oil on canvas, 60cm x 60cm, Iain White 2008, £275
The Mýrar area is one of the largest lowland wetland areas remaining in Iceland. The marshes and mud flats overlie Tertiary extrusive rocks with intercalated sediments, one of the oldest bedrocks in Iceland. After the ice age, the Mýrar area, depressed by the weight of ice, was at or below the watertable for thousands of years.
Today it is renown for its bird life. Whooper swans and ducks are abundant, as well as great northern divers, and many others, in particular arctic terns, and various heathland and marshland birds. Mýrar is also part of the sea eagle's distribution area. These wetlands and other parts of coastal southern Snaefellsnes are staging posts on the migration of several important bird species such as the Greenland white fronted geese.
On March 30th to April 1st 2006 a large fire (visible on satellite)devastated much of the area. The fire spread over 14 km down to the sea in few hours. A dry season and high winds turned a small fire in to a destructive monster. Views across this lowland towards the mountains such as Geldingafjoll here are breathtaking
