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Groups are accommodated in relaxed house-party style at our 18th century farmhouse in the Pyrenees and will be led by an expert local guide with inside knowledge. Our itineraries are flexible, adapted to local conditions and group interests.
Navarre is the ONLY region in Europe lying at the confluence of three bio-climatic regions. Within the same day birdwatchers can experience Atlantic, Mediterranean and Alpine influenced habitats; starkly different landscapes with an unparalleled diversity of bird life. Should this not be enough, Navarre’s position at the western extreme of the Pyrenees, where the mountains end abruptly at the shores of the Atlantic, means that it also lies strategically on the Atlantic migratory route.
The Pyrenees dominate the north of Navarre and here among the limestone cliff tops we find the most northern vulture colony of the Iberian peninsular and discover Egyptian and Griffon vultures and Lammergeyers. Golden and Booted Eagles, Red and Black Kites and Peregrine Falcons, Harriers and Falcons can also be found in the area.
In the lower, heavily-wooded slopes of the Natural Park of Bertiz warm summers, temperate winters and high rainfall have given rise to thick, vibrant vegetation and has proven to be the perfect habitat for many species of woodpeckers and warblers. To the east of Navarre the Irati forest (the second largest beech and fir forest in Europe) has the largest reserve of White-backed Woodpeckers in the world. The smallest bird in Europe, the Common Goldcrest, can also be found here. Other species found in the woods and forests of Navarre are the Black, Iberian Green and Lesser-Spotted Woodpeckers, March and Crested Tits and many others.
For a final, dramatic change we drive south to the National Park of the Bardenas; a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve where immense and surreal rock formations have been sculpted by millions of years of erosion. Here we find wetland birds and steppe birds Here there are many varieties of lark such as the Dupont’s, Calandra, Crested, Theckla, Short-toed and Lesser Short-toed Lark. The Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, the Spectacled Warbler can also be observed.
Among the 330 species of birds recorded in Navarre, birdwatchers also find Eagle and Eurasian Scops Owls, Kingfishers, European bee-eaters and the Great Spotted Cuckoo.
This immense range of habitats, climates, scenery and birdlife can all be found within a 2 hours radius of our home in the Baztan valley.
For more information and a comprehensive list of birds to be found in the area please contact Georgina Howard at www.pyreneanexperience.com |
