I have written several travel blogs about one of my favourite places in North Iceland, the amazing Mývatn area. There is so much to see and do in this amazing part of Iceland.
At Mývatn, you can see bubbling mud pools, walk on the rim of a crater filled with a lake, see beautiful lava pillars and amazing lava formations, bathe in the Blue Lagoon of the North, visit geothermal springs, visit the Cave of the Icelandic Yule lads, etc, etc.
By Lake Mývatn, you can also find the most extensive private bird collection in Iceland at Sigurgeir's Bird Museum or "Fuglasafn Sigurgeirs Stefánssonar".
Top photo: the eagle at the museum
The Sigurgeir's Bird Museum at Mývatn
Here you can find specimens of all the Icelandic breeding birds, bar one.
Sigurgeir Stefánsson was born and raised in Mývatn. He was an avid bird and egg collector, and he owned a large collection of stuffed birds.
He kept his collection in a shed at Ytri-Neslönd, where the museum is located, and people visited the shed to view his collection.
A snowy owl at the museum
It was jokingly said that this must be the smallest natural museum in the world. Sigurgeir's dream was to erect a bigger building to house his collection. But a tragic accident took place when he drowned in Lake Mývatn at age 37 before he could realize his dream.
Sigurgeir had collected around 180 bird species and 300 specimens, plus some 100 egg types, when he died.
Sigurgeir's friends, family, and benefactors helped make his dream come to fruition. In August 2008, an extraordinarily beautiful museum was opened on the farm Ytri-Neslönd by Lake Mývatn, a lovely tribute to Sigurgeir, the avid bird collector.
A colourful Mandarin duck at the museum
The architectural design of the museum building itself is so lovely and blends in with nature.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get a clear photo of the museum's design, but you can see it on the museum homepage.
The bird museum is interactive, and the curator accompanies you through the bird collection area and explains how it works.
The museum is small and round, with an artificial stream flowing under glass on the floor and fish swimming in it.
Puffins at the museum
I lost myself amongst all these birds. I have always wanted to know more about birds and spent a good hour inside taking in all the information and admiring these beautiful birds.
While visiting this museum, I realized that I knew way too little about the birds here in Iceland.
I have seen the puffin many times, the seabirds and migrating birds, the ptarmigan, and, from time to time, an owl and a merlin.
And my main enemy here in Iceland is the Arctic tern, which fearlessly attacks me again and again as I travel through my country. But I am thirsty for more knowledge on the birds here in Iceland.
Hrossagaukur - the Common snipe at the museum
What I found especially useful was comparing the birds' sizes. The big difference in the size of birds that I had thought were approximately the same size came as a surprise to me.
One cannot really see the size of the birds in the bird handbooks, so seeing them here closely together was very useful.
There are so many birds here at the museum, all with their names listed in several languages and their summer and winter locations.
You can press buttons that activate lights to show where the appropriate bird is located. I pushed all the buttons in the museum, for sure, because I was so eager to learn more about the birds.
Súla - the Northern gannet at the museum
Sigurgeir also collected birds' eggs, and at the museum, you will find an extensive egg collection. I couldn't, for the life of me, get a decent photo of the eggs, but you can see lovely photos on the museum's homepage.
The birds missing to complete Sigurgeir's exhibition on breeding birds in Iceland are the sea-eagle and the grey phalarope.
But Akureyri, a town in North Iceland, was kind enough to lend the bird museum a sea-eagle. See also:
Eyjafjörður Fjord - Akureyri, the Capital City of North Iceland
The museum is by Lake Mývatn
The museum is right by the lake, and from the museum restaurant, there is an excellent view of Lake Mývatn. And if you are an avid birdwatcher, there are bird hides available for birdwatching.
Lake Mývatn is the 4th largest lake in Iceland, approximately 36.5 km2, and is dotted with islets and skerries. A myriad of duck species gather at Mývatn.
Lake Mývatn is a protected nature reserve, and here, by Lake Mývatn and in its surrounding areas, is the only breeding ground for the Barrow's goldeneye in Europe.
I visit Mývatn every year and am always on the lookout for new duck species. Sometimes the lake is almost black with birds gathering on it.
Sleipnir at the boathouse museum
Next to the bird museum, you will find a boathouse museum with the motorboat Sleipnir on display. There, one can gain insight into what life was like around Lake Mývatn.
The museum received the 2009 Innovation Prize from the Icelandic Travel Industry Association.
By the northwest side of Lake Mývatn, you will find a monument to the tragic accident, which happened on the 26th of October 1999 at Lake Mývatn. Three men in a boat were putting a fiber optic cable in the lake when bad weather hit them, and they drowned.
The memorial for Sigurgeir Stefánsson, Böðvar Björgvinsson, and Jón Kjartansson
One of them was Sigurgeir Stefánsson (an employee at Kísiliðjan diatomite factory), and the others were Böðvar Björgvinsson and Jón Kjartansson, who were employees at Síminn telephone company.
Do pay Sigurgeir's Bird Museum a visit when you are in this area. This informative museum is a lovely tribute to Sigurgeir and his dream.
To visit this area, you can rent a car in Reykjavík and drive up north in two days.
I have added several other travel blogs about Mývatn, as my husband's family owns a summer cottage there and we spend a lot of time exploring and enjoying this lovely area:
The Amazing Mývatn area - part I
The Amazing Mývatn area - part II
The Amazing Mývatn area - part III
The Amazing Mývatn area - part IV
Grænavatn Turf House at Mývatn
Úlfhildur the Elf-lady at Lake Mývatn in North Iceland - an Icelandic Folklore
A Wonderful Day of Exploring the Extraordinary Mývatn Area in North Iceland
The Extraordinary Ice Sculptures in Lofthellir Cave in Mývatn, North Iceland
A Unique Lava Walk through the Colourful Lava Field at Gjástykki in North Iceland
Have a lovely time at the amazing Mývatn :)
