ICELANDSeabird colonies, endemic landbirds, spectacular scenery, and high-latitude natural history.
$4775 (2008 fee). 10 days See our triplist for 2007 or 2005 or 2003.
Towering seabird cliffs are breathtaking in scope and hold hundreds of thousands of alcids—Atlantic Puffin, Common and Thick-billed murres, Black Guillemot, and Razorbill hold court on the cliffs next to fulmars and kittiwakes, with Great Skuas and Parasitic Jaegers patrolling above. Remarkable numbers of waterfowl, of some sixteen species, nest on and around Myvatn, a lake unrivaled in Europe. Between these nurseries of bird life, we’ll look for about seventy nesting species, some Palearctic in distribution, such as White-tailed Eagle, Redwing, Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail, Common Redshank, Eurasian Golden-Plover, Pink-footed Goose, European Shag, and Common Ringed Plover, and others on the eastern limit of their Nearctic range: Common Loon, Barrow’s Goldeneye, and Harlequin Duck. To see these birds with newly hatched young is a peerless experience. Iceland’s national bird is the Gyrfalcon, and pale birds are widespread in the north. Iceland’s endemics include taxa of Black-tailed Godwit, Common Redpoll, Merlin, and Winter Wren, some of which show marked differences from continental forms. The pace of the tour will allow time to visit a waterfall or two, churches, and a museum. For those arriving a day or more early, the capital abounds in shopping and cultural opportunities. Iceland is virtually pollution-free and has a friendly population, good cuisine, and modern infrastructure—high-latitude birding for those who like a little more comfort than is usually found within a stone’s throw of the Arctic Circle.
Contact our office by e-mail in Austin, Texas at fieldguides@fieldguides.com.
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