Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria)

We couldn’t believe how common golden plovers were around Grindavík. In Shetland, we’d spent ages trying to find one to photograph, and getting anywhere near one was a challenge. Here, they seemed to be everywhere, almost as common as woodpigeons back home! It was quite a change, and a real pleasure to see so many of these lovely birds.

In Iceland, the golden plover is traditionally associated with the arrival of spring. Its return is celebrated in the saying that spring has arrived when the first golden plover is seen.