By Reykjavíkurtjörn
On 19 April 1919, new laws took effect, but they forbid anyone to shoot birds at The Pond (Tjörnin). Since then, The Pond has been a bird sanctuary with about fifty bird species. Only seven of these species nest in and around The Pond. Swans and Arctic terns also nest by this small lake in the heart of Reykjavík. Seagulls, especially the lesser black-backed gull, are very prominent in the autumn. The Pond is a shallow old lagoon and was closed off by a gravel reef about 1200 years ago, around the time Iceland was inhabited. The oldest part of Reykjavík, Kvosin, stands on this gravel reef. The stream that flows from The Pond flows under Lækjargatan and into the sea into Reykjavík Harbour.
Reykjavík 02/10/2021 16:45 – A7R IV: FE 1.4 / 24 GM
Photo and text: Páll Stefánsson
