Reykjavík Grapevine - jun. 2023, Side 31

31 Travel
Travel Feature Birdwatching
With A Pro
Learning to “catch and release,” the birder’s way*
grandparents on a small island in
Breiðafjörður. “I always liked birds
and I was always interested in photo-
graphy, even though I didn’t prac-
tise it before the digital techno logy
came along,” he shares. “It somehow
clicked together and I started doing
more of both. Some people say I’m
crazy,” he cracks up with laughter.
“I think it’s one of the best types of
craziness you can have.”
Sigurjón has a day job with the Soil
Conservation Service that allows
him to take time off whenever
he needs to chase birds. He recalls
a time when a bird he was long
pining for was spotted in a village
not far from where we are now.
Sigurjón didn’t think long, jumped
in his car and drove all the way from
Hvann eyri, more than an hour and
a half away. “I went there, saw the
bird and drove back home again. In
two hours, I was down here and back
home and kept on working.”
HOW TO SMALL TALK
WITH A BIRDWATCHER?
As we walk through a small forest,
created and taken care of by the
Forestry Association of Eyrarbakki,
Sigurjón keeps asking me if I know
this or that bird. Admittedly not
knowing any, I try to ease awkward-
ness with a small talk.
“Do we have mandarin ducks in
Iceland?” I ask, explaining they
are my favourite bird. Expecting a
response in the negative, I’m soon
surprised. “Right now we do,”
Sigurjón says. “You don’t see them
all the time. They don’t breed here.
There are two of them in Vík – two
males, very colourful and beautiful.”
In my mind, I’m already planning
a visit to these beauties. “I remem-
ber in 2017 there were two of them
in Húsavík, so I drove from Akranes
all the way to Húsavík to see them,”
Sigurjón continues. His dedication
doesn’t cease to amaze me.
“It’s probably like going hunting for
hunters,” he says. “But the reward
for the hunter is to shoot the bird.
I have nothing against hunters, but
this makes me more happy – just
to go see the bird and take photos
of it. We can say ‘catch and release’
when we’re photographing – I can
shoot the same bird again and
again.”
We continue on our way and the vi-
brant sounds of birdsong amplifies.
I am surprised again, as I realise
it’s not the birds moving nearer to
us, but Sigurjón trying to lure them.
“Sometimes I play their songs, I try
to get them closer to me,” he says,
showing me an app that plays select
bird sounds. Nothing is flocking
to our sound today. “It’s probably
because of the weather, it was very
cold yesterday and the day before,”
Sigurjón explains.
SNEAKY HIDEOUT
As we stop at the wetlands, it
becomes more and more clear
Sigurjón is no amateur. “This is my
floating hide,” he says, producing a
piece of equipment I’ve never seen
before from his trunk – it’s a port-
able camouflage tent that allows
you to blend in with the surround-
ings and approach the birds without
disturbing them. Naturally, I want to
see it at work and Sigurjón obliges
– with a woolen base layer hand
knitted by his wife and waterproof
overalls, he’s fully prepared, unlike
me. “Do you have other shoes?”
Sigurjón asks and, as I shake my
head, he says he can just carry me
closer to the shore. “Should we do
it the viking wife way?”
On the water, the floating hide looks
even more bizarre – one needs to
submerge themself entirely, simul-
taneously trying not to disturb the
water or cause any noise. There’s a
bird nesting nearby, so Sigurjón only
stays in the water for a few shots. On
many occasions he has spent about
six hours in his hide position. “In the
beginning, I went out and just photo-
graphed birds. If I could get any
photo, I was happy. Today, I usually
go out because I have a photo in my
mind. I spend more time waiting for
that moment.”
BIRDER’S PLAYBOOK
How can an urban dweller, like
myself, get started in birdwatching?
“Buy decent binoculars and go
to some easy place, like the local
pond or local forest. That’s a good
beginning,” says Sigurjón.
After some time, you’ll learn how
birds act around you and may
be able to approach them. “If you
see that the bird is stressed, move
away a little bit,” the expert cautions.
“This white bird here,” he loses his
own train of thought as a bird flies
past. “This is the Arctic tern – it has
the longest migration of all animals
on this planet, it goes from pole to
pole twice every year. They’re only
125 grams.”
Sigurjón returns to the previous
topic and adds: “If you scare a bird
off the nest, predators around are
quick to come and steal the eggs.
If it is cold, like now, the eggs can
easily cool down quickly and kill the
babies inside. Always think of the
benefit for the bird, not yourself.”
STARTING MY OWN
BIRD COUNT
There are 75 bird species that breed
in Iceland and Sigurjón has seen
around 265. While he might not be
fully satisfied with today’s “catch,” I
have had the pleasure of witnessing
an array of species: a golden plover,
Arctic tern, black-tailed godwit, red-
necked phalarope, red-throated loon,
raven, whooper swan, black-headed
gull, meadow pipit, white wagtail,
greylag goose, redwing and snipe.
And even though you won’t see me
in a floating hide anytime soon, I’m
already looking for “kíkir” (binocu-
lars). Nature is amazing!
Check out Sigurjón’s bird
photo graphy on Instagram:
@sigurjoneinars
*No birds were harmed in the
making of this article
Always think of the benefit for
the bird, not yourself.