Iceland, Part 2 : Birds of Iceland

When we moved to Alberta in 1976, we bought two books right away: Wildflowers of Alberta, and Birds of Alberta. Both books were our companions on hiking and camping trips, and many an hour has been spent leafing through them and others that were added to the collection over the years to find that flower or that bird.

We knew the bird life in Iceland was very different from that of landlocked Alberta, but we were utterly surprised at how many birds we encountered. We have never been to a place where so many birds occupied such a small area. Some birds we recognized from home, such as the Harlequin duck, 

the green-winged teal,

and the horned grebe,

but most were new to us, or we recognized them from other coastal areas we have visited. Because of the time of year we were in Iceland we witnessed birds pairing up and building nests. The first was fun, and the latter was utterly fascinating.

Jan took some amazing close-up pictures with his new camera—as a matter of fact I didn’t even bring my zoom lens to Iceland—and most of the pictures in this blog are his. It would be a shame not to share them.

The Arctic tern was everywhere, and I mean everywhere! Thousands and thousands of them nested on the ground in huge colonies. We avoided the dive-bombing they will do once the chicks hatch.

The redwing is Iceland’s answer to our robin. It sings just as prettily and as often, even at 4 in the morning!

We were pretty impressed when we saw greylag geese on our first day, but we soon realized they are as numerous as Canada geese are here. This one seems determined to get somewhere fast!

The common snipe can be found all over Alberta, too, but I just love this picture.

Icelanders know spring has arrived when they see the first golden plover, much like us waiting for the robin to return.

Tufted ducks are a Eurasian relative of our scaups.

Black-legged kittiwakes nest on the tiniest ledge of a sheer cliff. Can you feel the love between these two?

Northern fulmars were plentiful and almost as agile as kittiwakes when it came to nest building. I doubt these two are together from the stern look on mama and the mischievous look on the one hiding behind!

The white wagtail was one of the few songbirds we saw and heard.

Redshanks constantly picked through seaweed along the shoreline for insects to eat.

We encountered eider ducks almost everywhere, and most often they were in flocks. They have the cutest throaty call which made me smile every time I heard it. Eider down collection has long been a source of income for Icelanders, and because eider down is regarded as an economic asset, the species has been totally protected from hunting by law since 1847.

Watching a flock of whooper swans take off from a field was hilarious, but on the nest you won’t find a more graceful bird.

We found this black-tailed godwit at the side of the road one morning as we set out for the day.

The whimbrel is very well camouflaged.

At Latrabjarg, a bird cliff which is also the western-most point of Iceland, we couldn’t believe the amount of common guillemots and Brunnich’s guillemots clinging to the vertical cliff.

If you look closely you can see the egg this Brunnich’s guillemot is trying to position itself onto.

My greatest wish was to see puffins and towards the end of our vacation it came true at Latrabjarg.

I feel especially blessed to have had a puffin fly directly towards me and at the very last moment veer off and enter its burrow under the cliff top where I stood. That picture is in my mind only but will stay with me forever. But you may be able to see the grin on my face in this picture Jan took right after it happened!

Iceland, Part 1: We remembered to breathe…

The last two weeks of May Jan and I drove around the island country of Iceland. Many people asked us ahead of time “why do you want to go there?” and the answer was always the same: “Because of the nature.” And there is a lot of that on Iceland…

Skaftareldahraun Lava Field is miles and miles of moss-covered lava rock. I am amazed at how the moss has transformed craggy lava rock into soft pillows.

Skeidararsandur Sand Plains. Following a volcanic eruption in October 1996 under Vatnajökull Glacier, seen in the background, millions of tons of water and ice flooded over Skeidararsandur. The flood washed away large parts of the road and destroyed two bridges, the remains of one still visible. Some of the icebergs the flood carried with it were as large as three storey houses. The sheer volume of this natural disaster is hard for me to fathom.

Jökulsarlon Glacial Lagoon is a 180 m deep lagoon in which icebergs float on their way to the Atlantic Ocean. They break off enormous ice lobes and advance down deep valleys from the Vatnajökull glacier. The lagoon has been formed over the last century as the glacier has retreated in the warmer climate. Nature’s ice art is stunning.

Basalt columns at Reynishverfi. How nature can form these geometric shapes is beyond me even though I read the explanation on a sign!

The Alps of the Westfjords. Need I say more...?

The elevation of Hrafnseyrarheidi Moorland in Westfjords is 552 m and the view is spectacular.

An evening view over Bredafjördur from Stykkisholmur filled me with peace and serenity. This was towards the end of our trip and a good time to reflect on what we had seen and experienced.

To pick seven pictures from the 548 I kept of the 1496 Jan and I took together was not an easy task, hence the “Part 1” in the title. There will be more parts coming! To close Part 1, suffice it to say—Iceland’s nature is breathtaking.

I Love Where I Live!

A couple of days ago Jan and I went to Frank Lake east of High River less than an hour’s drive from home. Frank Lake is a productive wetland important to hundreds of bird species. Once completely dry, this wetland has been saved from drainage and drought through a progressive partnership between industry, government and Ducks Unlimited Canada. It is now listed as one of 597 Important Bird Areas in Canada. [http://www.ducks.ca/places/alberta/frank-lake/]

It was a fairly quiet day on the lake according to some people we met, but we enjoyed our two hours of wandering the paths and watching from the bird blind immensely. Red-winged blackbirds were calling to each other constantly, their call interspersed often by the honking of Canada geese.

Ducks and gulls joined the chorus in their various voices, the ducks paired up and the gulls busy gathering grass for their nests.

The lake was so tranquil it inspired me to take a few mood pictures.

 On the way home we soon saw the forecasted afternoon storm. The edge of the storm was much defined in a way I have seldom seen.

After I took the above picture I turned 45° and took the picture below looking north.

This turned out to be one of my favourite photographs of the day. It was not until I downloaded my pictures I realized there was a red gate latch in this picture. To me it symbolizes no matter how dark and bleak the day—or your life—is there is always a bright spot in it. You may not notice it right away, but it’s there if you look closely.

The last picture I took a little closer to home standing in the middle of the road, with as wide an angle as my camera allows, and avoiding the storm cloud to the north. And this is why I love where I live!

The Friendship Trail

I love to walk and hike, but in the wintertime it can be hazardous to venture out, both because it is too cold (for me at least!) and because of snow and ice on sidewalks and trails. That’s when the treadmill in the basement comes in handy! But I do prefer the outdoors and take every opportunity to get out there.

A path called the Friendship Trail connects the towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley. After a snowfall the path is quickly cleared for the diehards among us, and for many the Friendship Trail is part of a 10 km loop. It is my goal to walk that 10K this coming summer. Actually, it was my goal last summer, but I never made it!

The Town of Black Diamond’s website describes the trail this way:

“This gentle 3 km paved trail linking Black Diamond with Turner Valley is popular among walkers, joggers and cyclists. The trail runs on the north side of Highway 22 and passes scenic viewpoints, secluded rest areas and the site of the old McPherson coal mine which inspired Black Diamond's name. Impressive rock formations along the trail speak to the area's remarkable geology that sustained the Turner Valley oilfields boom during the 1920's to 1940's.”

Yesterday I walked the Friendship Trail with my grandson. The Chinook wind was at our backs which helped propel him on his scooter and gave me an extra push up the hills. I didn’t bring my camera but I took a few pictures with my phone. If I knew where the old coal mine is I would have taken a picture of it, too! More for me to explore in the coming months...

The Friendship Trail at about the halfway point

Can you see the Happy Face?

Here's another face... sort of...

Crossing the Sheep River in Black Diamond

Owls in the Family

I think every Canadian kid has read Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat at least once since it was first published in 1961. It is the hilarious story of Billy who finds two abandoned great horn owlets in the barn on his family’s Saskatchewan farm. Although it is a children’s novel, adult will get a chuckle out of it, too, and you should put it on your list of books to read if you haven’t already.

Last night I watched a program about great horned owls on CBC’s The Nature of Things. I have always admired owls, and now I have a greater respect for them. Their ability to maneuver through branches and tight spaces is nothing short of spectacular, and their individuality comes through in their various calls and clucks.

In the woods at the end of our subdivision at least one great horned owl lives. We hear them often in the summertime, and occasionally one will perch on a lamppost at dusk this time of year. Too far away and too dark for a photograph I just watch this majestic bird and marvel at its wingspan and silent flight when it takes off.  However, this summer I spotted a great grey owl on a fence post in the middle of the day and was able to capture him. Whether he is a resident or was just travelling through remains to be seen.

I do have pictures of great horned owls, though. While on a spring road trip in southern Alberta in 2009 we spotted one on a nest in a tree right along the road. And when mama flew to the next tree over three little fuzzy heads peeked out of the nest. Even though I used my zoom lens to take these photographs I will probably never get that close to Alberta’s provincial bird again and feel very fortunate to have had this encounter.

On our Ontario vacation in the fall last year we visited the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre in Midland. In their raptor rehabilitation area we met Alice, a six-year-old tawny owl. Even though tawny owls are not found in the wild in North America she is a sweet little ambassador for the centre. Her handler allowed us to touch her, and her feathers were so soft.

Looking for quotations about owls this one came up time and again and was attributed to various people, from an African proverb (without the last sentence) to Charles M. Schulz. Who knows who said it first? The wisdom remains:

A wise old owl sat on an oak. The more he saw the less he spoke. The less he spoke the more he heard. Why can’t we all be like that bird?

A Walk in the Woods

Have you ever read "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson (ISBN 978-030727946)? A friend of mine gave me the book several years ago as she knew I love hiking. I thoroughly enjoyed Bill Bryson's humour throughout his soul searching journey on the Appalacian Trail together with his pal Stephen Katz. While there is no deeper meaning to my hiking, I do feel it is food for the soul to be out in Nature's splendour.

My favourite "walk in the woods" is the redwoods without a doubt, but being surrounded by tall deciduous trees on a fall day in Ontario is a very close second. It felt like walking on a painter's palette from red to bronze to orange to yellow, with a little detour to green and brown and grey. Pictures do not do justice to the brilliant red of maple tees, although I tried many times!

Of the hundreds of pictures I took on our recent trip I keep coming back to one. It was taken from the top of the Dorset Fire Lookout Tower on Highway 35, a spectacular road to drive in the fall. 117 steps up the tower give you a 360 degree view of 824 square kilometers of trees and lakes, with a few roads thrown in there and there. It was breathtaking, so say the least. Some trees had already lost their leaves, giving a smoky appearance among all the colour, but that didn't take away from the beauty of the view at all.

But I don't have to travel to California or Ontario to go for a walk in the woods. There are some right here at the edge of our subdivision in Black Diamond. Songbirds, deer, wildflowers galore... I have it all a few steps from my front door. And if I drive for half an hour, I am in my beloved mountains. How lucky I am...

Black Diamond in a Day

On September 10, 2016 Canadians were encouraged to shoot videos that reflected our thoughts, hopes, and lives. The resulting CTV special will be shown in celebration of Canada’s 150^th anniversary next year. I did not shoot a video to share with the country, but that day was a pretty significant one for me and my own little world.

After two and a half months of intense and backbreaking work by my dear hubby our yard was ready for sod. Two pallets were delivered the day before. Family members, both immediate and extended, came armed with work gloves and good spirits, and within mere hours we had lawns! Where there was black before there is now green. What a difference that makes… this is the sight we have had in our minds for so long, and now our eyes actually see it—and it makes me smile every time I look out the window or walk outside. The colour green is a relaxing colour that represents growth, nature, and safety among other things (www.color-meanings.com). It is also said to have healing powers, and from the way I feel when I set eyes on our yard now, I can only concur.

To have my whole immediate family around me on September 10 was a treasure as it only happens a few times a year. Weekly electronic visiting with my eldest daughter is great, but face to face is better. I was able to give her a hug or two and share some heartfelt laughter. When I looked into her eyes I saw true happiness and contentment with the direction her life is taking with her partner. Living next door to my youngest daughter, my son-in-law, and my grandson for almost six months has been life-changing in a good way. The daily connection with my grandson is without a doubt Mormor’s dream come true!

When extended family members heard what we were up to on September 10, they offered to help. I have been absolutely blown away by the generosity shown to us by friends, first with the move and later with landscaping. As immigrants we learned early on to fend for ourselves, but without the friends we have made over the years, our life would be, oh so poor.

September 10… one day of 365 in 2016… a perfect day for me.

The red brick road connects our houses, and the troll who lives under the bridge over the Little Sheep River happily lets us cross!