A WALK ON THE WILDSIDE---PAUL FOSTER

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Saturday 7 June 2014

Iceland (day 2)

With a good nights rest under my belt,I was up and away for 4.30 heading North east again for the small fishing town of Borganes.It was a pleasent drive through the terrain,all the time keeping my eyes open for arctic fox which should be about at this early time.They are still in their winter coat too so would be relatively easy to pick out amongst the backdrop of the open fields,search as I may, it wasn`t to be but there was plenty of birds to keep me occupied.With the roads being free from traffic, it was easy just to stop there and then, if a photographic opportunity arose.Plenty of birds were around calling and displaying,none moreso than the Whimbrel,whose constant trilling was never far away.Up to 700,000 birds head back here from Gambia every year to breed,3/4 of the worlds population in fact,with according to data,60 pairs per sq km.Their main predator is the raven, who were constantly trying to rob their eggs.Slightly smaller than the curlew with a shorter bill and black headstripe,they were never far away. On reaching Borgarnes,I headed for the small harbour, were I found half a dozen Black Guillemot.They were constantly diving looking for food and their bright red legs contrasted greatly against their dark plummage.Quite a common bird around the coasts of Iceland, they showed quite close and I obtained a few shots for my collection.Coming away from the town, I left the main tarmac road and took some of the gravel roads that abound,these lead you into the valleys and more rural areas.Sometimes I`d drive for an hour or so and not see another soul,peace and tranquility at its best,and all set against a backdrop of volcanoes and snow clad mountains.Many times I`d pull over and just be in awe of the scenery.Black tailed Godwits,Golden Plover,Snipe and Redshank all in breeding plummage, were the main birds in these parts and on a short walk, I flushed a Golden plover off its nest which had 2 eggs!As I moved away she quickly returned to incubate.I always had my eyes peeled skywards, looking for Gyr falcon,any rocky valleys and cliff faces I scanned thoroughly in the hope of seeing one,again I was unsuccessful, but I knew it was only a matter of time before one came into the viewfinder!The North area was a noted place for these raptors and I was informed that good numbers breed up there! A 1/3 bigger than our Peregrine falcon and with some birds being nearly white,it was never far from my thoughts! The weather was being kind to me on my second day, with long spells of sunshine and blue skies,I just couldn`t think of a better place that I`d rather be with the camera.The birdlife of the island was amazing,throw in some stunning scenery and long hrs of daylight,it was a photographers dream.So pressig on North,I`ll tell you all about my sightings and experiences in my next blog on Iceland!Thanks for taking the time to visit and I hope you enjoy some of the shots that I managed to capture!!!!
Deserted gravel roads,care must be taken when driving on these at all times.
A familliar and common bird,but I never tired of their pipeing call!
Icelandic Black tailed godwit.Iv`e usually only seen these in their hundreds at Marshside and Leighton moss.

Stunning in their summer plummage!

Whimbrel.We get good numbers of these stopping off in Lancashire en route to Iceland!
Black Guillemot...a first for me!

2 comments:

  1. Brilliant account of your visit to Iceland with nice images to back the story up,keep em coming Paul.

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  2. Paul. Enjoyed very much your account of your Iceland adventure.Great images too. I particularly like the shot from the plane on your approach to Iceland,must have been very exciting.Looking forward to the next installment.

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