Reykjavík Grapevine - 16.06.2017, Page 24

At 8am, two men arrived at my door
dressed in utility trousers and plaid
shirts. Friends for over seventeen
years, Edward and Sigmundur (Sim-
mi) are old hands at birding in Iceland.
This was the time for my initiation.
Edward gave me a pair of binoculars
and a bird book, and I abandoned my
weekend plans to chase birds.
For almost two decades, Birding
Iceland has been a hub of information
for locals and travellers who’ve got the
twitch. Edward Rickson is one of two
“twitchers” who regularly document
rare bird sightings on the group’s
Facebook page. It’s a somewhat niche
hobby, sure—but let’s make one thing
clear, birdwatching isn’t
just for pensioners. When
people ask about my inter-
ests, they’re often surprised
to discover that I love bird-
watching, beer and football.
“There is no typical
birder,” explains Edward.
“It varies massively. Of
course, there are the obses-
sive types—but there are a
lot of people who get into
birdwatching because they
have an interest in pho-
tography, or even science.”
Bird bros
I accompanied Edward and Simmi to
the Snæfellsnes peninsula. These guys
have toured the world together to spot
birds, going as far afield as Kenya,
Australia and Spain. Every now and
then, the car slows down as the hawk-
eyed pair catch a glimpse of some-
thing special.
“Rock ptarmigan!” ex-
claims Edward, spotting
a ptarmigan—a fluffy
little grouse, or rjúpa in
Icelandic—that’s often
camouflaged in summer.
Spotting birds is a lot like
playing Pokémon Go, only
it’s real, and it’s not shit.
After a coffee stop, we pull
up next to the river. “Rivers
and coastal areas are best for
birdwatching,” explains Ed-
ward. Simmi hits the brakes,
gets out of the car, and picks
up something unexpected—
a baby ringed plover who’d stumbled
into the road. I start tearing up. I’m
not ashamed to say that cute things
make me cry.
“They like to lay their eggs in the
rocks as they’re well hidden,” ex-
plains Edward, which seems a little
reckless to me.
Acecducks
Birdwatching isn’t as peaceful as you
might expect. The silence is often bro-
ken by text alerts. Are these guys the
most popular pair in Iceland? Well it
turns out Edward and friends are part
of a text group, alerting one another if
they spot something rare.
“One day in 2002, Simmi gave me
a call at 9:30 in the morning,” Edward
recalls. “There had been a sighting
of a great egret in southeast Iceland.
Twenty minutes later we got in the car.
Since we’d travelled so far, we decided
to keep going east to see another rare
sighting—the steller’s eider. It was a
27-hour round-trip.”
These guys take it to the next level.
Don’t go chasing waterfowl
The first rule of bird club? Once you get
wind of a sighting, go as quickly as you
can. “Two months ago, Jann—who also
runs the Facebook page—was travel-
ling to Husavík,” says Edward. “On the
plane he got a text saying that there
was a night heron not too far from
Reykjavík. It was too late to get off
the plane, so when he landed, he flew
straight back to Reykjavík.”
The pair laugh, and Simmi laments
how his penchant for watching water-
fowl sometimes gets him in trouble
with his wife, as he’s often gone for
hours on end.
Wild goose chase
You don’t need much to start twitch-
ing: just a pair of binoculars and a
bird guide, which you can pick up at
any bookshop. It’s easy, cheap—and
increasingly popular. “Now is a great
time to spot birds in Iceland,” says Ed-
ward. “It’s perfect for people who want
a relaxing birding holiday, because
they are so easy to see. It’s great for
families too as it’s usually one person
who is interested in birds, but there’s
lots of other things to see.”
When we made it to the cliffs
of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, we
caught glimpses of a token puffin
and a pod of killer whales (not a type
of bird). If you’re bound to Reykja-
vík, however, Edward recommends
taking a stroll down the harbour
to see species like the common ei-
der, lesser black-backed gull, arc-
tic tern and the northern fulmar.
“There are many types of birds to
see around the coast and on wetlands,”
he finishes. “Walk along the sea front
from the centre of town, out to the
lighthouse, and you’ll see a whole ar-
ray this time of year.”
For rare sightings, and pro tips, visit
www.notendur.hi.is or on Facebook at @
birdingiceland
24 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10 — 2017
Lækjargata 8, tel: 5460006
“Watching
birds is
a lot like
playing
Pokémon
Go, only
it’s real,
and it’s not
shit.”
Words:
Anisha Chandar
Photos:
Edward Rickson
and Anisha
Chandar
Scratching
The Twitch
Watching birds. In Iceland
Simmi pulling birds On the cliff with Simmi (right) and Edward (left)
Edward Rickson, Birding Iceland Baby ringed plover on the side of the road