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.
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| Wildfowl, Lake Tjornin, Reykjavik |
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| Wildfowl, Lake Tjornin, Reykjavik |
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Whooper Swan, Lake Tjornin,
Reyjavik |
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| Iceland Gull, Lake Tjornin, Reykavik |
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Iceland Gull, and Black-headed Gulls
Lake Tjornin, Reykjavik |
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| Iceland Gull, Lake Tjornin, Reykavik |
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| 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).
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".. blimey! There's a large flock of Iceland Gulls
just off the sea-wall! .." |
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| ".. see .." Iceland Gulls |
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| Iceland Gull, and Eider |
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| Iceland Gulls, and Fulmars |
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| Eider |
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| Iceland Gull |
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| Solar sun Voyager, Reykjavik |
