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Wieś Jaksmanice
The Skarpa Jaksmanicka reserve lies in the commune of Medyka, on the land of the villages of Jaksmanice and Siedliska, right by Poland's eastern border. It protects a steep loess slope — ground soft enough for birds to dig deep nesting burrows in it, yet compact enough for the tunnels not to collapse. The area is small, but of exceptional natural value.
This was the first site in Poland established to protect a breeding colony of the European bee-eater, a colourful bird listed in the Polish Red Book of Animals. Around forty species are recorded here during the breeding season, among them the red-backed shrike, the wryneck and the barred warbler. Birds are best watched from a distance, through binoculars, without descending below the escarpment.
Despite its small size the site is varied: patches of fresh meadow with rich flora survive next to the escarpment. It is most interesting from May to July, when the bee-eater colony is busy; outside the breeding season the reserve looks like an ordinary roadside slope.
