Pair of Harlequins on the fast flowing water of River Laxá
Other birds
Waders often nest in or close to rich, vegetated marshland, which is a common habitat in the Mývatn area. They take advantage of the abundance of midges and can of ten be seen on the shores of the lake, picking up insects which have drifted ashore. One of the most characteristic birds of the Mývatn area is the Red-necked Phalarope. Eight species
of waders breed in the area, including Black-tailed Godwit, and several more species are seen regularly. B l a c k- h e a d e d G u l l i s t h e m o s t common gull in the Mý vatn area and the only species which breeds in any
abu nd a nc e of insec t s prov ide s rich pickings for them and other birds in the area. Birch scrubland and woodlands are home to Iceland’s typical forest birds, like the Redwing, Common Redpoll and Eurasian Wren, for example. Snow Bunting and Northern Wheatear nest in lava fields, stone walls and craters. Other land birds are the resident Gyr Falcon and Rock Ptarmigan, and the migrant Merlin and Short-eared Owl.
Midges
A drake Harlequin Duck number. Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls are summer visitors to the lake. The Arctic Tern is a common breeder but it does not breed in large colonies at Mývatn. Arctic Skuas breed on the surrounding moorlands. The varied habitats around Mý vatn attract a range of passerines and the
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The midges at Mý vatn (which means Midge Lake in Icelandic) and the River Laxá are the mainstay of the local birds’ existence. If the midges were absent, there would be far fewer birds. The larvae of non-biting chironomid midges live in the lake itself; they develop in the mud on the lake bed and live on diatoms and decaying organic matter. Black f ly larvae, on the other hand, attach themselves to rocks in the River Laxá and feed on passing debris. Only the black fly bites; chironomids simply irritate people, livestock and birds by flying into their noses, eyes and ears. - JÓH
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Images by © jóhann Óli Hilmarsson
migration a nd t hose t hat travel t he longest distances, like the W himbrel a nd t he A rctic Tern, leave for t heir wintering grounds. Mý vatn is by now swarming with ducks if the breeding season has been successful. September is the main migration month in north-east Iceland but geese and some ducks and passerines do not leave until October. However, numerous birds remain in the area during the winter. At Mývatn and River Laxá some areas remain open all winter and attract resident Whooper Swans, Barrow´s Goldeneyes, Goosanders and Mallards. Even a few Harlequins can sometimes be found on the river in winter.