19.08.2002
We arrived around midnight at Keflavik International Airport. The people from RASCAR (www.rascar.com) gave
us our rental car (Toyota Yaris for about 750 Euro for 11 days) and we headed towards Keflavik Camping where we stayed for the rest of the night.
In the morning a Fulmar flew over the campground, some Golden Plovers were around with many Meadow Pipits and I was surprised by the
many Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the area. We went to Gardur on road 45 and then to the lighthouse Gardskagi. On the beach were many Purple
Sandpipers, Sanderlings and Dunlins together with some Snow Buntings. On the sea were many Fulmars, Kittiwakes, single Gannets, Arctic Terns
and Parasitic Skuas as well as an immature Black Guillemot swimming close to the shore.
Near the harbour of Sandgerdi we looked at some mudflats where we found many Gulls. Other birds in this area were single
Oystercatchers and again lots of Gulls. Checking out the road 45 south of Sandgerdi we also found our first Whimbrels, a Merlin and some more Parasitic Skuas.
Along road 44 to Hafnir and from there on road 425 southwards. Along the 425 you will find a big crack between the Eurasian and the American
tectonic plate. Near this crack is a kind of lake where we had about 100 Red-necked Phalaropes and also a Great Skua. From the lighthouse of
Reykjanesta we had a look towards the island of Eldey where there were still thousands of Gannets. Eldey was the last known place where the
extinct Great Auk occurred and where the last two birds of this species were killed in 1844. The bird colony on the mainland in this area was already
abandoned, only lots of Kittiwakes were still there. Out on the sea I spotted a whale which was probably a Minke Whale.
Fulmar, Harbour Grindavik, 19.08.2002
We then drove to Grindavik on road 425 and from there on road 427 to Kleifavatn (no birds on this lake). In the evening we drove into the capital
Reykjavik. There is a lake in the inner city, the so-called Tjörnin, where we found Scaups, Whooper Swans, single Gadwalls and other ducks.
For the night we stayed on the campground (1400 IKR, 1 Euro = ca. 80 IKR) near the Youth Hostel.
22.08.2002
After having a look at the Godafoss waterfall we drove on to Lake Myvatn. The first stop at the Laxa river produced some Harlequin Ducks,
the first Barrow's Goldeneyes and also a Common Scoter. The whole area was full of duck, with Wigeon as the most numerous species, but also some
Garganeys, Teals, Tufted Ducks, Scaups and few Long-tailed Ducks, the latter mostly on smaller ponds, but not on Lake Myvatn itself. We also found some
Slavonian Grebes and some Great Northern Divers feeding their young.
Lake Myvatn, 22.08.2002
At Höfdi in the southeast of Lake Myvatn we had a look into the small forest patch. The area was good for many Redpolls and we even found a Wren on
our walk. Redwings and Meadow Pipits were everywhere.
Hot area near Myvatn, 22.08.2002
In the afternoon we visited the high temperature and lava areas east of Myvatn and drove then on road 862 (in fact only for 4x4 vehicles) to the
Jökulsargljufur National Park. We had a look at the magnificent Dettifoss, Europes biggest waterfall and stayed for the night at the campground
Vesturdalur (no showers, 1200 IKR per night).
23.08.2002
Since the weather was more or less fine this morning (nearly no rain), we made a hike in the Vesturdalur area. The landscape is magnificent. In spring the
area might be also very good for birding, but our best find was a Mink (Mustela vison), a small mammal once escaped from fur farms and now a pest to the
icelandic fauna.
Afterwards we headed northwards to visit the Melrakkasletta peninsula in the northeast of Iceland. Following road 85 we first came to Kopasker,
a small village with some interesting lakes, where we found the only Pintail of our trip. Further north, at Grjotnes, we found some Common Seals and also
single Grey Seals. Around that place was also a hunting Gyr Falcon with something that might have been a Ptarmigan.
Bird rock near Nupskatla, 23.08.2002
A few kilometres later we took the road to Nupskatla, a farm on the northwestern coast of the peninsula. We had to open a gate before entering the
farmhouse area where we parked our car and walked westwards towards the lighthouse to a beautiful seabird rock with a nice Gannet colony. On the way
back we gathered some mushrooms for the evening soup.
Iceland Sheep, Melrakkasletta, 23.08.2002
Following road 85 you came to the lighthouse of Hraunhafnartangi, the northernmost point of mainland Iceland, said to touch the arctic circle, we
are not sure whether it really does. We completed our circle on Melrakkasletta by taking the road 867. Via road 85 we came on road 864 which brought us
southwards. Before entering road 1 near Grimsstadir we found some Pink-footed Geese, a species which was also common along the following
kilometres along road 1. We stayed for the night at Mödrudalur, this time with hot showers for 900 IKR. Mödrudalur is no longer on road 1 since they are
using another route for this road now, but the old road 1 is still in good condition.