Day 7 At the Gauksmyri pond

On the other side of the ringroad, Gauksmyri has a project to protect the Icelandic birdlife. Water flowing down from the mountains, is collected here in a pond which is visited by many species of birds, especially during summer. I probably won't be in luck, as most birds have already left Iceland to spend winter in warmer climats. All that remains are a few geese who will leave one of these days too.

I was curious to this place, so today I planned to go there. After a short walk and crossing the ring road, I was there, at this neat place with a nice birdwatchers house, with fixed binoculairs, international bird guides, some places to sit and a guestbook where you could write down the birds you have seen at that moment.

On the roof there were some fresh bones, so I assume I had arrived too late for some magnificent bird of prey. The bones I would say would be of a rabbit sized animal. But since rabbits or hare do not live on Iceland (except for some plague released pet rabbits around the bigger cities Reykjavik and Akureyri) I think it has been ducks or maybe an arctic fox cub. If they do reside here in this area. I have seen one on the way to Gauksmyri, but it was more in the Highlands below Hvammstangi.

I didnt do a lot at this place. I was sitting there, and a glistening in my eyes told me I had to do something I have been wanting to do for so long... walk barefeet on Icelandic soil. In tourists groups it looks quite weird. But maybe not as weird as it looks here on frozen ground, even some snow.

But I felt warm, or better hot after the walk to this birdwatchers hut. I didnt care, so off the shoes went, off the socks went, and for 20 minutes I walked around with an incredible grinn on my face, touching the moss, the snow, the tiny rocks, the bushes and grassess. It was amazing... I strolled around between the beautifull crust mossed rocks, until my feet told me hey your body is cooling down, we need socks and shoes again! I was so happy!!! What a marvel place, and here I didnt hear the ringroad like I hear it often at the farm. Really there is barely any traffic, but the road is so terrible noisy! They don't use noise reducing grid here. And I couldnt really help it to have my mind wondering off again. That other dream of me to see the more isolated parts of Iceland, the need to be alone here for some time. It is so much the place I want to be. It would be the only place where I can find myself again, and all the parts that are lost of me. I wish that dream could come true. To live here, or at least spend an incredible lot of time in this magnificent country that is so attached to anything I am.

Well it is not very interesting to tell more about this time here. I literaly did nothing more than just sit and stare and wonder and awe and question and cry and and and... didnt see any bird at all. They all had left Jon told me. Only some geese and winter guests are still around, like the ptarmigan which I didnt see until the next day when it started to snow quite badly. It was the first snow in Reykjavik of the winter season, it was 15cm or more and Gauksmyri happened to be the place with most snowfall and it was the day I should go there to be in time catching the flight back to hell.... But I will tell about that on another blog. ;-)

Gauksmyri seen from the pond

The pond overlooks towards the Vididalsfjall. Below this mountains the horse round up took place.

Artistic nature, you will find patterns like this everywhere. And I can imagine in old ages these would inspire the people for runes and stave symbols.

Cottongras, it has been a wish to see them dancing on the wind touching the grass. And here some of them were still there, like flocks ofextremely shining hair stucked to a branch.