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ICELAND
A birding & Nature Tour
in
the Autumn
On a Fascinating Island
At
an Excellent Time
for
a Truly Fascinating Display of Nature:
the AURORA BOREALIS, or "Northern Lights",
in
the Night-time Sky
With,
by Day, Some Fine Birding as well.
During our
previous tours at this time of year,
White-tailed
Eagle & Gyrfalcon.
September 26 - October 4, 2008
(tour:
FON/IC-2 '08)
The tour includes a
boat-trip on the Breidafjordur Bay
for the eagles & more.
ROCK PTARMIGAN
photographed during a FONT Iceland tour in October
(photo by Alan Brady)
Links:
Birds during our previous tours in Iceland
Previous FONT Iceland Tour Highlights
Itinerary Information:
Our Iceland tour follows the FONT tour SW-1 in southern Sweden, September 20-26 at a time of an outstanding bird migration that occurs there in autumn. That tour in the past has been a hit!
Participants on the Sweden Tour, who opt to do their trans-Atlantic flights on Icelandair (the airline of Iceland) can easily do it in conjunction with our tour in Iceland.
Others who participate on the
Iceland Tour (without Sweden), would simply fly between
Iceland and North America on Icelandair.
Iceland Tour participants should arrive
in Iceland, Friday,
September 26.
Those coming from North America
would have left there Thursday, September
25.
Departure from Iceland would be on
Saturday, October 4.
Eight days & nights would be spent in
Iceland: two near Reykjavik, and others in the southern, northern, and western parts
of the island.
In southern Iceland, we'll see glaciers, geysers, & waterfalls, in addition
to birds.
In northern Iceland, there's more spectacular scenery with volcanoes, hot
springs, lakes, & a beautiful coastline near the Arctic Circle.
In western Iceland, we'll see a beautiful bay, filled with small rocky islands,
seals, and birds. That bay, by the way, is known
as Breidafjordur. It is the
stronghold for the White-tailed Eagle in Iceland. We've enjoyed seeing that species during all
of our previous tours.
The nocturnal sky in
those
remote parts of northern & western Iceland would be dark indeed - away from
any city lights, making it an ideal place, on clear nights, to
see some spectacular Aurora Borealis or "Northern Lights". We've
seen wonderful displays there during our last 6 October tours!
October is an ideal month to see a splendid show of
the Aurora Borealis in Iceland.
The birding in Iceland in
October is very good, and fun, as during that month of migration, in addition to
the resident birds, there are, among the migrants, always some unexpected
vagrants that turn up - having come to Iceland from two directions, either
mainland Europe or from North America. With birds during that season, there
really is the element of the unexpected appearing.
Among the expected birds, however, there are these:
White-tailed Eagles in
various plumages, white Gyrfalcons (seen closely) one
time catching an all-white Ptarmigan; numerous Ptarmigan;
flocks of Pink-footed and other Geese; huge rafts
of Eiders giving their plaintive calls; Whooper Swans
and Redwings gathering into groups about to fly southeast
to Ireland and England; Eurasian Golden Plovers on lawns of
homes in town; and both "white-winged gulls"
together at a harbor.
Incidentally, the Iceland
Gull does not breed in Iceland. Those that we see at that
harbor, or elsewhere, will have just arrived from further north.
Another gull from further north that could possibly be seen in Iceland in October
- the Ivory Gull. And that would be another nice all-white bird
for us to see.
Other northern waterbirds in Iceland in October could include: Fulmar,
Kittiwake, Gannet, Skua, and a few Alcids. Among the latter, Puffin could be
possible along with Murres, Razorbills, and the Black
Guillemot.
And don't forget to add to these
birds, the culture and interesting natural features already mentioned (such as
the geysers,
hot springs, volcanoes, & glaciers) and some of the most spectacular scenery
anywhere.
(The
word "geyser", as you may know, originated in Iceland.)
Collectively, all of these components that we've just referred to should provide the makings for a very fine tour.
Tour starts and ends at the
international airport in Keflavik, Iceland.
Price:
US $3,195, per person, based upon double
occupancy.
Single supplement: US $315.
Includes:
All overnight accommodations.
Ground transportation
A boat-ride (on the big, yet sheltered, Breidafjordur Bay where the eagles
reside).
Most meals: all breakfasts and
lunches.
The services of the FONT birding
leader.
Does not include:
Air transportation. Dinners.
Drinks and any items of a personal
nature.
Gratuities.
Please contact Focus On Nature Tours as to your flight arrangements to/from Iceland.
Tours to be led
by Armas Hill.
A deposit of US
$500 is required to register for this tour.
