The autumn season is one of the most exciting periods for Icelandic birders, it is the time when migrants from Eurasia and North America get blown off-course and often end up in Iceland. Winds are in charge of what ends up here, so the worse the weather is (wind and rain wise) the happier are the birders! This year's September had a rather depressing start with very few unusual birds around. A lone Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus showed up for one day in the south-east and around mid month unusual flocks of Lapland Buntings Calcarius lapponicus were found in the south, 15-20 birds at the Westman Islands and four at Garður, on the Reykjanes peninsula.

It wasn't until the third week of the month that thing started changing. Between 21st and 28th September no less than six Buff-bellied Pipits Anthus rubescens were found in the south-west, outnumbering last year's record influx by one bird! So now a total of 23 of this North American species have been recorded in Iceland. Along with those came three adult American Golden Plovers Pluvialis dominica, one White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis, one Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus and one Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus! The Swainson's Thrush is the fifth to be recorded in Iceland while nineteen Red-eyed Vireos had previously been recorded. Surprisingly, during this run of Nearctic vagrants a few eastern goodies also appeared on our shores. A Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva was near Grindavík on the 21st, it is a very rare vagrant in SW Iceland (near-annual in the south-east) and this represents the first September record as well, where a lone Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus also showed up - that however being a regular autumn visitor. On the same day a Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata was at Eyrarbakki while a Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio was at Höfn, in the south-east, for a couple of days.

Things calmed down at the end of the month as quickly as everything went insane. North winds have prevailed since, bringing little more than snow! It will be exciting to see if winds will change later on in October and brings a surprise or two...