Sandra has spent June to September up in Iceland, this trip to Iceland wasn’t just for traveling but working for Láki Tours, guiding mainly birdwatching tours at sea and also some whale watching.
The northern hemisphere summer months are also a great time to be in Iceland for birding. In summer there are great numbers of migrants in the country to breed, some of these species are also seen in South Africa during our summer. Sandra has always been very fascinated by waders and seabirds therefore a lot of her birding was along the coast and at sea. On workdays she had up to three bird-watching trips that were heading to an island about 7km off the coast to see Iceland’s probably most famous bird the Atlantic Puffin. Around this island other species such as European Shag, Great Cormorant, Greater- and Lesser Black-backed Gull, Glaucous Gull, Herring Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Black Guillemot, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Purple Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Arctic Skua, Eider Duck and plenty of Northern Fulmar were also encountered on a regular basis.
From the whale-watching boat Sandra was able to spot another whole variety of seabirds species including European Storm Petrel, Manx Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Northern Gannet, Great Skua and Red-necked Phalarope that were gathering on the water towards the end of summer.
One of the highlights at sea was watching the Arctic Skuas being the true ‘Pirates of the sea’ chasing down birds such as the Black-legged Kittiwake for the fish. The waters around Iceland are so rich in small fish that large groups of feeding birds could be seen of the boat on almost a daily basis and where the birds are feeding the whales weren’t far either.
Sandra was also lucky to live in one of the most beautiful parts of Iceland, the Snæfelsness peninsula, which is a well known area for the scenic hiking trails along the rugged coastline and vast numbers of birds. The endless streams and lakes also attract numbers of waterfowl and while birding along the peninsula and up to the Westfjords she was lucky to see Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed Duck, Great Northern Loon, Red-Throated Loon, Greater Scaup, Whooper Swan, Red-breasted Merganser and Common Shelduck.
One of the great places to visit that is filled with bird life during the summer is the Snæfelsness National Park at the end of the peninsula its cliffs are filled with Razorbills, Common and Brünnich’s Guillemot and other coastal seabirds. In the little town of Arnarstapi, on the south side of the peninsula, you don’t have to look hard to see the nesting Arctic Tern, but watch out they are aggressive while breading and are attacking anyone walking past their colony. There are also Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Snipe, Common Ringed Plover and many other birds that can be spotted while walking through the small town or along the coastal paths. The peninsula is also a breeding site of the Gyrfalcon and Merlin which are seen while hiking or taking a slow drive. Although the White-tailed Eagle are commonly seen there too she was fortunate to have an encounter with one of them up in the southeastern parts of the Westfjords, it was an amazing sight and the eagle came out of nowhere being chased by an Oystercatcher across the broad river mouth.
On the endless hiking trails along the coast, through lava fields and up into mountainous areas there are endless Golden Plovers, Northern Wheatear, Meadow Pipit as well as Rock Ptarmigan. In the towns where some trees are growing Redwings are regularly seen and towards the end of summer the Snow Bunting started to make their appearance again.
Probably the best time for birding in Iceland is May to August with the breeding season in full swing. In September it is notably getting quieter as migrants on their way south, but this time you also see species breeding further north that are just stopping by on their way. Although the variety of birds is very little in comparison to the hundreds we see in South Africa but the sheer number of birds that aggregate there during summer is impressive alone.