In one of our guidebooks, the author reports that there are 750,000 sheep in Iceland; after spending almost a week in this fabulous country and having toured a good portion of it, I find that his estimate is far too low. Sheep are everywhere in Iceland; while some are confined to pens and pastures, the great majority seem to run wild, though road grates, waterways and limited fencing must keep them under some degree of control. Nevertheless, these sheep have clearly adapted to a broad range of habitats, finding sustenance in lava fields, on tidal flats, on high, rocky hillsides and along nearly every road in the country. Having the appearance of the typical cartoon sheep....an oval mass of wool with a small head and short, spindly legs....they are, indeed, entertaining to watch and exude a serenity that serves to balance the stark beauty of this harsh landscape. They are, without a doubt, the most abundant and conspicuous mammal in Iceland.
And, contrary to my initial expectations, their avian counterpart is the whooper swan. These large, attractive birds breed across the sub-Arctic regions of Eurasia and are especially common in Iceland. Closely related to the trumpeter swan of North America, they are monogamous and generally raise two grayish cygnets. Almost every body of water in Iceland has a pair of these swans during the warmer months; they can be found from tidal marshes to the highest alpine lakes. Come September, they begin to congregate at preferred staging sites before their autumn migration to wintering grounds in the British Isles.
We humans often have preconceived images of other countries and ecosystems across our vast and varied planet. While Iceland's landscape is surely meeting my expectations, her amazing abundance of sheep and swans has certainly caught this traveller by surprise. But, then, unexpected findings are the lifeblood of an avid naturalist.
