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Flatey island

Westfjords  >  Iceland

Flatey is the only inhabited island of the 3,000 small islets dotting the Breidafjordur Bay. It is the best place in Iceland to spot the Phalarope à bec large.

Ajouté* par Jens De Bruycker
Dernière actualisation 11 mai 2025

Description

Flatey is a very small island, only a 1,5 km or so long, with one dusty road leading from the ferry dock through the so called old village. No cars are allowed on the island. The island is a paradise for bird watching with over 30 different species during the breeding season. On the road from the ferry to the village look for Eider à duvet , Guillemot à miroir and Pygargue à queue blanche at sea. In every pond you see many Phalarope à bec étroit.

Flatey is the best place in the world to see Phalarope à bec étroit up close. In the villlage you see plenty of Bruant des neiges on the rooftops. On the island look out for the hyper aggressive Sterne arctique colony (especially in summer when defending their chicks) as they dive for your head when you get to close. Keep one arm (or stick) in the air to keep them at a distance. Past the village the road leads to sea cliffs with Macareux moine and Fulmar boréal . The part of the island where the Phalarope à bec large breeds is closed to visitors, with very clearly placed STOP – DO NOT ENTER signs giving people no excuse to trespass. However, they can be frequently seen in the village, feeding in the grass at the feet of delighted birders. The best tactic for seeing Phalarope à bec large on Flatey is to go up to the church (check out the cool Jesus-with-Islandic-sweater murial inside) and walk along the fence which runs down to the sea. Set up your scope by the stop sign and wait, because sooner or later one is likely to feed in the bay below - this tactic does not work at low tide, the birds like to feed on the surface of the water, not on mudflats, so if the tide is low, you are better off looking elsewhere. Fingers crossed!

Détails

Accès

A ferrystop on the way between the Snaefellsnes peninsula and the Westfjords. The Seatours ferry to Flatey leaves from Stykkishólmur at 9 a.m. and arrives at 10:30 a.m. You can head back to Stykkishólmur at 13:15.

Terrain et Habitat

Ville/village , Mer/océan , Lac

Conditions

Plat

Boucle

Non

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Peut être utile

Saison idéale pour observer

Toute l'année

Meilleure période pour une visite

Eté , Printemps

Itinéraire

Route non pavée , Sentier large

Niveau de difficulté de l'itinéraire

Facile

Accessible via

A pied

Observatoire/hutte d'observation

Non

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