Ptarmigan pair

Here is a puzzle… find the hidden Ptarmigan couple in their winter dress?   During a short hike in the mountain above Isafjordur last Sunday afternoon the Aurora skipper came across this Ptarmican couple. They were happily oblivious to the fact that Ptarmigans (Lagopus muta) are one of the most popular Christmas dinners in Iceland… or perhaps they simply knew that this guy never carries a more dangerous weapon than a camera.

Days are very short in Isafjordur now. We are just north of latitude 66 deg North, sunrise is around 11am and sunset around 3.30 pm. But because the mountains around Isafjordur are so close, the town doesn’t see the sun for two months, from around 20th of November to 20th of January. So now it’s time to light up the fjord with Christmas lights.

When the sun is seen again in the town around January 20th there is a traditional celebration with coffee and whipped-cream-pancakes.