Day 2 Mull
Mull - Day 2
Day 2 and I was up and out early as the weather looked good. Ricky and Adrian opted for a lay in. Plan was to head along the A849 towards Loch beg and stop en route looking for Otters. The dirt track from our digs run along side Loch Assapol and after hearing a Diver calling late last night I stopped to have a look. In the distant I could make out a single Diver looked like a Black-throated but was so distant I couldn’t be sure. To far away for any pics I continued on travelling East along the A849 stopping at vantage points and checking the loch shore. Wasn’t long before I spotted another diver. I quickly reverted back along the deserted road and pulled over in a safe spot and crept down onto the Loch shore!! Bloody hell it was a Great Northern Diver in breeding plumage. It was a little distant but I thought if I can get to the waters edge I might be able to get a few decent shots.
Great Northern Diver - Mull May 2021
I have seen plenty of these stonking birds in Iceland but it’s a pretty impressive bird to see in UK waters. I started to creep low towards the water when something caught my eye about 10 feet away to my left!!! Shit shit shit it was on Otter!! Was a bloody Otter as it disappeared into the water!! The one that got away!!
Loch Scridain, Mull - June 2021
Oh well back to the Great Northern Diver. Although the light looked amazing the reflection of the water made photographing this beauty difficult and the water had a grey cast across it from the reflection of the mountains. The bird stayed distant as well. Still it was a Great Northern Diver so I just sat and enjoyed it for a while. With the accompanying sound of Willow Warblers and Cuckoos. There were Cuckoos everywhere we stopped. Not much was seen as I drove toward Loch Beg I stopped at a small beach and had a walk round. A few Common Sandpipers here and a Greylag carcass probably nailed by a White tailed Eagle.
Loch Scridain, Mull - May 2021
I head back to our digs to pick up Adrian and Ricky stopping on the drive in to tog a Stonechat family.
Stonechat - Scoor, May 2021
Plan for the rest of the day was to head towards Fidden and bird around the area. According to Ricky’s trusted book it was a good area for Twite and Corncrake. We parked up and took a footpath East. There were plenty of Cuckoos in the area and Redpolls everywhere. Managed a few pics but nothing decent. Adrian had a good walk around and failed with the Twite. The area felt good but didn’t find our target. We headed for the coast near Fidden there were plenty of Iris beds here so again it felt good for our next target Corncrake. We all headed off in different directions. I headed towards the Sea seeing a few Mountain Hares. I watched an Oystercatcher slowly walk off and it looked very suss so I had a look round the area and found an Oystercatcher nest with 2eggs.
Oystercatcher Nest - Fidden, June 2021
I checked out a few Iris beds but didn’t hear or see anything. There were a few Whimbrel in the bay, A Common Gull and some Rock Pipits but not much else. The scenery as with the rest of mull was stunning though
Iris Bed - Fidden, Mull
Fidden Coast, Mull - June 2021
We all met back up and Adrian showed me a Common Gull nest he had found near the cost there was plenty of Iris beds again but still no sign of the elusive Corncrake.
Common Gull Nest - Fidden, Mull, May 2021
That evening we headed back to our digs and Adrian and I went out to try again for the local Curlew pair. We headed out in a different direction to check out our local beach.
Scoor Beach - May 2021
We headed back to an area where we had seen a pair of Curlews the pervious night to have another look for their nest. Curlews aren't a breeding bird in our next of the woods so would be a new one for me. The pair weren't to be seen in the valley so we went for plan B and that was to head on a bit further to where we could see a few Common Gulls sat down. A few nest contained eggs and some didn't
Common Gull Nest - Scoor, Mull, May 2021
We headed back to the valley the Curlews were in to be met by one flying away. Adrian used his skills to home in a beautiful set of 4 eggs. Amazingly one was just starting to hatch. We could hear the young bird cherping from inside the egg. A quick picture was taken before a quick retreat to the top of the hill overlooking the Valley. Wasn't long before the parents were back onsite. This capped off another good day. Just to the long damp walk back to the digs before the sunset.
Curlew Nest - Scoor, Mull, June 2021
Scotland Day 1 - Mull and Iona
We had to change our plans this year due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation. What was meant to be a trip to Iceland was put on the back burner until 2022. Instead we changed this year plans to a trip to the Isle of Mull and the Cairngorms.
Myself and my 2 traveling companions Ricky and Adrian (uncles) set off on a Friday lunch time excited by the 8 days ahead. The excitement was soon damped by the most horrendous traffic I have ever experienced. The M5 and M6 was pretty much a standstill from Worcester to Carlisle. We had given ourselves plenty of time for our 10pm check into our first stop in Oban. The plan was to get a bite to eat and maybe try the local celebs aka the Black Guillemots which breed in small numbers along the sea wall. Our hotel was conveniently a stones throw from the Black Guillemot site. We made it to the hotel at 9.57 so no tea just some sandwiches in the car from a garage en route. Not the best start but we had made it safely to Oban.
Next morning we had booked onto the first ferry to the Isle of Mull. After a quick visit to the Guillemots (14 seen) we were off to Mull. Enjoying a full fat Scottish breakfast onboard. (minus the black pudding for me)
The plan was to head to Fionnphort and catch the first ferry over to Iona a small island just of Mull. Iona is famous for its Abby, White Sandy beaches and best of all Corncrake. This secretive bird is found in good numbers on Iona and would be a lifer for me. En route we stopped at a Loch Beg to have a scope around. Was good to hear Drumming snipe, Curlew and Redshank all on their breeding grounds.
After just missing the first ferry to Iona we had a quick look around the headland of Fionnphort. Not much apart from a few Orchids, a calling Cuckoo and a family of Hooded Crows. The crossing to Iona is a short one and it wasn’t long before we were on the island. We headed straight to the fire station a good place to view corncrake. Sadly none were seen but we did hear one here briefly. In the grounds of the fire station there were some orchids sadly these hadn't opened yet and had been damaged on the freshly cut lawn. There was a garden just past the fire station that had a bird feeder in underneath and here we seen 4 Pure form Rock Doves. They looked pretty good up to our local street rats.
We headed along the shore towards the South East of the island this is where Adrian found his first nest of the trip. An Oystercatcher on 3. We also watched some Ringed Plover here but didn’t find a nest. Greenshank was also heard here but not seen by any of us.
Oystercatcher Nest - Iona
Oystercatcher Nest - Iona
I had yet to fire off any shots yet this trip so I spend a bit of time with a pair of Ringed Plover feeding around the rocks and shoreline.
Ringed Plover - Iona
Ringed Plover - Iona
Ringed Plover - Iona
We then walked across the island to the north side listening at any Iris bed en route, It wasn't long until I heard the distant Crex Crex of a Corncrake the Iris bed was distant and in a farmers field so little or no chance of seeing this bird. Another was heard about 10meters up the road and a similar situation where the site wasn’t easily viewed. The far side of the island was very beautiful with some lovely untouched sandy beaches.
Iona Beaches
We have planned to leave the island around 4pm which would give us a bit of time birding on Mull and to find our digs for the next 3 nights. One last trip to the fire Station was on the cards especially after bumping into someone who told us that one was seen yesterday and some good photos were taken of it. Sadly no show again and we were soon back on the ferry to Mull.
Iris bed - Iona Fire Station
We took the short trip from Fionnphort to our digs. Which was just outside Bunessan stopping to refuel at the pub in Bunessan the Argyll Arms Hotel. Food was pretty good and staff were really friendly well worth a stop if in the area. Here we watched an Osprey drift by. Our Airbnb was not to far away but at the end of a 3 mile dirt track road which was bumpy and I nearly took the bottom of the car off numerous times. It was worth the effort. The house we were staying at appeared to be an old farm house and had numerous House Martin’s, House Sparrows and Starlings nesting in and around the house. The House Martin’s had chicks and were busy feeding them, it was amazing to watch them from the lounge window.
Our Airb&B on Mull
The only place to get any signal was to take a short walk up the hill behind the house here we all checked in with people back home before taking a walk around the local fields. A cuckoo was calling from the woods across the valley. Everywhere we went we heard cuckoos. Wasn’t long before we found our first nest of the evening a Common Gull. The area was very wet and Adrian was glad he left his clean dry and very new trainers on.
Common Gull nest - Isle of Mull
Common Gull nest - Isle of Mull
We carried on across the area and wasn’t long before we had a hunting Short-eared Owl always a bit distant but good to see. In the next valley we found a pair of Curlews they were acting very suspicious but no nest was found. One for another night. As we began the walk back to the digs we had a fly over Golden Eagle.
Golden Eagle - Isle of Mull
The scenery was pretty stunning and was amazing to watch the sunset. As we arrived at the hill next to our digs I checked my phone and boom we had some 4g. Adrian for his sins is a Chelsea fan so we managed to catch the last 10 minutes of the Champions league final. Before heading back for a celebratory Gin and tonic that Adrian had kindly bought along with a box of goodies to keep us feed throughout the trip. The goodies also included x3 bottles of Avon skin so soft. Always good to keep your skin hydrated. Heard it’s also good for keeping away the midges.
Iceland Day 7-8
Day 7 Eyrarbakki and Floi
We stopped off at an area that looked pretty good as we had seen a few birds flying about. We parked the car up and Adrian went one way and I went the other. It wasnt long before I was being mobbed by Black-headed Gulls and Arctic Terns. I retreated to a safe distance and waited for everything to settle back down. I watched several birds return to the tops of small mounds as seen in picture below.
Black-headed Gull nest site, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
I approached the area again and on top of pretty much all the mounds were Black-headed Gull nests another first for me. A few had Arctic Terns on and one even had an Eider Duck sat on. This was a little nest hot bed probably an area no bigger than 2 football pitches and it held 5 black-headed Gull nests, 2 Arctic Terns and an Eider Duck.
Black-headed Gull nest site, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
Black-headed Gull nest site, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
Black-headed Gull nest site, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
Black-headed Gull nest site, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
Black-headed Gull nest site, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
Black-headed Gull nest site, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
Black-headed Gull nest site, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
Black-headed Gull nest site, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
Eider Duck, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
Eider Duck, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
Eider Duck, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
Eider Duck, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
Also in the area was an Oystercatcher that after watching back I couldn't find and it took the expert eye of Adrian to find it. At one point I was pretty much stood on top of it and still couldn't see it. Impressive camouflage which is needed with so many Skuas about. It also is a good reminder to watch where you are walking at all times. Whilst looking for the Oystercatcher first time round I had flushed out a Meadow Pipit. A nest we had already seen on this trip but all found by Adrian so I was happy to find my first. It was well hidden in a grassy tussock so not very good pictures as I didn't want to disturb the nest site.
Meadow Pipit, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
Meadow Pipit, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
Oystercatcher, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
Oystercatcher, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
On the way back we noticed a Dunlin acting very strange and was flying around us before disappearing. We watched it do this a few times and guessed it must have a nest nearby. We sat up out of view and watched it back. This is where Adrian's years of experience come in. Where it lands doesn't always mean this is the nest site. It didn't take long though to find a set of 4 beautiful eggs. Our 1st Dunlin of the trip.
Dunlin, Eyrarbakki, Iceland, June 2019
After Tea we headed off to Floi bird reserve the aim was to find and photograph some Red-throated Divers. Floi is a large bird and nature reserve located near Arborg. It includes a stretch of the east shore of the Olfusa River. The reserve measures roughly 1–1.5 km (0.62–0.93 mi) wide by 4.5 km (2.8 mi) long, with an area of about 5 km2 (1.9 sq mi). It is all low-lying wetland, on average only 2 m (6.6 ft) above sea level, and is subject to seawater flooding at the spring tide. There are vistas of the surrounding mountains. There is a bird hide that overlooks the area and this had a couple a pairs of starlings nesting in the roof. We spilt up again and Adrian headed in land to see what he could find. My aim was to find a couple of Red-throats and settle down and photography them with the sun slowly set. I found a pair on a fairly small pool. The plan was to try and get close to the water edges I took my time and kept low and got into position without disturbing the bird. The only downside was this was a very wet area and although i was in full waterproofs it didn't stop the water seeping in. I had managed to get right to the waters edge and I laid here for as long as I could. l was soaked to the skin but it was worth it. When I eventually got up to leave my clothes felt like lead weights as the water had poured where I had my arms in the water and drenched me from head to toe. It also smelt pretty bad. Cold, Wet, Stinking like a bog but extremely happy.
Red-throated Divers, Floi Bird Reserve, June 2019
Floi Bird Reserve, Iceland June 2019
Not only were the pools around Floi full of Red-throated Divers some also contained other Birdlife. On the path in I had a pair of Dunlin wizzing around me they must have had a nest nearby. In the same area a pair of Arctic Terns mobbed me and on must of the pools were Red-necked Phalaropes. There were also a few pairs of Whooper Swan's. This pair of Whooper Swans had 3 chicks safely tucked in between them. As with some the Red-throated Divers you can see some Iron staining around the heads of these birds. This is picked up from feeding in the iron rich area.
Whooper Swans - Floi Bird Reserve
Whooper Swans - Floi Bird Reserve
Whooper Swans - Floi Bird Reserve
Whooper Swans - Floi Bird Reserve
I managed to keep low as not to spook the birds and get close to the water edge. Again the area was very wet and boggy but worth getting a soaking for. I love nothing better to get down to the waters edge and try and keep out of sight as much as possible and just wait for those right moments. I had done a bit of research of this area and studied lots of pictures before I left and I was getting the Images I had hoped for. I was now in my element. I had imagined myself in the grass, laid down on the waters edge getting soaked to the skin and capturing Floi amazing wildlife and here I was living the dream. Whilst waiting in the grass I caught sight of our first Short-eared Owl of the trip it. It didn't offer much in the way of photography but was great to see flying all over the reserve hunting for a evening meal. After filling a few memory cards and with the light fading we headed back to the car. It was problem gone midnight by the time I got into bed but I could still hear a Redwing singing away in the hotel Garden. This place is truly amazing.
Day 8
Took a drive to Floi first thing to have a look round and then planned on driving around the area seeing what nests and photo opportunities came our way. I wanted to add more birds to my birds on a post series. As we drove into Floi a snipe showed nicely on a post a little distant but always nice to see. Another bird on a post. This has to one of my highlights of the trip is everywhere you go you hear Snipe drumming. What with Redwings calling everywhere it was a great sound track and something I look forward to hearing again soon.
Snipe - Floi Bird Reserve, Iceland, June 2019
Another one of Icelands great sites is the Icelandic Ponies that are all over the Island they must be real hard bastards to be out in all weathers. They seem to be the most numerous farm animal across the Island I guess used mainly for Pony trekking. No time on this trip for any of that. I couldn't come all this way and not get a few pics of these beautiful animals
Icelandic Ponies, Floi Bird Reserve, Iceland June 2019
We spent most of the morning driving the gravel tracks around the area and were kind of focusing on the Black-tailed Godwits. These had evaded both of us. I still needed a decent picture and Adrian was desperate to find a nest. We followed up a few good leads in areas where we had seen birds but to no luck. One bird did perch up on the road but was always a little distant.
Black-tailed Godwit, Iceland, June 2019
Later the day we traveled to Pingvellir National Park. We headed first to Pingvallavatn Lake which is Iceland largest natural lake. Perfect for Great northern Divers who prefer large waterbodies. First stop and It didn't take long before we found a pair nesting on a small Island about 20 meters from the shore. We had a good walk around the lake side and had good views of a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers that were swimming close to the rocky shoreline. A Greylag Goose was also feeding in the area.
We moved on next to the River Sog which flows out of Pingvallavatn and has been said to be a site for Barrows Goldeneye and Harlequin Ducks. We Parked up Irafoss Hydroelectric Power Station and had a look round there were a few Golden Plovers on the lawns but not much else. We crossed over the bridge and to our surprise we could see a Great-Northern Diver fishing on the River between the two dams. We thought we could see a bird on the far bank so walked along to get back a better look further down stream. It wasn't a bird on the far bank but whilst walking down our bank I caught site of a Great Northern Diver on our side of the river. I ducked down out of site hoping the bird hadn't seen me and that I wouldn't disturb it. The only reason this bird would be a sat on the bank at this time of year was that it was probably sat on eggs. I waited for Adrian to catch me up before crawling trough the long grass to get a closer look. This was my first interaction with the infamous Icelandic Black Flies. They were everywhere and you couldn't help but swallow a mouthful every time you breathed. It was worth it for the views we had of this majestic bird. I fired off a few shots and we were about to retreat when they bird made a very strange noise. I have never heard a bird call like it before but was clearly a warning to its partner further up stream that we were here. The bird didn't budge and sat tight we will never know if it was sat on anything.
eggs but its reaction probably suggested it was. We quickly exited the area as not to disturb the bird anymore. Later in the trip I found out more about it call. We were in the Airport and hitting the Duty free when Adrian spotted a Gin with a Great Northern Diver on the front of the Bottle. It was called Himbrimi Gin. The name "Himbrimi" means “heaven howler” and is the Icelandic name for the Great Northern Diver. We both went home with a bottle each. I can confirm it taste pretty good but I haven't tried it yet how it suggests on the bottle and that is Himbrimi Gin is to be enjoyed straight from the bottle while fly-fishing in a flowing river. Maybe next year.
Great Northern Diver, Iceland June 2019
We finished up the day with a final trip to Floi. Plenty more of the Red-throated Divers and Whooper Swans. The noise of the Divers at Floi was awesome a Chorus of divers on different lakes communicating with one another.
Red-throated Divers, Floi Bird Reserve, June 2019
The Below pair had a couple of chicks which was amazing to see, these being the future of Floi. I didn't stay too long with this pair as didn't want to risk disturbing them. You can again see the Iron staining on the white feathers. The other pair in this selection of pictures were getting quite feisty after the male returned empty handed from a fishing trip on the neighbouring river. Was amazing to watch.
Red-throated Divers, Floi Bird Reserve, Iceland June 2019
Day 10
Our final day saw an early start again and we headed to the Coast near Eyrarbakki again. We parked the car up and I went for a walk along the beach I had seen a pale phase Arctic Skua which did a bunk before I could get a decent shot. There was also a pretty decent sized flock of Eider duck sat on the Black Sand and a few Sanderling I guess these were still on their way north to breed.
Eyrarbakki Coast, Iceland, June 2019
Whilst I had been off along the beach Adrian had been watching a Red-necked Phalarope close to the car and had succeeded in finding another nest with 4 eggs. This was pretty close to the car so we decided to set my GoPro near to the nest to see if we could film the male returning to the nest. I did my best to disguise the camera and retreated to the car wasn't long before the male returned. Through the marvels of modern technology we could watch this live in the car through my phone. Was awesome to watch.
Red-necked Phalarope Eggs, Iceland, June 2019
Red-necked Phalarope, Iceland June 2019
On the way back to our last nights stay in Reykjavik we stopped at an abandoned thermal spa. Guess we may as well do some tourist stuff whilst here. Was a bit stinky but good to see science in action.
This brought the end of an amazing adventure. Amazing company, Amazing birds, and what a place Iceland is. I am sure we have another adventure together somewhere soon.
Iceland Day 5-6
Day 5
This morning we were off to Lake Myvatn. Even though the weather didn't look great it was an area we both wanted to go to so we just had to grin and bear it. It was a couple of hours drive along Route 1 taking in a pretty impressive tunnel just outside Akureyri. Be warned this is a toll tunnel and has a few speed traps inside. Akureyri was the largest town we had seen for a while. We stopped at a service station and had a look around the coast here. Eiders and Long-Tailed Ducks were on the water and the forecourt had some smart looking Black-headed and Common Gulls. A small lake opposite the garage had the usual duck suspects and a pair of Red-throated Divers.
We continued our journey towards Myvatn the scenery was stunning. It was a mix of sunshine and showers the showers often turning to snow. The mountains around had a fresh dusting on their summits. It was still howling a gale that was bloody freezing. We stopped at an area I had been tipped off about by a fellow photographer Mike. It was a small lake and had a few Slav Grebes milling around on. We parked up and got out to have a look round. I nearly stayed in the car it was so cold. Was worthing getting out for though as there was a lone Great Northern Diver swimming around in the middle of the lake. Great Northern Divers generally like the larger lakes, so even though this one was a bit distant to start it was worth hanging around for. Of course with any water in Iceland there are always Red-necked Phalaropes and Tuffed Ducks as well. There was also a Whooper Swan nesting on a small Island.
I started off with the Slav Grebes these are a my nemesis bird as I never seem to do very well with them. It continued here, the pair I watched never really came close and stayed on an area of weedy water and the pictures I was getting didn't look great.
Slavonian Grebe, Iceland, June 2019
The Great Northern Diver was fishing so I set off to creep towards it. Every time it dived I would edge a bit closer until I was laid on the bank close to the area it was fishing I spend quite a bit of time moving up and down the bank following this magnificent bird. The weather wasn't great but managed a few sunny spells in between the snow shower.
Great Northern Diver - Iceland June 2019
Whilst I was spending time doing my stuff Adrian had been watching the Red-necked Phalaropes and had delivered again. Finding his 2nd nest of the trip. It was beauty well hidden and about 10 meters from were we had parked the car. To say Adrian was a tad happy was an understatement.
Red-necked Phalarope, Iceland, June 2019
After spending a few good hours here we continued on our journey to Myvatn, I wish we didn't the weather got worse and worse. The mountains now had a good covering of snow and it was rain rain rain at lower levels. We arrived at the River Laxa in pouring Rain and had a quick look around we saw a Barrows Goldeneye which was a World Tick for Both of us and a few Harlequin Ducks. This was another new bird for Adrian, I had seen the one that turned up in Aberdeen a few years ago. We took a drive to the bird museum and saw some great birds from the car, a pair of Long-tailed Ducks were on a small lake near the entrance track. At the Museum we saw numerous bird close to the shore. Tuffed Duck, Phalaropes, Mergansers, Common Scoters, Gadwalls and even a Pochard. We had a bite to eat here before venturing out of the car. It was so cold this didn't last long. With the weather so poor the only option was to get in the car and have a drive about. Husavik was about 90mins from Myvatn and a place I had marked for Great Northern Divers, there are a few lakes near to the coast that are said to hold Divers on every spring. Sadly we didn't bother to stop in the pouring rain. We eventually got to some cliffs a few miles outside Husavik. Adrian got out to have a look around. The wind was so cold I though sod this I am not getting out here but I am glad I did. There were numerous Fulmars in and around the cliffs. These were flying close to the cliff it was tricky holding the lens still in the wind below is the best I got.
Fulmar, Iceland, June 2019
There were a pair of Black Guillemots, a Red-throated Diver and 1000s of Puffins at sea. There is a large Great Skua nearby and we were both on the look out for one of these as this would be a trip tick. Out of nowhere one appeared very close to the cliff edge sadly I wasn't ready with the camera and missed an awesome opportunity to capture one. By now the cold was unbearable even with my 25 layers on, so we got back in the car and carried on further up the coast. The plan was travel on Route 85 and cut back along 862 to Myvatn. We had another cliff top stop and saw pretty much the same Stuff including another flyby Great Skua!! Guess what camera not ready and I missed it again. From here we could see the ..... an area great for Great Skua and Slavoioan Grebes we didn't have enough time to really explore this year so marked this one down for another trip. Further North of here is another area we wouldn't have time to explore this trip its an area that's meant to have good numbers of breeding Purple Sandpipers a species we both wanted to find.
We soon hit the 862 which started off like most roads in Iceland as a passable tarmac road without much warning this turned into one of their passable gravel tracks. Unlike most gravel tracks we had used before this one turned into a waterlogged boulder filled death trap that was actual pretty busy. For 20km I drove along this track shitting myself the whole time. We both couldn't understand why it was so busy but yet the worst road we had both ever seen. Turns out to be an access road sorry access donkey track to ..... one of Iceland famous Waterfalls. Progress was slow and we hadn't even made half way when the road disappeared into a canyon this is when things got really scary!!! The track was getting worse and was pretty steep I felt taking this route was going to cause some serious damage to our hire car so half way down the hill we decided to abandon and turn around. This would mean a 2 hour drive in the direction we had come from. It was an easy decision to make. Adrian got out and directed me as we attempted a 25 point turn. I had my eyes closed most of the time as one false move and the car was over the edge. Thankfully we managed to turn around and Adrian jumped into the drivers seat as to say I was a tad stressed was an understatement. Eventually we made it back to a decent road and onwards to Myvatn. We both got out the car to stretch our legs and left off a bit of steam.
Road to hell, Iceland, June 2019
After a long trek back to our hotel through some pretty bleak weather we decided to get some food and a beer before heading out in the rain to find some more bits and pieces. We headed to the River Laxa and went about trying to find some Harlequin Ducks and Barrows Goldeneye. Iceland is the European hotspots for both of these Ducks and the Laxa is the best place in Iceland to find these. We parked up the car and started to walk downriver from the road bridge. We crossed onto a small Island and from there we could see a couple of hardy fisherman in the fast flowing river. There was no chance you would see me in there. Just off the banks of this Island was a small group of Harlequin Ducks the light and weather was appalling but this might be my only opportunity to photography these beautiful ducks. I got low into the vegetation and waited for them to swim past.
Harlequin Duck, River Laxa, June 2019
The light was fading fast and we were both soaked so didn't hang around to long. Hopefully the weather would improve tomorrow.
Day 6
No chance I awoke early to get down to the visitor centre and it was still awful a few snow showers and the howling wind meant I didn't get out the car. Adrian had stayed in bed for some extra kip. Probably a good Idea. The Long-tailed ducks were back on the same pool and plenty of the usual suspects were on the banks of the lake. I continued to drive around Myvatn looking for good photo ops!! Sadly they were few and far between. I was also hoping for a glimpse of a Gyr Falcon as we had seen a few Gyr Kill sites the night before along the Laxa. I stopped at one beach and there were 5 Great Northern Divers, Pair of Long-tailed Ducks and some Common Scoters in close there was little of no cover for me to get down to the shore without disturbing them so I moved on finding a pair of Red-Necked Phalaropes in the next bay. I took some opportunities with these to do some arty farty shots in the poor light. I was pretty pleased with the results.
Red-Necked Phalarope, Lake Myvatn, Iceland, June 2019
I had a short stop in the same place as the night before on the River Laxa I found what looked like another Gyr Kill, which was the remains of a Whooper Swan. There wasn't much wildfowl on the River so ended up watching a pair of Redwings carrying food to a nest I quickly located the nest before moving on.
Redwing nest with chicks, River Laxa, Iceland, june 2019
I tried heading down stream again heading back towards the same place we went to yesterday on route across a small island i put a snipe up. Its nest was easy to locate on a slightly rasied grassy area. My 2nd Snipe nest of the trip.
Snipe, River Laxa, Iceland, June 2109
I followed the River downstream for as long as I safely could before turning around and headed back to the car. I found plenty of what looked like Gyr kills something we both hoped to see. There was no Ducks at all to be seen only a lone Red-throated Diver After not having much I headed back to the hotel. We had some breakfast in the hotel well I had some strange black bread and we headed back out the plan was to hit the Laxa for a few hours before abandoning the area to get back to the better weather in the south of the country.
We left the hotel and took a slow drive along Lake Myvatn. Myvatn means lake of the flies and this time of year its meant to be crawling with flies which is why its so appleaing to all the wildfowl. With the biting wind and driving rain I guess the flies thought best to stay hunkered down. We checked out the Lava fields for any Ptarmigan but no luck. We were heading past the bay were I had noted the Great Northern Divers this morning, when I saw a large bird sat on the banks. I quickly shouted to Adrian check that bird out as I was driving and he to thought it looked good!! could it be a Gyr? I quickly spun the car around and drove slowly back along!!!! Boom it was a huge falcon and could only be one thing a Gyr Falcon. I took a few long range pics from the car before it flew off. Wow we were not expecting that and although brief and distant this was a big highlight of the trip so far. A lifer for us both.
Gyr Falcon, Lake Myvatn, Iceland, June 2019
We Parked up again and both spilt up. Adrian was interested in finding a wigeon he had flushed the previous night and I was after some more photos of any Wildfowl. It was again yes you guessed it pouring with rain but this was a last opportunity around this area so we both fully waterproofed up and both set off. I went up stream first and found a pair of Barrows Goldeneye that were close enough to get some pictures of. The difficulty here was getting down to water level to get the pictures I was after. The water is fast flowing and cold not somewhere I wanted to fall into. I managed to get close enough to get the below, the best i managed.
Barrows Goldeneye, River Laxa, Iceland, June 2019
There were also a few of Harlequin Ducks hanging around nearby
I was disappointed from what I had managed to capture in this area. It was probably the place in Iceland I most wanted to visit and the weather had beaten us. The area is full of wildfowl and its an area I cant wait to get back to.
River Laxa, Iceland, June 2019
Red-necked Phalaropes, River Laxa, Iceland, June 2019
We both meet back at the car to discuss our findings Adrian had great pleasure in telling me not only had he found the Wigeon he had been after he had also found a Ptarmigan (I believe a new nest tick). The Ptarmigan was going to be tricky to relocate so I couldn't add it to my list. But Adrian showed my the Wigeon nest which was just a few meters from were we had parked up.
Wigeon, River Laxa, Iceland, June 2019
We set off back towards our next over night stop which was going to be Borganes. We planned to stay here overnight before heading further South to the Floi Bird reserve for some Red-throated Diver action.
En route to Borganes we had a few stop offs. Firstly at a huge waterfall!! Called Godafoss. Well we may as well do some tourist stuff whilst we are here. They were actual pretty impressive and well worth a visit. Best of all unlike waterfalls i have visited elsewhere they were free.
Godafoss Waterfalls -Iceland
After a few snaps and selfies we were back on the road. With the weather improving minute by minute we thought it best to stop off at my favourite place so far which was the top seceret lake we had been tipped off about by a follow togger. It delivered again with the same stunning Great Northern Diver causally swimming up and down the lake. The best part of all was the sun poked through a few times.
Great northern Diver, Iceland, June 2019
There were a couple of Arctic Terns that were noisly flying around and a brief flyby by a Pale phase Arctic Skua.
Arctic Tern, Iceland, June 2019
The Slavs didnt perform again and still remain a boggie bird for me. Whilst waiting for the Great Northern Diver to swim by again a couple of Red-necked Phalaropes came and landing in front of me. I could of easly spent all day here but sadly after 2 hours it was time to move on we had a fair few miles still to cover.
Red-Necked Phalarope, Iceland, June 2019
We had a brief stop again in Akureyri and had some fun feeding the local Black-headed Gulls. But were soon back on Route 1 to Borganes. We checked into our hotel which was the same place as our first stop off here. We dumped our bags and were off out to catch the last few hours of the day. The skys were clear and it was an awesome evening. We went off through the small wooded area looking for Redwing nests we were both very succesful finding quite a few at diffferent stages. What suprised me is that we were finding them in trees, banks and one was even on the ground at the foot of a tree.
Redwing - Borganes, Iceland, June 2019
The star find tonight was by Adrian and it was another first for him and it came in the form of a Redpoll. This was a stunning nest, lined with Ptarmigan feathers and contained 6 eggs. This was also our only Redpoll sighting of the trip.
Redpoll, Borganes, Iceland, June 2019
Iceland Day 3 and 4
Day 3
Day 3 started with an early start on route 54 to Snaefellsnes again. It was well over 20 miles before we saw another car in any direction. The first thing you notice about Iceland is out side of Reykjavik there are not a lot of people. I swear I read a fact that over 50% of the population live in and around the capital the rest spread out over this vast Island. First stop was a small lake where we found a pair of Breeding Red-throated Divers. There was also a Slavonian Grebe nearby, our first of the trip. We took a side road off the 54 looking for Snow Buntings, Ptarmigans and hopefully even an Arctic Fox. The whole area is good for these. We didn't see any from the roadside so parked up and had a walk around the area. I took the coast path whilst Adrian took advantaged of the car parks fine facilities. I was about 1/2 mile along when I had a call from Adrian who had an Arctic Fox in his sights. A quick dash along the path and i was back looking for Adrian he was a out of sight and It took a while to locate him. Sadly when I did it was to late, the Fox was long gone. We hung around for a while hoping to catch a glimpse of Iceland only native land mammal but it wasn't to be. One for another day or Trip maybe.
After not finding much else in the area we carried on round to Rif where there is a large Arctic tern colony. It was raining a bit now so we pulled up just out of town in a small car park off the main road. Good place for some lunch and to watch the numerous terns flying around. We tucked into our over priced Sandwiches and watched the world go by. I had noticed a bird shaped rock in the distance something I am sure we all see a lot of and we had both had our fair share this trip. On closer inspection through my bins (yes i am a photographer who owns a pair of Binoculars) I noticed it was an Arctic Skua sat down. This could only mean one thing it must be sat on eggs. We waited for the rain to stop and strolled across and sure enough it was sat on 2 eggs. Its great watching the Skua try and take you away from its nest by using the, look at me I have a broken wing technique.
Arctic Skua - Olafsvik, June 2019
Arctic Skua eggs - Rif, Iceland, June 2019
I managed to take some photos of the bird before setting up my GoPro on the nest and walking away the bird was straight back on the nest. I got some great footage of the Skua returning and siting at its nest site.
Arctic Skua - Olafsvik, June 2019
Arctic Skua - Olafsvik, June 2019
By now Adrian had crossed over the road to check out some Coastal Pools we had saw from the road. He was sure these would be good for Red-necked Phalarope and he wasn't wrong. There was a lake about the size of a football pitch which had some Kittiwake, Black-headed Gulls and Tuffed Ducks on, There was a pair of Red-necked Phalaropes on the back of the lake. Around the lake was some small pools well more like deep puddles and these were packed with loads of these fearless tiny waders. It was amazing to watch these birds swimming around in circles stirring up food from the bottom. The area and the weather didn't make for great photography opportunities but it didn't stop my trying. It was wet and cold but I was fully waterproofed up so I laid on the bank and started to fill my memory cards. These birds were most of the time to close to focus on, they were clearly aware of my presences on the bank but completely unfazed by me. The following videos are filmed on my Iphone.
Red-necked Phalarope - Rif, Iceland, June 2019
After spending a while admiring these birds for a while I moved on towards another large lake to see if I could get some better pictures. Again the lake had plenty of bird life on it including a pair of RT Divers, Whooper Swans and loads of Phalaropes. I had noticed a small beach at the far end and this looked like a great area to improve on my Phalarope efforts. It was bloody freezing and the driving rain and wind made for some tricky conditions but the sun did show itself a few times. I spent about an hour laid on a small strip of black sand watching several Phalaropes just swimming around feeding, never sitting still and not at all bothered by some stupid human trying to photography them. I wonder what they thought as they swam past, just inches from my head. I did try to record the scene please excuse the background howling wind.
The session was well worth out and I was happy with some of the results. A Dunlin even came in and landed had a quick clean and a preen before departing. It was well worth getting wet and cold for. (At the time of writing this blog I have had issues obtaining certain files from the memory card hopefully more Phalarope and Dunlin pictures to follow)
Red-necked Phalarope - Olafsvik, June 2019
Adrian had returned from his walk about and we headed back to the car. It was always a hard walk if you left the beaten track as the ground was very uneven. On returning to the car the Skua was still sat on its nearby nest and a Tern mobbed us both something we had both noted on our way to the pools. We sat in the car and watched the tern return to its nest. A quick check produced one egg. It was well outside the main colony and probably soon to be brekkie for the nearby Arctic Skua.
Arctic Tern - Rif, Iceland, June 2019
The plan the rest of the day was to head towards Stykkishólmur where we had some over night accommodation nearby. Stykkishólmur is a small port were the ferry leaves from to get to Flatey Island. Flatey Island was an area we had both said we wanted to spend sometime visiting. Its the best place in Iceland to see Grey Phalarope. The weather in the North and Lake Myvatn was still bad and looked bleak for the rest of the week so a trip to Flatey would mean less time there but that didn't look a bad idea with the weather forecast looking so grim. A plan was set to visit Flatey and head north for a few day after and just take a chance with the weather.
That evening we headed into Stykkishólmur to scope out the port before heading to our digs. Just on the edge of town was a small industrial site. In the middle of some warehouses and a stable yard was a small lake with a pair of Red-throated Divers on I managed to get down to the water edge without alerting the birds but sadly the area just wasn't right for photography at this time of day. I would aim to return early doors. Our hotel was out of town deliberately picked as this would mean some potential birding sites that we could walk to. We were staying in a log cabin away from the main building and the area around it looked great. After some good nosh and a well earned beer from the hotel bar we headed out. I planned to take small track down to some pools and adrian went off piste around our log cabin. There was a gate and a cattle grid about 100m from our front door and I flushed a Golden Plover as i walked along the track. It did the please follow me I have a broken wing walk, which must mean there was a nest nearby. This was one I marked for Adrain for us to look for when meeting up later on. I had a long walk without seeing anything and was just about to turn around when i found a small pool with a pair of Red-throats!! Bingo. That would be my night sorted the cloud looked to be clearing and the wind had died slightly. But before i could make a plan of how to approach the lake they both flew off I wasn't sure why as I was still miles away but it wasn't to be. I headed on down anyway and could see some Black-tailed Godwits in the long grass something to report back to Adrian as they could be breeding nearby. I was then alerted to two Divers calling overhead these could possible be the same birds that had just flew off and sure enough they were landing on the lake again. They both seemed pretty skittish so I left them in peace vowing to return in the morning instead of heading into the town centre. On the way back I had a Ptarmigan flying around my head and the Golden Plovers by the gate were calling to each other. Which further alerted me that they must be nesting nearby. I could see Adrian in the distance so I headed over to him to tell him of my findings on route I flushed a pair of Ptarmigan my first female of the trip they didn't go very far so I left them aiming to return once I had checked in with Adrian. Turns out Adrian had covered a lot of ground and didn't have much reward so was keen to check out the Ptarmigan and the Golden Plovers. The Ptarmigan male was still about and was in a great place to try get some pictures. For the next 20 minutes I slowly approached the bird and got some shots I was happy with. The sun then came out and a beautiful golden glow was cast on the bird. The female was still nearby so the male was quite happy to sit tight whilst keeping a watchful eye on his female. The Following pictures were taken at around 22.45 and the light at teams was awesome.
Ptarmigan, Stykkishólmur, Iceland, June 2019
Ptarmigan, Stykkishólmur, Iceland, June 2019
Ptarmigan, Stykkishólmur, Iceland, June 2019
Ptarmigan, Stykkishólmur, Iceland, June 2019
Ptarmigan, Stykkishólmur, Iceland, June 2019
With still plenty of daylight left we left them alone and went to look for Golden Plovers the sitting bird left the nest as we approached and it didn't take Adrian to long to locate the nest
Golden Plover eggs, Helgafellssveit, Iceland June 2019
Day 4
There wasn't much improvement in the weather it wasn't raining although it was cold and windy. Started the day off by checking out the local pool for the Red-throated Divers sadly no sign. No sign of the Black-tailed Godwits or the Ptarmigan either. The Goldie was still there sat on her nest which was good to see. After an unsuccesful morning we headed to the port to get the 9.30am Ferry to Flatey. Its actual a car ferry that travels from Stykkishólmur to Brjánslækur and stops at the small Island of Flatey en route. The island houses are mainly occupied only during the summer and is prodominatley used for sheep farmer. The crossing was about 90mins long and we planned to get the 8pm crossing back and continue our Journey north. We arrived on Flatey full of promise and had read some excellent reviews about how much you could see on the island. Things were looking great as we docked a Snow Bunting was flying around the rocky shoreline and a Black Guillemot was cruising around the harbour. We arrived on shore with about 20 other foot passangers and set about exploring the Island. Redshanks were calling all over the Island and it wasn't long before we saw the first of many Red-necked Phalaropes in the pools that are dotted around the Island. We walked through the small village and there were a few Snow Buntings calling from the roof tops. It was a beautiful place. Adrian then spotted a Redwing carrying nesting material into a tractor and it didn't take long to find its nest just outside the engine.
Redwing nest site, Flatey Island, June 2019
Redwing nest site, Flatey Island, June 2019
We carried on walking towards the Tern Colony and this was as far as we could go the rest of the Island was off limits to protect the nesting Eiders, or so it says on the signs. Its also to protect the very rare breeding Grey Phalaropes. We then walked to the church were a few Snow Buntings were filting around the graveyard. We reached the coast line after a few minutes of walking and headed back towards the Harbour. There was a nesting Eider Duck here who sat unbothered by us as we walked past. Just before the harbour there was a small farm that had a few Snow Buntings feeding on some food waste. I stayed here to photography these whilst Adrian checked out the rest of the Island.
Snow Bunting, Flatey Island, June 2019
On his return we agreed that after an hour on the Island there wasn't much else to see and it would probably be a better Idea to get the earlier crossing at 2.30pm instead of 8pm. I am not knocking the Island as its a stunning place there just wasn't enough to keep us there and a lot more was off limit than we thought. Pretty much half this tiny island is off limits. Again not a moan and understand why it is. What was annoying was the lack of Auks we had both read about Puffins in and around the Islands we saw 2 very distant ones and also Black Guillimots a grand total of 4 also very distant. The discisons was made to leave and Adrian went off to watch a Phalarope I had flushed near the Tern Colony. I went towards the harbour and spent sometime with the Redshanks around there.
Common Redshank, Flatey Island, June 2019
After a good session with the Redshanks I headed off to find Adrian and en route found a pair of Snow Buntings feeding a chick on the beach. This was great to watch and was great to see a male Snow Bunting in Breeding Plumage. You forget how big these buntings are.
Snow Bunting, Flatey Island, June 2019
As I sat on the beach Adrian called to say he had found a Red-necked Phalarope nest. This was a must see as these birds in the UK are off limits were as in Iceland they are pretty common and all over the Island. It was a beautiful nest with 4 stunning eggs in. A few quick photos and we were off.
Red-necked Phalarope, Flatey Island Iceland, June 2019
We could see the ferry approaching in the distance and had a 10 min walk back to the harbour so set off. Had a tame Snow Bunting on the way back that was to close to focus on. A real shame as this would of made some great photos. I tired a few seneic shots on the way back to the harbour.
Flatey Island, Iceland, June 2019
Flatey Island, Iceland, June 2019
Flatey Island, Iceland, June 2019
Flatey Island, Iceland, June 2019
The Ferry arrived a bit quicker than we thought looked miles away when we were at the other side of Island. A quick dash was needed to ensure we didn't miss it. The Ferry back across to the mainland was pretty easy going and plenty of Auks were seen at sea as we crossed back over. Before we got in the car for the journey to our next hotel we checked out the Gulls that were flying close into the shore. No Glaucous but some good close flybys of some Fulmars who were drifting by in the strong wind.
Fulmar, Stykkishólmur, June 2019
Our next stop was a 2 hour drive away the North star hotel in Stadoarflot and we had plenty of time to get there so a few stops were needed. The road turned into a gravel track for a while and not much opportunity to stop we did have a few stops for some rare scenic shots
Our next time was just off Route 1 as we crossed a bridge we saw an Oystercatcher sitting just off the roadside with a rare safe place to pull over we thought it was a good area to check out. There was a river with some exposed gravel beds the Oystercatcher was sat on the gravel. It moved off as we approached revealling a set of 3 eggs. A tern also took flight and was sat on 2.
Oystercatcher, Iceland June 2019
Oystercatcher, Iceland June 2019
Arctic Tern, Iceland June 2019
Not much else was seen and after tea at the only restauarnt near to the hotel, a service station we hit the hay ready for an early start. The weather still didn't look great at Lake Myvatn but you couldn't come to Iceland and not visit Myvatn.