First all of a big thank you to :- Robert L Jarvis, Edward, Wintibird, rosbifs, Richard Klim, McMadd, Allen S Moore, Stuart Reeves, dantheman, Trystan, Nohatch. Your help was much appreciated in the trip.
Iceland turned out to be an amazing and eye-opening place to visit and one I will visit again in the future. It will be a place I will recommend to people but with a big warning sign that it is not cheap. I found the whole trip a surprise and a pleasant one.
I hired a car and for the first time ever I used a Sat-Nav. They don’t always work very well do they? However, it did save me time on some occasions. Car hire, flight tickets and hotels came somewhat close to £1000 and I was still in England!
Food was expensive. I did not want to eat pizza and other junk food whilst there but I did not want to spend too much. Some days I had a cheap basic pizza, others a nice meal. A couple of days I lived off a loaf of bread. If i go again I would take food with me.
Birds were everywhere. It was quite exciting seeing so many waders especially Redshank, Whimbrel, Golden Plover and Snipe. At one point I was mobbed by Redshank, Golden Plover, Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwit. They made a nice tune as they alarm called at the same time.
Twice I got the car stuck. Once it nearly slid down the slope on the road into a field. Thankfully Danish holidaymakers pushed my car back onto the road.
This is was what I did throughout the 7 days:-
Wednsday 4th july
Land at Keflavik,
drive to Garður for seabirds
Grundarfjörður for the night.
Thursday 5th july
Snæfellsnes peninsula
Grundarfjörður for the night
fRiday 6th july
A.m. Boat trip from Stykkishólmur for White-tailed Eagle
P.m. drive to Husavik with a stop at Blonduos and Hrutey Island
night between Arukuyeri and Husavik
Saturday 7th july
am whalewatching from Husavik and then drove to Tjornes to look for Ptarmigan
Stop at Godafoss waterfall
Then Vaglaskogur forest
Night in Akuyeri
Sunday 8th july
Then Myvatn – walk in some birch forest on east side, up to the crater, the back crags and the hot bubbling ground region. I also visited the nature reserve on the west side of Myvatn
Night in Akuyeri
Monday 9th july
Drive to Reyekjavik
Thingvellir NP
Night Reykjavik
Tueday 10 the july
Sight see in Reykjavik
Wednesday 11th july
flight home
Here is a list of birds I saw and where. Birds in Bold are firsts. Birds in italics are those that I have seen one or two times before.
• Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus – seen in small numbers throughout all areas visited
• Greylag Goose Anser anser - seen in small numbers throughout all areas visited, some with recently hatched young
• Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope - seen in small in the North and around Myvatn
• Gadwall Anas strepera - on Myvtan
• Eurasian Teal Anas crecca - seen in small in the North and around Myvatn
• Mallard Anas platyrhynchos - seen in good numbers throughout all areas visited, some with recently hatched ducklings and many males in eclipse plumage
• Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula - seen in good numbers throughout
all areas visited, some with recently hatched ducklings
• Greater Scaup Aythya marila - seen in good numbers throughout all areas visited, some with recently hatched ducklings
• Common Eider Somateria mollissima - seen in good numbers throughout all areas visited, some with recently hatched ducklings and many males in eclipse plumage
• Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus – first seen flying over a lake near Storu Jatnir between Akuyeri and Husavik, then on river Laxa,
• Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis – seen more in the North, around Akuyeri, Hunafloi and Myvatn. One drake seen and that on the Akuyeri fjord.
• Common Scoter Melanitta nigra - seen in most areas in small numbers
• Barrow's Goldeneye Bucephala islandica - Akuyeri to Myvtan
• Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator - seen in most areas in small numbers
• Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus muta - one seen with at least one chick in Vaglaskógur Forest
• Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata - seen in most areas
• Great Northern Diver Gavia immer - seen in most areas
• Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus - Hunafloi Bay area to Myvatn
• Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis - seen everywhere in the coastal regions
• Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus - seen from Gardour
• Northern Gannet Morus bassanus - seen on boat trip from Stykkisholmur
• Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo - seen on first day in southern regions
• European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis - seen around most coastal areas
I scanned the fields between Husavik and Tjornes for Ptarmigan but no luck. I turned back after looking carefully. I had given upon Ptarmigan and any scanning would have been half-hearted on the way back. I realised that something was on the rocks, a bird. I was not the only one hunting for Ptarmigan. I stopped the car and just above the road side on some rocks sat a Gyrfalcon, a bird I never expected to see so quickly. It gave good views before flying off. The Ptarmigan did eventually make an expeience but in a forest!
• White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla - 2 seen from Stykkishomur boat trip on Friday. However, later on the day a pair were soaring somewhere between Stykkishomur and Hunafloi area
• Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus - one seen on Saturday sat on roadside rocks between Husavik and Tjornes, other seen Sunday as hike down from Hverfjall
• Merlin Falco columbarius - oen seen between Akuyeri and Myvatn, other seen hunting a Redshank between Akuyeri and Reykjavik
• Eurasian Oystercatcher - everywhere!
• Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula - seen around Snaefellness and northern Iceland coastl regions
• Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria - everywhere
• Dunlin Calidris alpina - seen from Hunafloi bay area and eastwards
• Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago - everywhere chipping and drumming….a fantastic site, dead chick in Vaglaskógur forest.
• Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus - everywhere
• Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata Rare/Accidental - southern coastal area
• Common Redshank Tringa totanus - everywhere displaying and alarming, some with small young and some nearly full grown
• Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus - everywhere but most common around Myvatn
• Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres - coastal areas
• Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus - Snaefellness most commonly, also Northern and southern coast areas, only 1 around Myvatn
• Great Skua Stercorarius skua - seen from Gardour
• Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus – common everywhere
• Common Gull Larus canus - Snaefell but more commonly in northern coastal areas
• Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus - everywhere
• Herring Gull Larus argentatus - southern coastal area and a possible around Snaefellness
• Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides - seen at Akuyeri , other birders saw one at Snaefelnness region
• Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus - Snaefelness mainly but one at Blonduous
• Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus - everywhere, one eating a Puffin!
• Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla - everywhere around the coast
• Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea - abundantly everywhere
• Common Guillemot Uria aalge - all coastal regions
• Brunnich's Guillemot Uria lomvia - Snaefelless region
• Razorbill Alca torda - all coastal regions
• Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle - Snaefellness rea and Husavik
• Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica - all coastal regions
• Rock Pigeon Columba livia - common everywhere
• Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus - seen on first day between Reykjavik and Snaefellness area
• Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis - abundantly everywhere
• White Wagtail Motacilla alba - abundantly everywhere
• Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes - around Myvtan
• Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe - common some with ready to fledge young
• Redwing Turdus iliacus - common in all regions
• Common Raven Corvus corax - seen on everyday in small numbers 4 around Blonduos, also a pair with 2 young in Ryekjavik near the big church, one with a roadkill which looked similar to a rat, one on ground being mobbed by Oystercatchers
• Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris - the south and all regions not too far from the coast
• Common Redpoll Carduelis flammea - On Hrutey Island near Blonduous, also whereever else trees present
• Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis - seen around all areas I visited but not too common. Some juveniles came very close to my car.
I went on two boat trips – one from Stykkisholmur and the other from Husavik. On the first one we saw the islands, sea birds and a pair of sea eagles. On the latter we saw 6 Whales o which 4 were Humpbacks and 2 were Minke. Orcas and some whales were seen at various points off the Snaefells. 2 King Eiders were seen at Arnstrapi by other British birders.
Iceland turned out to be an amazing and eye-opening place to visit and one I will visit again in the future. It will be a place I will recommend to people but with a big warning sign that it is not cheap. I found the whole trip a surprise and a pleasant one.
I hired a car and for the first time ever I used a Sat-Nav. They don’t always work very well do they? However, it did save me time on some occasions. Car hire, flight tickets and hotels came somewhat close to £1000 and I was still in England!
Food was expensive. I did not want to eat pizza and other junk food whilst there but I did not want to spend too much. Some days I had a cheap basic pizza, others a nice meal. A couple of days I lived off a loaf of bread. If i go again I would take food with me.
Birds were everywhere. It was quite exciting seeing so many waders especially Redshank, Whimbrel, Golden Plover and Snipe. At one point I was mobbed by Redshank, Golden Plover, Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwit. They made a nice tune as they alarm called at the same time.
Twice I got the car stuck. Once it nearly slid down the slope on the road into a field. Thankfully Danish holidaymakers pushed my car back onto the road.
This is was what I did throughout the 7 days:-
Wednsday 4th july
Land at Keflavik,
drive to Garður for seabirds
Grundarfjörður for the night.
Thursday 5th july
Snæfellsnes peninsula
Grundarfjörður for the night
fRiday 6th july
A.m. Boat trip from Stykkishólmur for White-tailed Eagle
P.m. drive to Husavik with a stop at Blonduos and Hrutey Island
night between Arukuyeri and Husavik
Saturday 7th july
am whalewatching from Husavik and then drove to Tjornes to look for Ptarmigan
Stop at Godafoss waterfall
Then Vaglaskogur forest
Night in Akuyeri
Sunday 8th july
Then Myvatn – walk in some birch forest on east side, up to the crater, the back crags and the hot bubbling ground region. I also visited the nature reserve on the west side of Myvatn
Night in Akuyeri
Monday 9th july
Drive to Reyekjavik
Thingvellir NP
Night Reykjavik
Tueday 10 the july
Sight see in Reykjavik
Wednesday 11th july
flight home
Here is a list of birds I saw and where. Birds in Bold are firsts. Birds in italics are those that I have seen one or two times before.
• Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus – seen in small numbers throughout all areas visited
• Greylag Goose Anser anser - seen in small numbers throughout all areas visited, some with recently hatched young
• Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope - seen in small in the North and around Myvatn
• Gadwall Anas strepera - on Myvtan
• Eurasian Teal Anas crecca - seen in small in the North and around Myvatn
• Mallard Anas platyrhynchos - seen in good numbers throughout all areas visited, some with recently hatched ducklings and many males in eclipse plumage
• Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula - seen in good numbers throughout
all areas visited, some with recently hatched ducklings
• Greater Scaup Aythya marila - seen in good numbers throughout all areas visited, some with recently hatched ducklings
• Common Eider Somateria mollissima - seen in good numbers throughout all areas visited, some with recently hatched ducklings and many males in eclipse plumage
• Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus – first seen flying over a lake near Storu Jatnir between Akuyeri and Husavik, then on river Laxa,
• Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis – seen more in the North, around Akuyeri, Hunafloi and Myvatn. One drake seen and that on the Akuyeri fjord.
• Common Scoter Melanitta nigra - seen in most areas in small numbers
• Barrow's Goldeneye Bucephala islandica - Akuyeri to Myvtan
• Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator - seen in most areas in small numbers
• Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus muta - one seen with at least one chick in Vaglaskógur Forest
• Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata - seen in most areas
• Great Northern Diver Gavia immer - seen in most areas
• Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus - Hunafloi Bay area to Myvatn
• Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis - seen everywhere in the coastal regions
• Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus - seen from Gardour
• Northern Gannet Morus bassanus - seen on boat trip from Stykkisholmur
• Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo - seen on first day in southern regions
• European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis - seen around most coastal areas
I scanned the fields between Husavik and Tjornes for Ptarmigan but no luck. I turned back after looking carefully. I had given upon Ptarmigan and any scanning would have been half-hearted on the way back. I realised that something was on the rocks, a bird. I was not the only one hunting for Ptarmigan. I stopped the car and just above the road side on some rocks sat a Gyrfalcon, a bird I never expected to see so quickly. It gave good views before flying off. The Ptarmigan did eventually make an expeience but in a forest!
• White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla - 2 seen from Stykkishomur boat trip on Friday. However, later on the day a pair were soaring somewhere between Stykkishomur and Hunafloi area
• Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus - one seen on Saturday sat on roadside rocks between Husavik and Tjornes, other seen Sunday as hike down from Hverfjall
• Merlin Falco columbarius - oen seen between Akuyeri and Myvatn, other seen hunting a Redshank between Akuyeri and Reykjavik
• Eurasian Oystercatcher - everywhere!
• Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula - seen around Snaefellness and northern Iceland coastl regions
• Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria - everywhere
• Dunlin Calidris alpina - seen from Hunafloi bay area and eastwards
• Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago - everywhere chipping and drumming….a fantastic site, dead chick in Vaglaskógur forest.
• Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus - everywhere
• Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata Rare/Accidental - southern coastal area
• Common Redshank Tringa totanus - everywhere displaying and alarming, some with small young and some nearly full grown
• Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus - everywhere but most common around Myvatn
• Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres - coastal areas
• Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus - Snaefellness most commonly, also Northern and southern coast areas, only 1 around Myvatn
• Great Skua Stercorarius skua - seen from Gardour
• Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus – common everywhere
• Common Gull Larus canus - Snaefell but more commonly in northern coastal areas
• Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus - everywhere
• Herring Gull Larus argentatus - southern coastal area and a possible around Snaefellness
• Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides - seen at Akuyeri , other birders saw one at Snaefelnness region
• Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus - Snaefelness mainly but one at Blonduous
• Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus - everywhere, one eating a Puffin!
• Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla - everywhere around the coast
• Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea - abundantly everywhere
• Common Guillemot Uria aalge - all coastal regions
• Brunnich's Guillemot Uria lomvia - Snaefelless region
• Razorbill Alca torda - all coastal regions
• Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle - Snaefellness rea and Husavik
• Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica - all coastal regions
• Rock Pigeon Columba livia - common everywhere
• Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus - seen on first day between Reykjavik and Snaefellness area
• Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis - abundantly everywhere
• White Wagtail Motacilla alba - abundantly everywhere
• Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes - around Myvtan
• Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe - common some with ready to fledge young
• Redwing Turdus iliacus - common in all regions
• Common Raven Corvus corax - seen on everyday in small numbers 4 around Blonduos, also a pair with 2 young in Ryekjavik near the big church, one with a roadkill which looked similar to a rat, one on ground being mobbed by Oystercatchers
• Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris - the south and all regions not too far from the coast
• Common Redpoll Carduelis flammea - On Hrutey Island near Blonduous, also whereever else trees present
• Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis - seen around all areas I visited but not too common. Some juveniles came very close to my car.
I went on two boat trips – one from Stykkisholmur and the other from Husavik. On the first one we saw the islands, sea birds and a pair of sea eagles. On the latter we saw 6 Whales o which 4 were Humpbacks and 2 were Minke. Orcas and some whales were seen at various points off the Snaefells. 2 King Eiders were seen at Arnstrapi by other British birders.
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