Im going birdwatching to Reykjavík (23-26 dec) and would like to get some advice. I love ducks. Ive seen most European species this year and would like to find something "exotic" like Harlequin duck, American Wigeons etc. I dont like to drive around from place to place or sitting in one spot. I prefer to walk along the coast from A to B (hiking/birdwatching). Are there any good places next to the airport with lots of ducks? (Im arriving just before the sunrise). What about Reykjavik? Are there many ducks in the harbour? Is the area around Leiruvogi or Grundarhverfi any good? Im living in Norway so Im aware of the limited amount of sunshine I will get. Thanks for any help.
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Birding in and close to Reykjavík in December (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Oyeren
- Start date
opisska
rabid twitcher
This pond downtown - 64°08'39.5"N 21°56'30.7"W · Tjörnin, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland - has usually a lot of ducks, but I have never seen any rarer ones there. I think the Reykjavik area is not that great for the local duck species, but I am not an expert. If it's not just about ducks than Gardur is the famous Reykjanes site where anything really can turn up.
Thanks! By Gardur, do you mean the lighthouse north of the airport?
opisska
rabid twitcher
Yes. I am not sure how it looks like in winter in general, but last or next-to-last winter there was an assault of rarities and in summer we watched various seabirds passing closer to the shore than to most ships. But I have yo give a disclaimer that I really haven't been there on December 
When I explore birds on the merlin app and use the location you gave me there are more duck species there than in Reykjavik so I think you are right. However Im not sure if there will be any at the lighthouse. In Norway the best places for duck-watching in winter are usually in harbours. In Båtsfjord for example there are many fish factories, which attract Stellers eiders and King eiders in good numbers. Sheltered bays are also very good (for example Vigra has many). Sandgerði is supposed to be a fishing village, Reykjanesbaer and Vogar seem good as well. The water there is pretty shallow. I guess I will focus on Reykjanes then, it seems to be a good place for walking along the coast as well. The only worry is the cold weather, do bays tend to freeze in winter in Iceland?Yes. I am not sure how it looks like in winter in general, but last or next-to-last winter there was an assault of rarities and in summer we watched various seabirds passing closer to the shore than to most ships. But I have yo give a disclaimer that I really haven't been there on December
I found this info online. So that settles it I guessYes. I am not sure how it looks like in winter in general, but last or next-to-last winter there was an assault of rarities and in summer we watched various seabirds passing closer to the shore than to most ships. But I have yo give a disclaimer that I really haven't been there on December
.Reykjanesbær
Reykjanesbær is a town divided into two districts, Njarðvík and Keflavík. Njarðvík has a salt-marsh and ponds close to the coast that attract waders, ducks, geese and gulls, especially on high tide. American Wigeon (Anas americana) is seen almost annually on the biggest pond, and many vagrants have been spotted there. The harbours in Keflavík and in Helguvík (west of Keflavík) are good places to scan for vagrants such as King Eiders (Somateria spectabilis), White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi) and Velvet Scoter (Melanitta fusca) in large flocks of Eiders. Fulmars and Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) nest on the cliffs north of Helguvík and you can see auks and other seabirds from the lighthouse on the edge of the cliff. In search of vagrants one should always target towns on the peninsula and look for passerines in gardens and parks.
Edward
Umimmak
You are very unlikely to see Harlequin Duck in Reykjavík in winter but it’s easy to see a short drive away from the city. A reliable site is the bay Þorkötlustaðabót just east of Grindavík, eBird hotspot here https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1312736. This site north of Reykjavík is also pretty certain https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1377212. There has been an American Wigeon in Reykjavík this autumn, probably still there but haven’t looked for a while, there are certainly big numbers of Eurasian Wigeon still there when I cycle past, eBird spot here https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1460875. A drake White-winged Scoter has been in Keflavík for about 10 years, usually here https://ebird.org/hotspot/L3492044 and less frequently here https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1327662
Garður is a great birding location but at its quietest in midwinter and the lakes in the village are probably frozen at the moment, but there are usually plenty of birds offshore. It was good for Gyr Falcon this autumn, a bird which can occur anywhere coastal, including Reykjavík. I wouldn’t spend too much time looking for vagrant passerines in gardens in December
Garður is a great birding location but at its quietest in midwinter and the lakes in the village are probably frozen at the moment, but there are usually plenty of birds offshore. It was good for Gyr Falcon this autumn, a bird which can occur anywhere coastal, including Reykjavík. I wouldn’t spend too much time looking for vagrant passerines in gardens in December
Thank you! I will definitely go to Grindavík then. I found this great birding map of Reykjanes area https://www.visitreykjanes.is/static/files/pdf/rgp-fuglaskodunarkort_2018_en_fin_hq.pdf
Is Hafnir area any good? The "visit Reykjanes" site claims that Harlequin ducks can be seen from Hafnir. What about the harbour in Sandgerði?
Anyway I decided to book another hotel in Reykjanesbær instead of Reykjavik. I dont really like cities and the area seems to be interesting and good for walks along the coast.
Edward
Umimmak
There are usually plenty of Harlequins at Hafnir but they tend to be more distant than those at Þorkötlustaðabót. The beach to the north of the harbour wall in Sandgerði is usually heaving with gulls (which attract Gyr Falcon), the harbour itself can have birds in. For walks along the coast, the best areas are probably around Garður, there is a coastal path from the lighthouse south towards the village which I have walked a million times and seen excellent birds in the autumn but it's not something we tend to do in midwinter. If it's windy it will be a miserable experience in winter! The harbour in Grindavík can also have plenty of birds in it, I've seen both Ivory Gull and Ross's Gull there in winter.
I like to walk along the coast in Jæren, which is in my opinion the best place for birding in Norway. There its more or less constantly blowing and raining. Ive got used to it and wouldnt mind it that much as long as you dont walk against the wind. I actually like birding along the coast in winter. You can see alcids, loons and all kinds of ducks in the right places. Thanks for the advice, I will go to Grindavík on the first day. If its good I will use 2 days there and walk both east and west of it. I think I will walk from Sandgerði to Garður as well. It should be fun one way or another.
