Lake Mývatn, north east Iceland
Mývatn is the undisputed gem of north east Iceland, a tourist and ornithological honeypot. The lake and the surrounding area are starkly beautiful, an otherworldly landscape of spluttering mudpots, weird lava formations, steaming fumaroles and volcanic craters. The Mývatn basin sits squarely on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the violent geological character of the area has produced an astonishing landscape unlike anywhere else in the country.
Mývatn is a shallow eutrophic lake situated in an area of active volcanism not far from Krafla volcano. The lake was created by a large basaltic lava eruption 2300 years ago and the surrounding landscape is dominated by volcanic landforms including lava pillars. The name of the lake (Icelandic mý ("midge") and vatn ("lake") .... the lake of midges) comes from the huge numbers of midges to be found in the summer.
The name Mývatn is sometimes used not only for the lake but the whole surrounding inhabited area. The River Laxá, Lake Mývatn and the surrounding wetlands are protected as a nature reserve known as the Mývatn-Laxá Nature Conservation Area which occupies 440,000 hectares.
The lake is fed by nutrient-rich springwater and has a high abundance of aquatic insects and plants that form an attractive food supply for ducks. Thirteen species of ducks nest at Mývatn. The duck species composition is unique in the mixture of Eurasian and north American elements and of boreal and Arctic species. Most of the ducks are migratory, arriving in late April to early May from north west Europe. The most abundant is the Tufted Duck whilst the Scaup is the second most common duck species. Other common species include the Red-breasted Merganser, Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Common Scoter, Long-tailed Duck and Teal.
Mývatn and the River Laxá are also special in that they support good numbers of Harlequin Ducks and Barrow’s Goldeneyes, 2 species that within Europe are solely confined to Iceland.
Other common waterbirds include the Slavonian Grebe, Red-necked Phalarope, Great Northern Diver, Red-throated Diver and Whooper Swan.
Date: 4th June 2015
Location: view from the track to the farm Ytri-Neslönd and Sigurgeirs Bird Museum
Mývatn is a shallow eutrophic lake situated in an area of active volcanism not far from Krafla volcano. The lake was created by a large basaltic lava eruption 2300 years ago and the surrounding landscape is dominated by volcanic landforms including lava pillars. The name of the lake (Icelandic mý ("midge") and vatn ("lake") .... the lake of midges) comes from the huge numbers of midges to be found in the summer.
The name Mývatn is sometimes used not only for the lake but the whole surrounding inhabited area. The River Laxá, Lake Mývatn and the surrounding wetlands are protected as a nature reserve known as the Mývatn-Laxá Nature Conservation Area which occupies 440,000 hectares.
The lake is fed by nutrient-rich springwater and has a high abundance of aquatic insects and plants that form an attractive food supply for ducks. Thirteen species of ducks nest at Mývatn. The duck species composition is unique in the mixture of Eurasian and north American elements and of boreal and Arctic species. Most of the ducks are migratory, arriving in late April to early May from north west Europe. The most abundant is the Tufted Duck whilst the Scaup is the second most common duck species. Other common species include the Red-breasted Merganser, Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Common Scoter, Long-tailed Duck and Teal.
Mývatn and the River Laxá are also special in that they support good numbers of Harlequin Ducks and Barrow’s Goldeneyes, 2 species that within Europe are solely confined to Iceland.
Other common waterbirds include the Slavonian Grebe, Red-necked Phalarope, Great Northern Diver, Red-throated Diver and Whooper Swan.
Date: 4th June 2015
Location: view from the track to the farm Ytri-Neslönd and Sigurgeirs Bird Museum
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Also in: North east Iceland
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