Gyrfalcons galore

We hiked out to Rauðanúpur lighthouse in northeast Iceland with cameras ready, expecting a day filled with puffins, guillemots, and gannets. The cliffs here are alive with seabird colonies—puffins popping in and out of burrows, guillemots packed shoulder to shoulder on ledges, and gannets slicing through the air with their unmistakable white wings and sharp dives. It’s one of the best spots in the region to watch seabirds up close, with thousands of birds calling, nesting, and feeding in every direction.

But the real excitement came when three gyrfalcons appeared—ghost-grey and powerful, slicing through the seabird chaos with terrifying precision. Iceland’s largest falcon, the gyrfalcon is a rare and secretive predator. To see one is special; to see three hunting together over the cliffs was extraordinary. The seabirds scattered in panic, puffins tumbling through the air, guillemots flapping frantically off ledges, and even the gannets took notice.

We stood still, barely breathing, watching this intense aerial drama unfold. The clash between predator and colony was raw and unforgettable. We’d come to photograph seabirds in their element—but witnessing the sudden arrival of the top predator among them added an entirely new layer to the story.