Gyrfalcon and more: great birding in Northern Iceland

I arrived in Iceland hoping for a glimpse of one gyrfalcon.  I ended my two-day intense northern birding effort with six, SIX, sightings.  Be still my heart.

Gyrfalcons are an arctic bird, rarely seen in the United States, and elusive even in their breeding areas.  Groups of birders visit Iceland with the hope of seeing one and some are disappointed.  But I really struck it lucky and saw six over the two serious birding days on my trip here.

Other birds never seen before: snow bunting, redpoll, Iceland gull, glaucous gull. Many other rarities and common birds too.  Great weather, scenery.  I had it all.

I looked at birds everywhere I went of course.  However, once I reached the north, I had arranged for a guide to take me to two target areas near Husavik. First day: Lake Myvatn, duck paradise of the world--famous for having more breeding pairs of ducks than anywhere.  Really--anywhere.  All kinds of ducks.  Europeans love to visit because they can see birds otherwise only found in North America like Harlequin ducks.  I saw my first gyrfalcon there too since gyrfalcon lunch is ducks.

The trick was being with a guide who knew where to look and had an incredible scope.  With my binoculars I would have seen a lump on a rock.

Second day: Melrakkasletta Peninsula, the most northern part of Iceland other than the Island of Grimsey.  We were 3k south of the Arctic Circle in very empty country.  Lots of ducks and ptarmigan for gyrfalcon to eat.  Half of the nesting pairs in Iceland breed here so chances were good.  But no one should even hope for 5 in a day.  And these were close enough that I could even find them with binoculars, though the view in the scope is as good as the photos from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology above.  Below is a photo using my phone camera; pitiful in a way, but my own.

The gyrs (as we fondly call them) are all of the grey morph.  In some areas of the world they are whiter.  The juveniles are brownish and more streaky as the second photo above.  Three of our six were juveniles who are independent enough to be out hunting on their own. Some of our birds were perching and let us look for a long time; three were flying by.

If you go, contact Gaukur to be your guide.  He is the specialist in the northern area and knows every little bush.  He is the main contributor on eBird from that area; Google him.  Stay at Hotel Raduaskrida, outside Husavik near Lake Myvatn; they cater to birders.  Both Gaukur and the hotel folks warned me that this is not the prime time to go birdwatching in Iceland.  Best is May and June, ducks in breeding plumage, many shorebirds.  But I suspect we had great gyrfalcons because the juveniles are out and about.  I had a great trip.

A note on eiders:

I can't neglect the most common bird.  I first saw eiders in Northern Ireland where some were still in breeding plumage.  Now they are all brown.  There are 2 million nesting pairs in Iceland.  In every patch of salt water--eiders.  I love that.

In Melrakkasletta Peninsula, the farmers protect the eiders while they are nesting, which they do all over.  Then when the babies leave the nest, the farmers gather the eiderdown to sell for a very high price.  Kind of like eider farming.

Here is a scarecrow protecting an eider field. Skuas and gulls would be happy to munch them. Gyrfalcons too. I guess the jolly lady keeps the predators away.