We started the day exploring the east side of Lake Myvatn, mainly from the car as it was minus seven degrees. We managed to find one of the main birding targets of the trip- Barrow's Goldeneye. There were about 195 of them - the most numerous waterbird on the Lake. There were also Whooper Swans, Goosanders, Red-breasted Merganser,Tufted Ducks and Mallards. We braved the weather for a quick walk at the Dimmuborgir Lava Fields but Isaac refused to wear a hat and we had a frozen and cranky toddler within a few minutes.
We then went for lunch at the Nature Thermal baths and then spent the early afternoon at Hverir fumaroles and mud pools. By late afternoon Holly and the boys wanted to retreat back to the hotel for some respite from the cold so I spent the later afternoon checking out the River Laxa and waited by the largest flocks of Barrow's Goldeneyes hoping for a Gyr Falcon to come in hunting them- but no luck. The only new birds were a couple of adult White-tailed Eagles and about 10 Common Goldeneye in with the Barrow's. Amazingly a Wren was calling from some boulders by the lake edge.
It was back at the hotel for dinner (local Lamb).
Barrow's Goldeneyes, adult males and a single female (above) and female (below). The adult males are unmistakable compared to Common Goldeneye with the lozenge shaped scapular markings, the white face patch that reaches above the eye and the black bar on the sides of the breast.
Female Barrow's Goldeneye (above and below)- compared to Common Goldeneye, the yellow/orange/pink bill colour extends from below the nostril towards the bill tip as is not so clear cut. The angular head shape is distinctive in all age classes with a vertical foreheand, peak above eye and long nape feathering creating a bulbous rear head. The bill is more conical shaped too. The visible white in the greater coverts and secondaries is generally less in Barrow's with black tips indicating an adult female (not visible here so either a young female or an adult with concealed black tips)
Adult female Barrow's Goldeneye showing the black dark tips to the greater coverts (a first-winter bird in both Common and Barrow's lacks these). There are also tips to the median coverts forming three bars in this bird with limited white in the greater coverts. Adult female Common Goldeneye also has more white in the greater covers (see an adult female from Beddington
HERE). I didn't see any first-winter birds, most of them looked like adults suggesting some kind of age related wintering filtering in this area
Male Common Goldeneye (front left) with Barrow's Goldeneyes. There were at least 10 Commons within the 195 Barrow's.
Barrow's Goldeneye wintering it out in the bleakness of Northern Iceland. The population of Barrow's Goldeneyes on Iceland is resident and the only regular place for them in the WP. Barrow's Goldeneye is rather range restricted species globally, only occurring in Northwest Canada/Alaska and a smaller population on the east coast too.
White-tailed Eagle
Lake Myvatn- mostly frozen apart from the south east corner where all the waterfowl were congregating
Plenty of geothermal activity on the east side of Lake Myvatn presumably contributing to wintering survival for wildlife
Hverfjall volcano
Iceland Ponies
Jacob at Hevrir - nice to warm up a bit
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