Iceland .. Vik - Höfn via Jökulsárlón pt 1

Today we spent time in transit albeit taking a slow drive east on the Rte.1 - starting out from Vik mid-morning and then heading east to Höfn. We stopped enroute at Foss á Síðu, for a photo opportunity before taking a lunch stop at the basalt cliffs of Dverghamrar.

Dverghamrar

Further on up the road, I almost drove the car into the verge in over-excitement as Jökulsárlón came in to view to our left! With the itinerary planned and finalised by A. I had not fully grasped the fact that we would be encountering the glacial lagoon on our transfer, thinking it was beyond Höfn? Doh!

Barely containing myself, I managed to park safely. We alighted to spend a couple of hours on site – just marvelling at the landscape, the changing shape of the light, sound, and motion of the icebergs on the Lagoon. Grabbing too many photos and feeling altogether both emotional and enriched.

Jökulsárlón

The birdwatching was splendid with both Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) and Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) present, along with a supporting cast of Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea), Arctic Skua (Stercorarius parasiticus), Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra), and the most engaging flock of Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) around the car park. The latter gatecrashing the soundtrack to my short videos when a male landed on an iceberg in front of us and sang.

Before leaving the lagoon we booked a boat trip for this Saturday coming.

Höfn

Accommodation: Apotek Guesthouse

Food: Kaffi Hornid

Beer: NR. 3 ÚLFUR IPA – Borg Brugghus

Reykjavik birdwatching

A mid-week city break provided ample opportunity to get up close and personal with a handful of Iceland's wintering birds. Lake Tjornin, is heavily iced, but at its northern edge hot water is pumped into the system to keep an area open for the local wildfowl and gulls.

Large numbers of Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula), Greylag Goose (Anser anser), Wigeon (Anas penelope), Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus); three Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) and a solitary Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) were taking advantage of the thaw.

Wildfowl, Lake Tjornin, Reykjavik

Wildfowl, Lake Tjornin, Reykjavik

Whooper Swan, Lake Tjornin,
Reyjavik

Iceland Gull, Lake Tjornin, Reykavik

Iceland Gull, and Black-headed Gulls
Lake Tjornin, Reykjavik

Iceland Gull, Lake Tjornin, Reykavik

A, and Whooper Swan

From the sea wall, a large flock of Iceland Gull (Ca. 40 individuals), Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) and Eider (Somateria mollissima) were close in to the sea-defences, whilst further out in the bay three Great Northern Diver (Gavia immer) were observed, along with a fly through Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus).

".. blimey! There's a large flock of Iceland Gulls 
just off the sea-wall! .." 

".. see .." Iceland Gulls

Iceland Gull, and Eider

Iceland Gulls, and Fulmars

Eider

Iceland Gull

Solar sun Voyager, Reykjavik

.. "When two become one .." a valuable lesson in gull misidentification

I have to thank Lizard Naturally for both the final content of this Blog update, and for pointing out an error in my gull identification today, which meant that I originally assumed I had one gull species, when I actually had two!

Returning to Southsea seafront this morning, I headed west past South Parade Pier and spotted a white-winged gull on the foreshore amongst other gulls, I assumed it was the same 1w Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) - previously reported 2nd - 10th Jan 2016 in the same area (and whom I had photographed on the 8th). I grabbed a few hasty distant record shots, before the gulls flushed and I lost sight of the bird as it flew west. I then walked to Southsea Castle, where almost immediately a 1w winter Iceland Gull flew over my head.

Returning home, I quickly posted two of the photos on WhatsApp. Later on I editted the close up picture of the Iceland gull, and posted it widely. I put the following three pictures on my Blog, and wittered on about the Iceland gull! Hurrah!

This evening I received feedback on WhatsApp, identifying the first bird as a Glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus)!; it's large size, long neck and heavy bill, being more obvious, when the original photos are blown up and cropped. The message also confirmed my correct identification of the 1w Iceland gull, seen close in and overhead.

Only somewhat embarrassed about the original misidentification, made in haste and then skewed by the immediate finding of the second bird. I will learn by the mistake!

Glaucous gull

Iceland gull

Highlights from a day's gull watching in Southsea

1w Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides)

1w and Ad little gull (Larus minutus)

Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides L.), Titchfield Haven NNR

record shots only