m. Boat trip from Stykkishólmur for White-tailed Eagle
P.m. drive to Mývatn
Day four
Mývatn area
Day five
Whalewatching at Húsavík a.m.
P.m. Drive back to Reykjavík
Evening - a night on the tiles in Reykjavík
Day six
Morning flight home

E

Edward said:

If you want to do 4-5 days then going out to Látrabjarg and then up to Mývatn is a pretty punishing schedule (even though it would have been a doddle for Richard looking at his 2001 blitzkrieg ) As for seeing Reykjavík, well that's up to you, but it's just a small city like any other city and I'd rather spend time out in the countryside if I were only visiting for a short time.

How about
Day one
Land at Keflavik, drive to Garður for seabirds and then on to Stykkisholmur or Grundarfjörður for the night.
Day two
Snæfellsnes peninsula - auks and Harlequins Stykkisholmur or Grundarfjörður for the night
Day three
A.m. Boat trip from Stykkishólmur for White-tailed Eagle
P.m. drive to Mývatn
Day four
Mývatn area
Day five
Whalewatching at Húsavík a.m.
P.m. Drive back to Reykjavík
Evening - a night on the tiles in Reykjavík
Day six
Morning flight home

E

Click to expand...

Following this itinerary, you'll certainly see a hell of a lot of birds and scenery! You'll also avoid the long, long drive out to Látrabjarg; it's a fantastic place, but I'm not sure I'd want to drive it alone! If you had a bit more time I'd suggest spending an extra day around Mývatn to allow time to visit the various volcanic features.

I want to do 7-8 days not 4-5. I just wondered what to do after day 4 to be honest.

I suppose there is no point in going to the east and rushing through it. Maybe better to stay in the areas mentionned.

Will I see Harlequin drakes at Stykkisholmur?

Edward said:

If you want to do 4-5 days then going out to Látrabjarg and then up to Mývatn is a pretty punishing schedule (even though it would have been a doddle for Richard looking at his 2001 blitzkrieg ) As for seeing Reykjavík, well that's up to you, but it's just a small city like any other city and I'd rather spend time out in the countryside if I were only visiting for a short time.

How about
Day one
Land at Keflavik, drive to Garður for seabirds and then on to Stykkisholmur or Grundarfjörður for the night.
Day two
Snæfellsnes peninsula - auks and Harlequins Stykkisholmur or Grundarfjörður for the night
Day three
A.m. Boat trip from Stykkishólmur for White-tailed Eagle
P.m. drive to Mývatn
Day four
Mývatn area
Day five
Whalewatching at Húsavík a.m.
P.m. Drive back to Reykjavík
Evening - a night on the tiles in Reykjavík
Day six
Morning flight home

E

Click to expand...