Surroundings and natural setting of the watchpoint

This is the westernmost of the currently studied Pyrenean sites. At 441 metres above sea level, it is also the lowest and beyond any doubt, the most obvious migration bottleneck. The summits of Ibantelli (698 m) and Atxuria (756 m) are beacons, guiding the migrants, funneling in great numbers through the narrow gap. Between Sare (11 km), province of Labourd in the north and Etxalar (8 km) province of Navarre in the south, its low altitude and mild climate invites you. This is quite different from the strong southern winds at Organbidexka or the humidity of Lindux.

During the Woodpigeon season, however, the place is a real bird festival. Falcons and wildfowl are also quite numerous, including Greylag Geese. Here as well, hunters are everywhere. Even though the pantières (hunting with nets) can boast of a centuries-old tradition, this is definitely not the case of the numerous shooting posts on the mountain ridges. These date back to the 1970s and the fashion of leisure hunting (4x4, automatic guns). Nearly everywhere in the Basque Country, hunters pay a fortune to rent such hunting posts. To the mostly rich and idle clients, a gunshot seems the ultimate pleasure and most birds are not even killed for human consumption.

Contact

Observatoire Régional de la Migration des Oiseaux - LPO aquitaine-Organbidexka Col Libre,  

Erdoia,

64120 LUXE-SUMBERRAUTE

mailto:jeanpaulurcun.lpo@neuf.fr 

This project in Aquitaine is confinanced by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund.