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ICELAND

Birds, Whales & Extraordinary Scenery

Birdquest's Iceland birding and whale-watching tour explores one of Europe's most scenically-spectacular birdwatching venues. Our Iceland tour is an exciting and enjoyable journey through one of the wildest and most scenic parts of Europe, featuring two pelagic trips and all the special birds of Iceland.

Saturday 22nd June - Saturday 29th June 2013
(8 days)

Leaders: Mark Van Beirs and assistant

Group Size Limit: 12

Tour Category: Easy

Iceland is home to a number of special Arctic species that occur at the southern edge of their range in Iceland, the gorgeous Red (or Grey) Phalarope being a prime example (Pete Morris)

Iceland, one of Europe’s last great tracts of unspoilt wilderness, is a place where an ever-changing tapestry of rushing waterfalls, spouting geysers, brooding volcanoes, lush green meadows and vast plains of lava combine to create some of the most stunning and varied scenery found anywhere on earth. This large island marks the meeting place of two continents, a point on the planet where two tectonic plates split, Europe and America separate, and the Old World meets the New.

This geographical crossroads is also reflected in the island’s birdlife. Here we will see species such as Great Northern Diver (or Common Loon), Barrow’s Goldeneye and Harlequin Duck which originate in North America and breed nowhere else in Europe. In contrast, birds such as Eurasian Wigeon, White-tailed Eagle and Black-tailed Godwit here reach the western extremity of their Eurasian breeding ranges. In summer, the waters around Iceland hold an excellent selection of cetaceans, so this tour offers a superb opportunity to mix birding and whalewatching, which is surely the perfect natural history combination in this most scenically spectacular of all Europe’s islands. Enjoying the wildlife and wildflowers is easy here, for the wilderness is all around.

We will begin our journey in the southwest corner of the island at Keflavík international airport near Reykjavík, and from there travel northwestwards to the small port of Olafsvík situated on the Snaefellsnes peninsula. This long peninsula is one of the most enchanting regions in Iceland and we will spend three full days in this area exploring its varied habitats and the cold inshore waters of the northeast Atlantic. We shall make numerous roadside stops to scan the many meadows, lakes and streamsides for specialties such as the gorgeous Harlequin Duck or small flocks of Red-necked Phalaropes – often gloriously oblivious to our presence. From windswept cliff tops we will search through numerous breeding Common Guillemots (or Common Murres), Razorbills and Atlantic Puffins which here share their ledges with small numbers of Brünnich’s Guillemots (or Thick-billed Murres). One of the highlights of the tour should be our boat trips into the pelagic waters of the Breidafjördur. The cool clear waters surrounding the Snaefellsnes peninsula are an important summer feeding ground for several species of marine mammal. In the shadow of the dramatic Snaefellsjökull glacier we will be searching for the great whales, with our principal targets being the athletic Humpback Whale and the strikingly patterned Killer Whale (or Orca), and fast-moving pods of White-beaked Dolphins. If we are really in luck we will come across the rare and endangered Blue Whale, the largest animal ever to have inhabited the earth.

We will also make another boat trip around the maze of low, rocky islets to the north of the small port of Stykkishólmur. The innumerable islands are home to thousands of breeding seabirds, but the highlight of this trip will be a close encounter with nesting White-tailed Eagles. We shall also take the regular ferry that crosses the great bay to the island of Flatey, home to the only breeding pairs of Red Phalarope left in Iceland. This small island is alive with breeding birds and we shall enjoy a truly intimate and dynamic encounter with its inhabitants. Back on shore we will explore the rugged coastline and inland areas where we should find such varied species as Rock Ptarmigan, Purple Sandpiper, Arctic Skua (or Parasitic Jaeger), Glaucous Gull and Snow Bunting.

Leaving behind the snow-capped volcanoes of the western fjords, we will travel north to the world famous Myvatn lake. This shallow, nutrient-rich lake sustains an exceptionally large number and variety of breeding wildfowl. No fewer than 16 species of duck breed at this site including some of Europe’s only breeding Barrow’s Goldeneyes. The surrounding bogs and tundra support most of Iceland’s breeding waders and this is also one of the best sites on the island to see the magnificent Gyr Falcon. During our stay at Myvatn we will visit the picturesque harbour of Húsavík, one of the most renowned whalewatching destinations on the island, and take another boat trip as this is one of the best areas in Europe for seeing Minke Whales.

Finally, we will return to Reykjavík by way of the wild landscapes of Iceland’s interior, passing between two of its icecaps, Langjökull and Hofsjökull. Breeding Pink-footed Geese, the spectacular waterfall at Gulfoss, the awesome Strokkur geyser and the scenic setting for Iceland’s first parliament at Pingvellir will be the final highlights of this extraordinary island.

Birdquest has operated tours to Iceland since 1986.

(Note: The above is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed, day-by-day itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)

Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels at both locations are of normal Birdquest standard (and most people think the food good as well). Road transport is by minibus. The few major roads are good, but country roads in Iceland are often unsurfaced and rough, adding to the feeling of travelling through a wilderness.

Walking: Easy (but there is some rough ground).

Climate: The weather is very changeable, with sunny periods alternating with wet and overcast conditions. Temperatures range from cold to fairly warm.

Bird/Sea Mammal Photography: Opportunities are quite good.

Tour Price: (provisional): $3220 Reykjavík/Reykjavík. Price includes all transportation, all accommodations, all meals, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.

Single Room Supplement: (provisional): $340.

Deposit: 10% of the tour price (excluding any single supplement).

Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.