With very few harlequin ducks apparent around Mývatn, we decided to follow the Laxá north to it's confluence with the ocean, a well-known hotspot for wintering harlequin ducks. En route, we drove through flocks of thousands of redwings, with every dwarf willow shimmering in them as they congregated preparing for their migration south.
The view over the Laxá's final waterfall before the see is dramatic, a foaming fizz of fast-flowing white water full of turbulent pockets. In the open water below this were large flocks of red-breasted mergansers, but right amongst the white water were our targets: harlequin ducks. Resting up on the side of the water, either standing on vegetation or exposed rocks, every so often they'd drop into the current and disappear feeding under the water. Watching them like this, you can see how their stiff tail feathers act like a rudder, holding them like an aerofoil at their preferred angle to feed.
The light was unfortunately very flat but we counted at least 28 harlequin ducks and drakes working this area, sometimes travelling from the top of the waterfall to the bottom. On the riverbank there were a set of harlequin tail and wing feathers, and the remains of a cached goose, strongly indicative of Arctic fox presence in the area. On the black sand beach, we also spotted a lone harbour seal hauled out, our second mammal species for the trip.