HAWKS ALOFT MEMBER TOUR
JUNE 1 – JUNE 11, 2023
In the land of fire and ice, massive ice-blue glaciers contrast sharply with bright green meadows, black lava fields, and geothermal lagoons to create dramatic, captivating landscapes. The country’s avifauna is equally impressive: located at the junction of two oceans, it hosts a unique mix of vagrant and migratory birds from both Europe and North America. This adventure with Hawks Aloft and Holbrook Travel offers a look at Icelandic breeding and non-breeding bird populations, from the waterfowl of Lake Mývatn to the iconic Atlantic Puffins. Seek out auks, petrels, cormorants, gannets, gulls, terns, waders, stilts, and birds of prey while enjoying hikes, boat trips, and a bird museum to enrich your understanding of the island’s natural history.
Highlights
- Bird the hotspots of Lake Mývatn and the River Laxá, where sightings may include more than a dozen duck species.
- Trace the fjords of northwest Iceland and see the majestic cliffs supporting populations of auks, murres, and kittiwakes.
- Navigate Breiðafjörður Bay for up-close views of Great Cormorants, European Shags, and Atlantic Puffins.
- Look for humpback, blue, and minke whales and a variety of pelagic birds on a whale-watching excursion.
- Visit Sigurgeir’s Bird Museum, considered the largest known private bird collection in Iceland.