This was a Sunbirder Tour to the land of fire and ice led by James Lidster and Yann Kolbeinsson. We were a group including some from the UK, USA and a Belgian lady. The scenery and birding was spectacular, and although the list wasn’t long, it had quality – many of the birds were very confiding. I took quite a few plant photos and hope I’ve managed to identify them correctly, but please feel free to contact me if I’ve got anything wrong.

Itinerary:

5th July 2008  Flight from Stansted Airport to Keflavik in Iceland. Visited Garður & Sandgerði, short loop at Melasveit & on to Borgarnes for the night.

6th July 2008  Depart Borgarnes, visiting Grjóteyri, Akrar, Hofgarðar, Arnarstapi, Svalþufa, Rif, Ólafsvík before arriving at Búðir for the night.

7th July 2008  Birded around Ólafsvík & Rif then went whale watching from Ólafsvík, then on to Kolgrafafjordur for the night.

8th July 2008  Drove to Stykkisholmur & caught to ferry to Flatey. Birded on the island until late afternoon then by ferry to Brjaslaekur, drove to Beidavik and stayed at Latrabjarg.

9th July 2008  Cliffs at Latrbjarg then drove to Gauksmyri for the night.

10th July 2008  Departed Gauksmyri & birded en route, stopping at Akureyri & Goðafoss, to Húsavik.

11th July 2008  All day around Mývatn, the sulphur pools at Bjarnarflag. Húsavik Bay for an hour before dinner back at hotel.

12th July 2008   Left hotel for Melrakkasletta, visited Dettifoss, then back to Húsavik for a whale watching boat trip around Skjálfandi Bay. Overnight Húsavik.

13th July 2008  Drove to Þingvellir, Geysir, and back to Reykjavik.

14th July 2008  Birding around Keflavik and Reykjavik before checking in at the airport for our (delayed) flight home.

Bird List (first figure no. of days recorded, second figure highest daily count):

Great Northern Diver 6, 6, Red-throated Diver 6, 50, Slavonian Grebe 5, 30, Northern Fulmar 10, 500, Manx Shearwater 1, 4,  Northern Gannet 6, 50, Great Cormorant 7, 30, Shag 3, 10, Whooper Swan 7, 440, Pink-footed Goose 2, 100, Greylag Goose 9, 300, Common Shelduck 1, 280, Eurasian Wigeon 5, 50, Gadwall 2, 20, Teal 3, 10, Mallard 9, 10, Pintail 1, 3, Shoveler 1, 5, Tufted Duck 10, 3000, Greater Scaup 5, 500, Common Eider 9, 4000, King Eider 1,1, Steller’s Eider 1, 1, Harlequin Duck 5, 20, Long-tailed Duck 2, 50, Common Scoter 2, 50, Barrow’s Goldeneye 2, 600, Common Goldeneye 1,1, Red-breasted Merganser 9, 20, White-tailed Eagle 2, 4, Gyr Falcon 2, 3, Merlin 5, 4, Rock Ptarmigan 2, 10, Oystercatcher 9, 30, Ringed Plover 9, 20, Golden Plover 9, 30, Dunlin 9, 100, Red Knot 3, 160, Sanderling 1, 45, Purple Sandpiper 5, 10, Common Snipe 10, 20, Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit 6, 30, Whimbrel 9, 50, Redshank 10, 100, Ruddy Turnstone 2, 5, Red-necked Phalarope 9, 300, Grey Phalarope 1, 2, Arctic Skua 9, 20, Long-tailed Skua 1, 3, Great Skua 2, 3, Black-headed Gull 10, 100, Common Gull 4, 30, Ring-billed Gull 1, 1, Lesser Black-backed Gull 10, 100, Herring Gull 8, 20, Iceland Gull 3, 4, Glaucous Gull 8, 200, Great Black-backed Gull 9, 200, Little Gull 2, 1, Kittiwake 10, 1000, Arctic Tern 10, 1000, Auk sp. 4, 10000, Razorbill 5, 50, Brunnich’s Guillemot 3, 50, Common Guillemot 5, 1000, Black Guillemot 7, 20, Puffin 6, 250, Snowy Owl 1,1 Meadow Pipit 10, 50, White Wagtail 10, 10, Wren 1, 1 (heard), Northern Wheatear 5, 3, Blackbird 1, 3, Redwing 10, 50, Goldcrest 1, 2, Raven 9, 10, Starling 5, 30, Icelandic Common Redpoll 5, 20, Siskin 1, 3, Snow Bunting 6, 3. (79 spp.)

Minke Whale 5, Humpback Whale 3 (Húsavik pelagic), White-beaked Dolphin 7 (Ólafsvík pelagic), Harbour Porpoise (behind hotel at Búðir), Common Seal, Grey Seal.

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