Our holiday in Iceland

Click on the thumbnails for a bigger version. Identifications are tentative in some cases.

Þingvellir

We walked through a geothermal region to a mountain called Hengil.
Near Hengil Golden plover Moss campion

Geyser and Gullfoss

We visited the Geyser area and saw Strokkur erupt several times. We then visited the beautiful Gullfoss.
Stokkur's pool Dome beginning Dome bursting Eruption Blesi's twin pools The clear pool View from near Gullfoss The flow into the canyon Orchid

Vik and South

We visited the black beaches near Vik and crossed the bleak inlets South from there. Icelanders have a tradition of building cairns.
Rocks near Vik Adding to the cairns Eiders on the black sand Wheatear Arctic skua Arctic skua

Skaftafell National Park

We spent two days walking here. We ascended Kristínar Tindar
Svartifoss Rock colours across Morsárdalur Skaftafellsjökull Gláma Spur of Kristínar Tindar Kristínar Tindar The summit Hvannadalshnúkur Lady's bedstraw and moss campion Gentian Thrift Redwing

Ingólfshöfði

This cape has puffins, great skuas, fulmars and snow buntings.
Puffins Flying puffin Fulmar chick Snow bunting

Jökulsárión and waders

This beautiful lagoon has icebergs floating in it.
Lagoon with cairn The blue ice Ringed plover in the lagoon

There lovely flowers near the glacier.
Saxifraga cotyledon
Heading South we came across Sanderlings, Dunlins and Whimbrels.
Sanderling Dunlin Whimbrel

Eastern fjords

We had superb weather for this drive.
The Eastern sea Breiðdalsvik

North East Iceland

The first photo shows the evening before - then the weather deteriorated.
Door mountain
We did some bird watching
Red throated diver Redshank
The route West takes one across a gravel desert.
Gravel desert

Jökulsárgljúfur National Park

We walked around this amazing horseshoe shaped edge.
Ásbyrgi

Goðafoss

This waterfall acquired it's name because in the year the lawspeaker of the Alþing, Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði, who decided that Christianity should be the official religion in Iceland, pushed his pagan statues over the falls.
Goðafoss

Mývatn

This lake is known for it's ducks and other birds.
Mývatn Mývatn Widgeon Merganzer Merganzer taking off Great Northern diver Red necked phalarope (juv) Arctic tern (juv) Arctic tern feeding young Barrow's goldeneye

Near Akureyi

More birds including a merlin eating a redshank;
Eiders riding the waves Merlin eating redshank Whimbrel Whimbrel Phalarope (juv)
and some flowers found high on Súlur.
Iced grass Moss campion Tufted saxifrage Ranunculus glacialis,
On the final day there was a flypast of black tailed Godwits.
Godwits