Visit West Iceland

Birds, Birds and Wonderful Wildlife

This 4 - 5 day tour will take you through the most interesting bird watching areas in West Iceland when migrating birds flock to Iceland either to stay (or leave) or pass through on their way to Greenland or Canada.

Travel period: May to mid June and mid August to mid Sept.

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Day 1
Arrive to Iceland - head for an overnight in Hvalfjordur or Borgarfjordur area.  Accommodation possibilities are many as you can see here and here.

Day 2
Explore the birdlife at the mouth of Langa river and along the Myrar coast. Drive along the south coast of Snaefellsnes where you may see the Slavonian Grebe and the Loon, among many other birds. Overnight at one of many accommodation in Snaefellsnes.

 Day 3
Spend time in Snaefellsjokull National Park enjoying the birdlife at Svalþúfa and Þufubjarg cliffs, as well as Malarrif and along the coast between Malarrif and Djupalon. Got to the Ondverdarnes bird cliffs and watch birds or even possible whales there.
There is always the chance of spotting the Arctic Fox in the Snaefellsjokull National Park.
Go for an evening tour to the top of Snaefellsjokull glacier to enjoy the sunset - from the entrance to the Journey of the Earth as termed in Jules Verne's book and was made in to a popular Hollywood film starring Brendan Fraser and the Icelandic actress Aníta Briem.

Dont forget to stop at Hellissandur where you will find the worlds biggest nesting area for the Arctic Tern.

Day 4
Drive to Stykkisholmur for a birdwatching tour with Seatours. Birds you might see ar puffins, kittiwakes, the white-tailed sea eagle, cormorants etc - and you will also enjoy eating scallops directly from the shell, as the crew net a few for the guests onboard. Explore the birdlife around the north coast of Snaefellsnes, particularly around Grundarfjordur.
Overnight at many of the good accommodations in the area.

Head back to Reykjavík or your next birdwatching area.

A list of birds sighted by birdwatchers group last couple of years.
Slavonian Grebe - Fulmar - Gannet - Cormorant -  Shag - Whooper Swan - Pink Footed Goose - Greylag Goose - Light Bellied Brent Goose - Eurasian Wigeon - Coomon Teal - Mallard - Tufted Duck - Greater Scaup - Common Eider - Harlequin Duck - Long Tailed Duck - Red Breasted Merganser - Merling Rock - Ptarmigan - Eurasian Oystercatcher - Common Ringed Plover - European Golden Plover - Purple Sandpiper - Dunlin - Common Snipe - Black Tailed Godwit - Whimbrel - Common Redshank -  Ruddy Turnstone - Red Knot - Sanderling - Arctic Skua - Great Skua - Black Headed Gull - Lesser Black Backed Gull - Herring Gull - Iceland Gull - Glaucos Gull - Great Black Backed Gull - Black Legged Kittiwake - Arctic Tern - Common Guillemot - Brunnich's Guillemot - Razorbill - Black Guillemot - Barn Swallow - Meadow Pipit - Northern Wheatear - Redwing - Common Raven - Common Starling - Snow Bunting - White Tailed Eagle - Gyr Falcon - Red Necked Phalarope - Snowy Owl - Atlantic Puffin - King Eider - American Wigeon - Ring Necked Duck - Shearwater sp - Petrel sp - Grey Phalarope.

Mammals common in the area
Arctic Fox - Killer Whale - White Beaked Dolphin - Common Seal - Grey Seal






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