Iceland Day 5: Reykaavik area and Northern Lights

Spent the the morning in the Sage Musem and in the National Musem of Iceland in Reykjavik before having a intresting drive along the scenic roads to the north of the capital with mountains, rivers and waterfalls along the way.

Reykjavik from the Sage Museum

Sage Museum

Mountain views

Sunsetting at the end of the day

In the evening stayed out around where we staying hoping for some Northern light action though not knowing what to expect give a very good show with the light moving through a rapid pace giving a wonderful display sadly my pictures were out of focus but posting them as they give a ideal of the different movement the lights gave out.

Iceland Day 4 : A wet day in iceland

A very wet day but still manged to get out first of all did the double Waterfall of Seljalandsfoss and
Skógafoss great monsters of the waterfall world Seljalandsfoss having the advantage of having space to hide from the rain!!

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

Skógafoss

Next to keep out the rain headed to a local eleves and local history museum complete with hobbits and elves houses before ending the day at the black beaches at Vik the wettish place in Iceland where ironic was the only place on the day where it actually stopped raining.

Hobbit houses

The black beach

Iceland Day 3 : Whale watching

After a pleasant drive to Reykjavík and a walk around the harbour we picked a boat to go go whale watching both looked very good but picked on Andreas a good looking boat and set sail. From leaving the harbour had nice views back of Reykjavík and the mountains around us. Once we got further out in the boats had lots of birdlife at first mainly Eider Ducks still in moult but then as we got further out lots of Iceland Gulls mixed with Gannets, Fulmars, Common Gulls, Black-headed Gulls and a few Razorbills. After getting to the deeper area of the bay we had sightings of a one possible two Minky Whales though hard to tells because its more of a diving whale so only seen briefly then further along we had  nice but distance views of a group of porpoise.

Reykjavík Harbour

Mountains from the boat

Iceland Gull

Gannet Flyby

Gull take-off

Fishing boat

Diving Whale yep thats its

Iceland day 2: The Golden Circle

Woke up to a beautiful sunset first thing in the morning had a nice drive to Gullfoss waterfall with flocks of Whooper Swans and Pink Footed Geese by the side of the road before we reached Gull views a nice scenic drives with views of the local mountain covered with snowy tops a lovely sight.

We headed down to gullfoss where we headed down to the bottom section and due to early morning a bit of a frost givery a great feel feel to the land near the waterfall but was very slippery but a stunning waterfall the biggest that I have seen and definetly the most impressive. We then had some nice views looking down on it from higher up.

Sunrising over the fields near the farm we stayed at

Mountains in the morning sun

The snowy mountains

Gullfoss waterfall

Frosty grass in the morning

Gullfoss from the upper path

Directly above

We then headed to geysir a town in south Iceland known for its many towering geysirs and named after Geysir which only errupts very rarely but nearby Skrokkur errupts around about every seven minutes which is what we came to see. While watching the Geysers very intresting to see a local chef cook his food for a local restaurant in the steam of Geysir.

Fields of Geysers

The autumns colours

Errupting

Full blow out

Overlooking Strokkur

Then headed the day the day with a drive along Pingvellier National Park with some nice views along the road of the mountains and the autumn colours before walking around Logberg which is the site of the Iceland's first Parliament and is also where the Eurasian and the North American Plates meet.

Reflects at Log Berg

Where the plates meet

Iceland day 1

After arriving in Reykjavik and the fastest bagage pickup in my life within two minutes with my group of friends headed to the Blue Lagoon which is a well known geothermal heated pool in southwest Iceland based in the laval fields and gives off a very blue colour. A very strange experience in some ways with the big temperature increase from the coolness of the icelandic autumn and no visbility so don't drop anything in!! but a great way to relax after a flight.

Overview of the blue lagoon

Steam from the geothermal heating

Laval formations

The blue lake

The geothermal plants that heats the water

Then after getting to were we were staying near arnes a lovely sunset to end the day

A day out in norfolk

As saturday was due to be sunny for a change decided to head to norfolk. Started off at Tichwell well had quite a few geese over in the early morning light mainly Canadas and Greylags but a few Pink-feeted shows that winter is on the way. Out on the main marsh had 7 Spoonbills, 60+ ruff, 30+ redshank, 90+ black tailed godwit, 50 + Teal, 30+ Wigeon, 30+ Shovelers 35+ dunlin, 8+ ringed plover, 5+ Curlews 1 Snipe, 1 spotted redshank and 2 Avocets and a fine looking first winter little stint and also a few singing but not heard Cetti Warblers. Then decided to have a walk along the beech where there seemed to be a stream on gannets heading south along with lots of Sanderlings, Dunlins, Grey Plovers and Knots along the beach. While watching them feeds a Great Skua decided to try for a easy meal swooping over the beach but had no joy.

In the afternoon decided to try for the Yellow-browed Warbler in Well woods had first no joy but lots of other species to keep us busy with quite a few Goldcrests, Nuthatchs, Treecreepers, Blue, Great, Coals and long Tailed Tits, Chaffinches and a Bramling a first of the season. After a while and a little chase the warbler showed itself feeding high in the tree gives some good views.

Shoveler feeding at dawn

Dunlin at dawn

Knot and Sanderling on the beach

Young Gannet Flying by

Great skua flying over the beach

Lapwing on the marsh

Young Ruff on the Marsh

Redshank on the marsh

Feeding Black-tailed Godwit

Feeding curlew

Grey Plover on the beach