icelandic critters, wild and otherwise

I was looking through some photos of last year's trip to Iceland, and figured I'd post some animal photos.

I love driving in Iceland. There's barely any traffic. You can go for kilometers without seeing another car, but that doesn't mean you don't have to keep your eye out for other kinds of traffic.

Being in a car isn't a guarantee against the infamous summer arctic tern attacks. They'll come after you either way. After escaping unpecked the summer before, I finally received a jab on the head this trip. The novelty of being graced from above from one of Iceland's most aggressive summertime residents quickly wore off, because it actually hurts. Also, it was attacking me from behind, so I couldn't see it coming. I beat a hasty retreat from the short hike I was attempting. Arctic tern 1, Cheese Skipper 0.

While camping at Möðrudalur, I started hiking towards Herðubreið for an evening stroll, and suddenly realized I had an unexpected companion trotting alongside me. At some point we reached a stream that had some steep banks, where I stopped to look around, and the dog stopped next to me. I looked at her and asked "How do we get across?" As if she had been waiting for me to ask, she promptly scampered over to part of the bank where it was easier to cross, and waited for me. Good dog! Although she sort of ditched me a bit later.

And here's a few other residents who crossed my path. Or I crossed theirs.