Where is the moon ?

7-17-10    The Icelanders say that in summer the sun just bounces off the sea and rises again in the sky.

  We drove back out to the airport to get our clothes and equipment. Along that stretch of road, we clocked a sea gull flying at 60 km per hour. Iceland, between Reykjavik and Keflavik contains large fields of hardened lava interspersed with volcanic cones 30m tall, but no trees to speak of. The landscape is dark brown tinged with sprigs of green grass and the blue-tipped wildflower, Nootka Lupine.

  One note about yellow lights in Reykjavik, the warning light between the red and green traffic signals. In the US the yellow light warns drivers not to enter an intersection, because the red light is coming, danger, danger. In Iceland the yellow light comes on after the red and before the green light. Thus, it "warns" you, if that's what it means, that in a fraction of a second, the traffic light will turn green and you should go. It seems backward. A yellow light, then you're off. The Icelanders themselves all seem to anticipate any light by screaching off before it's time.

  Last night we bought a DVD of the Icelandic film, "Mister Bjarnfredarson", about a murderer released early from prison who did not want to leave prison. Then, his mother ostrasized him for his having murdered a woman. This film won a zillion awards in Iceland. Its themes were supposed to represent something deep in the Icelandic soul. I need to watch it again cause I fell asleep.

  We visited a cool ocean inlet south of Reykjavik, where we saw Eider ducks (Somateria mollissima) and a Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus). We drove down a little country road and saw some Icelandic horses. There were also two Redpolls (Carduelis flammea) on a wire and several Dunlins (Calidris alpina) in a ditch.

Dunlin

  Note the black patch under the belly of the Dunlin. The Dunlin is the only shorebird to have this diagnostic marking.

  Great day birding. We stood out beside the ocean so much today, that our cheeks were wind blown. I want to wear long johns next time. It is chilly at 4am in the morning close to the Arctic Circle.

-Robert

(photo by wikipedia)