Moth-trapping and other highlights, Lizard

Highlights from a week spent on Lizard, at the usual address:

Barnside Cottage

A pair of 125W MV Skinner Traps were kindly provided by our good friend and landlord Tony. One or both of them was run each night from the Friday through to the following Wednesday, a trap was always run in the front garden, and as the week progressed the second was set up in the back garden. There was a good haul of migrant moths, along with a handful of the "local specialities" and amongst them a seasonal distribution of common species.

Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus)
ringed on Lizard 3rd Oct 2024

The back garden was a highway for avifauna, with semi-mature Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), dense beds of Hydrangea cultivars, and hedging along three of the boundaries providing plenty of cover and forage.

During the first weekend an unringed Yellow-browed Warbler was present along with a large mixed flock of tits, Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita), various finches including Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), the latter being uncommon on the Lizard and therefore probably also an Autumn migrant (pers comm Tony).

The hedge in the back garden is also home to Favolaschia calocera a fungi "Lifer" that was new for both A and I, and for R and L, who joined us for the first weekend of the holiday. R also secured three other Lifers over the weekend: Radford's Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura leucogaster) in the trap; and Great Shearwater (Ardenna gravis), and Eastern Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) whilst sea-watching with Tony from the Point.

Favolaschia calocera

Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa)

Autumnal Rustic (Eugnorisma glareosa)

Black-banded (Polymixus xanthomista)

Acrossus rufipes

Delicate (Mythimna vitellina)

Feathered Brindle (Aporophyla australis)

Brindled Ochre (Dasypolia templi)

Radford's Flame Shoulder

Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

Vestal (Rhodometra sacaria) & Springtail sp.

Scarce Bordered Straw (Helicoverpa armigera)
and Delicate 

Palpita vitrealis

Rusty Dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis)

Sunday night's moth-trap rewarded me with a Convolvulus Hawk-moth (Agrius convolvuli), I found it on the front lawn adjacent to the trap. It had not been apparent when I first started emptying the trap, and I suspect that I knocked it out of a Hydrangea, whilst faffing about. It is the first time that I have seen the species, and it provided several opportunities for bragging rights!

Convolvulus Hawk-moth

A visit to Kynance Gate Settlement was enhanced by the presence of Golden Hair Lichen (Teloschistes flavicans) on some of the central rocks. I have no eye-in for lichens but the species was described on the new interpretation board, so it would have been rude not to look for it? The species is noted as Nationally Scarce. Teloschistes flavicans

Golden Hair Lichen

On our final night in the cottage, we were awake into the early hours, having been texted by Tony at Ca 1AM to alert us to the Aurora Borealis showing overhead! We had missed the opportunity to see this spectacle in the UK earlier in the year, as we had been abroad at the time. What a cracking end to the week.

Aurora Borealis over Lizard 
Photo courtesy of Tony

Iceland .. Birdwatching, Lake Mývatn and environs

We transferred to Lake Mývatn from Egilsstaðir on Tuesday, following the ring road - Rte 1 – north then west across a high plateau, in monochrome of snow, ice and black lava fields.

Pink-footed Gosse (Anser brachyrhynchus) were everywhere in the landscape, and we added Northern Pintail (Anas acuta), and our first Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) to the trip’s birding list. Passing Hverir, we descended Mt. Namafjall (Namaskard) and enjoyed our first views of Lake Mývatn to the immediate west.

Arriving at Sel - Hótel Mývatn Ca. 16:30, we checked in and grabbed a craft beer or two of the local Geysir bread IPA brewed by Mývatn Öl.

 
We raised the glass to twenty years of wedded bliss and congratulated ourselves for finally completing the Rte 1 - this being our third and partial tour of Iceland. The first part completed on our Honeymoon, the second on our 10th Wedding Anniversary, and this trip to tie the ends together and celebrate our 20th Wedding Anniversary.

In 2003 we had both started birdwatching solely in preparation for our honeymoon trip to Iceland – on the recommendation from A’s work colleagues, who said that we should not (and could not!) miss the spectacle of Iceland’s breeding avifauna.

My sharpest of recollections of that inaugural trip are of the bonkers landscape, and the quality of the bird species which we saw (often for the first time ever) as we made our way slowly north and then east from Keflavik to Lake Mývatn.

A Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) feigning a broken wing and leading me away from its nest site, as I had naively strode-out across a lichen encrusted lava field, from a viewpoint on the mountain pass to Stykkishólmur. Not understanding that the desolate landscape was probably chock-full of ground nesting birds. White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) nesting on a rock outcrop in the middle of the natural harbour between Stykkishólmur and Landey, a second of this species seen later as it flew around and below us whilst we stood on the low hill of Helgafell.

Then at Lake Mývatn when a small flotilla of Red-throated Diver (Gavia stellata) swam towards us in a heart-stopping moment, whilst around them like whirligigs a handful of Red-necked Phalaropes pirouetted in an insect feeding flock. And that Great Northern Diver (Gavia immer) in full sparkling summer plumage still on the stillest of lake waters, some 20m offshore. Watched, as I ate my packed lunch of salami and cheese sandwiches and drank strong black, and sweet Earl Grey Tea from my vacuum flask.

Iceland was the gateway drug to my birdwatching as an adult – a hobby that would become something of an obsession in those early years following our honeymoon – and the point on which my life would slowly turn towards a future career in conservation and habitat management.

That was then, and now we were back – full circle – refreshed and recovered from the day’s drive, we finished our beers and headed across the road to the Psuedocraters.

Lake Mývatn, pseudocraters

Lake Mývatn, towards Vindbelgjarfjall

Slavonian Grebe (Podiceps auritus) 
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)

Red-necked Phalarope

Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)

Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus)

Wigeon (Anas penelope)

Arctic Tern

Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)

Arctic Tern

Slavonian Grebe

return to Lake Mývatn 20yrs on

Over the last part of this week, we have re-explored the landscape and birdlife around the Lake, spent many hours photographing Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) and the areas specialty Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) on the River Laxa, re-visited the Sulphur pits at Hverir, and the lava field at Dimmuborgir.

Iceland .. Whale-watching, Húsavík

20 years ago, we took a boat out of Húsavík, and watched Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) along with a varied and diverse selection of sea-birds. On this visit, our 3hr boat trip turned up Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with up to four individuals observed. However, bird-wise it was somewhat quiet with Puffin (Fratercula arctica) and Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) thin on the ground (err .. thin on the sea?).

Bird List Husavik Whale Trip

Puffin
Fulmar
Arctic Skua (Stercorarius parasiticus)
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)
Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle)
Guillemot (Uria aalge)
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis)

We were whale-watching with: Gentle Giants

Iceland .. Jökulsárlón pt 2

My journal entry for today reads "Just had the best of days at Jökulsárlón!" an understatement if ever in the circumstances, before erroneously noting "Arctic Skua and Snow Bunting provided the main soundtrack [to the day]". A more reasonable description being that "Arctic Tern and Snow Bunting etc". I have been conflating Arctic Skua for Arctic Tern at every opportunity this holiday, one of those misnomers that sticks around even when I know it is incorrect.

We arrived late morning, back at the glacial lagoon, parked the Jimny, "took a breath", then grabbed a coffee and relaxed into the scenery. The icebergs seemed larger and more compact than at our last visit. Some showing the deepest blue of the recently carved iceberg, whilst others thin, translucent, grimed with volcanic dust.

As we sat for lunch a WhatsApp message from a dear friend came through to us both. It confirmed the safe arrival of their son, born yesterday, and weighing in at a stonking 8lb+. Mother and baby were both doing fine. We wept.

In celebratory mode we headed to “Diamond Bay” instantly taken with the large chunks of ice, washed up on the shoreline, sparkling against the black volcanic sands. The monochrome contrasting with the bright colours of Gortex, Soft Shell, and Wool on show by the accompanying tourists.

Shortly afterwards we joined a small boat cruise of the glacial lagoon, heading out on a Zodiac RIB with a local guide, taking us the 8km from the mouth of the lagoon to the tongue of the Vatnajökull Glacier.

Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)

Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides)

above 3 photos - one of the most impressive and 
freshly carved icebergs present on the day!

Boat Trip: Ice Lagoon Adventure Tours

Food: Ishusid Pizzeria