Beijing News (reporter Wang Jixin) during the white dew season, the weather turns cool, the temperature difference between day and night is obvious, and this is also the season when migratory birds are active. According to reports, most of the migratory birds come from the north, stop in Beijing, inhabit wetlands, reservoirs, mountains and forests and other livable places, where they will rest for a period of time, replenish energy, and then continue to fly south. The migration continues until October.
Big Sandpiper. Photo by Wei Minle
Birds migrate south to stop in Beijing
According to Fang Chun, a staff member of Beijing Wild Duck Lake National Wetland Park, the migratory birds currently seen at the Beijing Bird Observation Point include the héng yù, raptors, and some songbirds. Birds of prey include sparrowhawks, short-toed eagles, swallow falcons, Amur falcons, as well as ospreys and black-eared kites that are good at preying on big fish.
Black-winged kite. Photo by Zhou Yunbiao
Songbirds that have already arrived in Beijing include the black-throated stone beetle (jì), the red-throated grebe, the black-throated eagle, the northern greybird, etc., which will forage in the well-fed wetlands and prepare to continue their migration south.
The information provided by Shi Yang, a staff member of the Beijing Wildlife Rescue Center, to the Beijing News reporter is: "According to the bird watching records in the Beijing area for nearly half a month, the gulls such as the remaining gulls and red-billed gulls, the sandpipers such as the red-necked sandpiper and the blue-footed sandpiper, and the forest birds such as the red-throated sandpiper and the yellow-browed willow warbler have all arrived in Beijing one after another." ”
Bird watchers encounter the Eastern White Stork
Bird watcher Zhou Yunbiao told the Beijing News, "At about 7 a.m. on August 30 this year, two oriental white storks flew near the Guanting Reservoir. According to reports, this kind of large wader used to be more common in the Daqing area of Heilongjiang, and they usually chose swamps, wetlands, and ponds to wad through the water for food, mainly small fish, frogs, insects and so on. Zhou Yunbiao said that this is the first time he has seen the Oriental White Stork in Beijing.
Oriental White Stork, photographed in Yanqing on August 30 this year. Zhou Yunbiao
absorb
In addition, it has been observed that there are three other dark gray wagtails (jú) that have recently arrived in Beijing. The Dark Grey Wagtail is a medium-sized finch that chooses to inhabit the mountains and forests, feeding mainly on a variety of small insects. The Dark Grey Wagtail is also a bird that is rarely seen in Beijing.
The dark gray wagtail is rare in Beijing. Photo by Xiao Huaimin
At this time, the young birds of water birds such as wild ducks, small ducks, and cresteds bred in Yanqing Wild Duck Lake have left the hidden area and followed the female birds to the larger lake area. They will be gathered in groups of families, more than 10 as few as 10, and as many as 50, and they will "group" to migrate south.
Zhou Yunbiao has been paying attention to the status of migratory birds in Beijing for many years, he said that migratory birds look at Beijing's wetlands, reservoirs, and mountain forests, mainly because of the abundant food sources and suitable environment, which is a particularly important energy station and rest area when they move south, especially in recent years, with the enhancement of environmental protection efforts in Beijing and the increase of animal protection measures, migratory birds in Beijing have risen sharply in both number and species, and many migratory birds that have disappeared for a long time have begun to fly again over Beijing.
Beijing News reporter Wang Jixin edited by Tang Zheng
Proofread by He Yan