Tjornin

Tjornin is the shallow lake in the centre of Reykjavik, with the City Hall standing on stilts at its northern end and the old timber houses of Thingholt along one side. More than forty bird species have been recorded on it and around fifty nest in the area, from whooper swans and greylags to arctic terns that arrive in May and leave in August. A section is kept from freezing in winter by warm water, so the birds concentrate there and it stays busy in the coldest months. Feeding is still common, though the city now asks people to bring oats or grain rather than bread, which does the birds no good.

What you actually see

• Birds in the middle of a capital - dozens of species, many of them nesting.
• A corner kept ice-free - warm water concentrating birds in winter.
• The City Hall on stilts - built out over the water.
• Old timber houses along the shore - the Thingholt streets.

When to go

Year round; winter concentrates the birds and summer brings the terns. An hour.

Honest expectations

Bread is discouraged and does damage - oats or grain are the alternative. Arctic terns dive at people near their nesting ground in summer. It is a small pond and a walk round takes twenty minutes. Paths are icy in winter.

Nearby

The National Gallery is on the shore; Hallgrimskirkja is uphill.