The Laminoria project, which the company Aixeindar, S.A. wants to implement eight windmills, is located in an ecological corridor area. It is a transitional area between the Alavesa Mountain and the Llanada, and an "air corridor" used by birds. This is evident from the report submitted by the Provincial Council of Álava on 14 June to the Basque Government, which was published yesterday by ARGIA.

This area is the densest of the CAPV necrophagous species, that is, the highest concentrations of necrophages are given here. These include the Quebrantabones (Gypaetus barbatus, named "endangered"), the Alimoche (Neophron percnopterus, named "vulnerable") and the Leonado vulture (Gyps fulvus, named "of special interest"). The report that the Provincial Council of Álava sent to the Basque Government reads as follows: "All of them fly frequently in the project area ["Laminoria"] and specifically in the area of influence of the wind farm".

The report points out that the presence of these birds of prey and necrophagy, which are common in this area, has been tested by several studies and that telematic radio monitoring of so-called "endangered" birds has also been carried out: Bonelli to the eagle and the brittle bones.

The company Aixeindar, S.A., has declared as a protection zone for the feeding of necrophages the area where the wind plant Laminoria is to be installed, the Management Plan of Birds Necrophages of Interest for the CAPV. The report of the Provincial Council of Álava makes a rigorous assessment of the wind power plant Laminoria: "The implementation of the wind farm at this site has a critical and unacceptable impact on protected necrophagic species." The installation of a wind farm would, in the opinion of the authors of this report, lead to the non-compliance with several points of the Management Plan for Necrophagous Birds.

Analamendi, feeding point protected from necrophages

Analamendi is located near the location where they want to install the wind mills of Laminoria: this public mountain is adapted to feed the necrophagous birds and properly manage the livestock residues. The company Aixeindar, S.A., in its environmental impact report proposes the elimination of this feeding point of necrophages in order to reduce the presence of birds.

The report of the Council of Álava states that the company’s reading is incorrect: "That is not acceptable. This solution is based on an indeterminate premise, considering that the density of birds and scavengers move and use the zone of influence of the wind farm due to the presence of the food". However, the report points the other way, that is, in 2006 it was decided to locate the feeding point in the same place, after investigating the behaviour and use of necrophages and other bird species. The key to these trends in birds is, according to the report, that it is a transitional area between the Alavesa Mountain and the Llanada. The Analamendi Interpretation Centre is located in an ideal location, due to its mountainous nature, by its tupid forests and rocks, where necrophages nest in rocks. The GPS tracking of mammals and vultures has made it possible to verify "the existence of an air corridor, probably the most used by these species and others that plan the route between Álava and Navarra".

Between October 2018 and April 2019, the Environmental Department of the Basque Government conducted a study at the Food Center of Analamendi to identify and quantify the number of species and people who came to eat there. In this 124 day study, eight species were chamber certified: rum, crow, mica, leonado vulture, red milano, white vulture, black vulture and black milano. For Karrantza and Valderejo food, the highest diversity of species was detected by Analamendi. For data on the presence of more than 40,000 people in 7 months.

The only Bonelli eagles in the Basque Country have their nest there.

Bonelli is a large eagle, and drops have been seen in the CAV in recent decades. For this reason, in 1997 he was declared "endangered" and has a "priority interest" in Europe, according to the agency. In addition, a specially protected Management Plan was drawn up in Álava and the European Union has financed LIFE projects for three consecutive years.

The Bonelli eagles of the whole CAPV currently have their only nests in the Alavese mountains, and this recovery has been achieved through the aforementioned LIFE projects, brought from outside by the polar eagles and raised in the mountains of Álava. It has been possible to locate the Bonelli eagle, and today is the day that, after 50 years, nests in the mountains of Álava. This nest is located seven kilometers from the point where the wind power plant Laminoria is intended to be installed, according to the report of the Diputación de Álava.

All these chickens have been fitted with a ring that sends the GPS signal remotely and tracks these birds. And you've seen that they often head from their nest to the north, to Mt. Iturrieta, and where they want to install the Laminoria wind power plant. The above picture appears in the report of the Provincial Council of Álava and shows the same thing.

The report of the Provincial Council of Álava concludes that: "The implementation of a wind farm in the Indiagana area would have its effects and these are not compatible with the actions being carried out for the reintroduction of this species declared 'endangered' in the CAPV".

The Arabako Mendia Aske Association has produced an opinion article on the Eagle of Bonelli: Long life to the eagle of Entzia Bonelli.

The infrastructure of Aixeindarren Analamendi is already affecting birds

The company Aixeindar has installed a weather tower of 82.5 meters of wind in Analamendi since 2023. To ensure the stability and safety of the tower, the company docked on the ground with several steel cables.

The Arabako Mendia Aske association has denounced the risk of bird collision with the tower and cables: The Diputación Foral de Álava requested the company as a measure of protection the installation of anti-terrorists in the cables or straps of the tower and, one year after the tower placement, most of the anti-collision devices and bare cables have already been downloaded or released.

In this news, we received more information about the weather tower.