Iceland: The Land of Ice and Fire in Summer
July 1-11, 2012

We have decided to partner with our friends and colleagues at Travelling Naturalists in the UK for our Iceland trips. Peg has traveled with Mike Reed on several occasions in Yellowstone and Arizona and Andy Jones gets rave reviews from all the clients. As we cannot match their intricate knowledge of this fascinating Island of Fire we welcome the opportunity to join their groups here. There are two opportunities, a wildlife and birding trip in summer, and an early fall trip (5 days)with an additional focus on landscapes, particularly the chance to see the area of recent eruption of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano.

In geological terms, Iceland is a very young country. Formed by volcanic upheaval where the Atlantic Ocean floor is splitting apart, it is, in a sense, a baby continent, still very much in the process of creation. For anyone interested in the way our earth was formed a visit here is an absolute must, with almost all types of volcanic phenomena on display.

In wildlife terms, it has marshes packed with breeding wildfowl, waders and terns, and a coastline teeming with seabirds, together with Arctic specialities from Gyrfalcon to Snow Bunting, and a few North American birds including Harlequin Duck and Barrow's Goldeneye. We also have an opportunity to go whale-watching, with a good chance of seeing Humpback and Minke Whales, White-beaked Dolphins and perhaps even Blue Whales amongst others.

In July the birds are most active with their young, and this is also the best time to see the flowering of Iceland. Harsh conditions make this a land almost devoid of woodlands, but it has a good diversity of flowering plants, and many of these, including several orchids and some endemic species, will be in full flower.

The trip will include a crossing of Iceland's remote and little-visited interior - with a chance to see Pink-footed Geese.

ITINERARY

Days 1-3
We take a scheduled flight London - Keflavik, and then drive to Reykjavik where we may have time for a short stop - even the 'town pool' here may have Whooper Swans among other wildfowl. We continue onwards towards Hveragerdi. On the way we change continents as we pass the line where the North American and European tectonic plates meet and see our first volcanic craters en route. The rivers around Hveragerdi may give us our first spinning Red-necked Phalaropes!

We make excursions to some of the best birdwatching, geological and historical sites in the area. We will head towards Mt. Hekla, one of Iceland's most active volcanic areas. Here we visit a renovated 12th-century farm at Stöng, with the possibility of Harlequin Ducks on nearby rivers.

We also visit the south coast. Here, a rich area of unimproved pasture which teems with nesting waders including Dunlin, Snipe, Whimbrel, Golden Plover, and richly-plumaged Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit. We visit Reynisfjara for our first taste of Iceland's magnificent seabird colonies, as well as the Solheimajökull glacier. We hope also to find Great Skuas breeding near the snout of the glacier.
Three nights Hveragerdi - B,L,D all days

Days 4-6
Today we travel, via Thingvellir, the ancient and spectacular parliament plains, to our base on the dramatic Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Lakes en route, including Iceland's largest lake, Thingvallavatn, may contain Great Northern Diver in their splendid breeding plumage. Thingvellir offers some sheltered sites for Iceland's few songbirds including Redwing and Wren.

We spend the next day on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, whose glacier, the Snaefellsnesjokull was the starting point in Jules Verne's "A Journey to the Centre of the Earth". This is an area of dramatic coastal scenery, with a fabulous array of Icelandic birds including Glaucous Gull and White-tailed Eagle. There are also some fine seabird colonies here, with five species of auk including Brünnich's Guillemot. We may also encounter hundreds of Red-necked Phalaropes at Vik pools gathering before migration. The flora of the newly colonised lava in the area is remarkable. We'll particularly look out for Northern Green Orchid: Iceland is the only place in Europe where this North American plant occurs.

The following day we'll take a boat trip amongst the islands of Breidafjördur, where, weather permitting, we make a short stop on Flatey, which has some of Iceland's densest wader colonies together with Arctic Tern, Snow Bunting and Purple Sandpiper. As well as a wonderful spectacle of seabirds, the boat trip can produce good views of cetaceans, and possible White-tailed Eagles. In the past, we've seen Grey Phalaropes on this trip.
Three nights Snaefellsnes Peninsula - B,L,D all days

Days 7-9
We drive through the spectacular north of Iceland, to Eyjafjördur near Akureyri, where we stay for three nights at a country guest-house.

We travel to Lake Myvatn, the best-known birdwatching site in Iceland. Around 100,000 birds of possibly fifteen or sixteen species of wildfowl take advantage of the shallow, nutrient-rich waters here to raise their young. Waders abound here too, and the area is packed with evidence of volcanic activity both past and, almost literally, present.

Successive eruptions and glaciers have produced an astounding landscape of isolated flat-topped snow-covered peaks to the south and east, dry lava craters in the middle distance, and much more recent lava flows around the lake itself. The strange tunnels and rock formations at Dimmuborgir are the remnants of one of these while the sulphur-rich hot springs nearby provide a glutinous fascination as the mud bubbles. Active volcanic fissures can appear almost anywhere in the area, and the most recent formations make a strange, almost industrial landscape of black rounded hills and 'pseudo-craters'.

We'll also visit other volcanic sites in the area, and the spectacular falls of Godafoss, the 'Falls of the Gods', and hear how they got their name.

Breeding duck include Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Common Scoter and Barrow's Goldeneye, with both Pink-footed and Greylag Geese and Whooper Swan. Slavonian Grebe also breeds in the area and Merlin chase the ever-present Meadow Pipits, with a chance of Gyrfalcon anywhere. The Laxa River bridge is famous for Harlequin Duck and Barrow's Goldeneye. One day, weather permitting, we may take a boat trip for whale watching (cost approx £ 50 payable locally) and have an excellent chance of encountering Minke Whales, White-beaked Dolphins and Harbour Porpoises, or we may take the ferry to the island of Hr’sey, well-known for confiding breeding waders and Ptarmigan.
Three nights near Akureyri - B,L,D all days

Day 10
Today we drive across Iceland's rugged and little-visited interior, for a fascinating and unusual view of the country. Dry, volcanic and barren, the interior of Iceland nonetheless supports its own distinctive ecology, including Pink-footed Geese, which we don't usually see on our coast-based tours. We have a chance to relax in the warm waters of a natural hot spring before lunch. After we've crossed the interior, we'll visit one of the world's most famous geological sites - Geysir, site of hot springs and, well, geysers. "Foss" is the Icelandic for waterfall, and Gullfoss, or "Golden waterfall", is one of the most attractive. This promises to be a memorable day!
Overnight Skálholt - B,L,D

Day 11
Flight times permitting, we should have time to explore the local coast for some seawatching and have a quick tour of Reykjavik before travelling to Keflavik airport for the flight back to London.

 

PLAN AHEAD! Protect yourself with Allianz Travel Insurance (formerly Access America). Offset your Carbon Footprint. Show us the receipt and we'll take 50% - up to $50.00 - of your carbon offset fee off your final payment! COST OF THE JOURNEY/TRAVEL INFORMATION Cost of the journey is: $3980.00 USD* This tour is priced by our partner UK company at £ 2,795 per person, less £265 for North American travelers meeting the group in Iceland (others have flight from UK included) Single supp: £ 325 Deposit: £ 400 per person Naturalist Journeys will help you coordinate payment to Travelling Naturalists. *as per the exchange rate of October, 2011 The price per person includes airport taxes, accommodation as outlined, all meals, incidental tips, transport and the services of the leaders. The price excludes holiday insurance, optional tip to local guide/driver, and a whale-watching trip (which is weather-dependent), drinks, and other personal expenses. Accommodation: Comfortable country hotels/guesthouses with all rooms en suite. Walking: Walks are no more than three miles in total on any one day and never more than two miles at one time. The terrain is mostly level but may be rough underfoot with sharp lava. Stout walking boots are recommended. Numbers: Max. 14 clients Leaders: Andy Jones & Mike Read Naturalist Journeys, LLC is an equal opportunity service provider and committed to the goal of ensuring equal opportunity for all in employment and program delivery. Photo Credits: All images courtesy of The Travelling Naturalist - Wildlife Holidays.

Close This Window