Driving between the seaside village of Húsavik and the farm country of Gauksmýri, our birding guide unexpectedly pulled the van off the road and our group was able to witness a magical moment as mechanical horsepower gave right-of-way to live horsepower crossing the bridge. The highlight of our trip was a visit to Látrabjarg Cliffs, home to millions of birds including puffins, gannets, kittiwakes, razorbills and guillemots. Our target bird was the Atlantic Puffin, and we weren’t disappointed. In fact, the birds were so accustomed to people and cameras that some joked their telephoto lenses and tripods were a bit much for the photo friendly puffins.

KAREN STRAUS Birding Iceland with San Diego Audubon Society