On January 15, the 2021 Hainan Wintering Waterbird Survey, led by the Hainan Bird Watching Association and the Haikou Haolan Wetland Research Institute, was held in the Xiatang Wetland Protection Community in Haikou. Since the first survey of wintering waterbirds in Hainan was held in December 2003, in the past 17 years, the large-scale survey of wintering waterbirds in Hainan has been uninterrupted, and a variety of rare wintering waterbirds have been discovered.
On the morning of January 16, investigators found ordinary buzzard chickens near Dagentang in Changjiang Li Autonomous County, the first time in 17 years since the investigation of wintering waterbirds in Hainan that this habit of concealment has been discovered.
On January 16, investigators conducted a survey of wintering waterbirds on the beach in Huiwen Town. Photo by reporter Li Hao
In the past 17 years, the Survey of Wintering Waterbirds in Hainan has cultivated a group of bird enthusiasts, from the original single composition of professionals to the current "professionals + public enthusiasts" model; the survey team has also developed from the initial 3 groups to 8 groups. It not only finds out the "home base" of hainan wintering waterbirds, but also becomes the longest lasting and most influential bird survey activity in Hainan.
"The survey, which once lasted about a week, now takes only 3 days and more and more wintering waterbirds are being found." Lu Gang, director of the Haikou Haolan Wetland Research Institute, introduced that the survey activities of waterbirds in Hainan will provide monitoring data for the living environment of waterbirds in Hainan and play a role in public science popularization, "I hope that in the future, a monitoring network combining 'professional + public' can be formed to normalize the dynamics of migratory birds, especially water birds." ”
Rare migratory birds emerge endlessly
Investigation campaign first discovers "water chicken"
On the afternoon of January 15, investigators conducted investigations in and around the Dongzhaigang National Nature Reserve in Hainan. More than 50 people, including city and county conservation areas, forestry department staff, and bird lovers, launched the 2021 Hainan Wintering Waterbird Survey. Among them, more than 30 bird lovers participated in the survey.
In the afternoon, more than 50 investigators were divided into 6 groups. Carrying cameras and cloaked in camouflage, everyone stood quietly among the mangroves. Just one afternoon and the harvest was a pleasant surprise.
"Four wintering black-faced spoonbills were found in Dongzhai Harbor, the most observed in more than a decade." Lu Gang, director of the Haikou Haolan Wetland Research Institute, introduced that the black-faced spoonbill is one of the world's endangered species, the number of only more than 4,000 in the world, like coastal brackish water wetlands, in recent years in Dongzhai Port has rarely been found, "in the past year, up to one or two were found, and 4 were found on the afternoon of the 15th, indicating that the regional environment of Dongzhai Port is becoming more and more suitable for the survival of wintering water birds such as black-faced spoonbills." ”
Black-faced spoonbills monitored in Danzhou Bay. Photo by Chen Zhengping
Hainan Island is located on the East Asian-Australian migratory bird migration route, and the black-faced spoonbill is the flagship species on this route. At the same time, the investigators also found more than 20 anti-mouthed sandpipers in the Dongzhai Port area, and everyone had never found so many anti-mouthed sandpipers in Dongzhai Port before.
Lu Gang believes that it is precisely because of the increasingly good ecological environment of Hainan Island that wintering water birds such as black-faced spoonbills and anti-billed sandpipers are increasingly choosing to settle here.
After the end of the day's investigation, more than 50 investigators were divided into 8 groups and rushed to Wenchang, Sanya, Changjiang, Danzhou and other cities and counties, planning to complete the survey of wintering waterbirds in the cities and counties of Hainan Island on January 17.
On January 16, new discoveries were made. Guo Nengwei, an investigator from Baomeiling Provincial Nature Reserve in Hainan, found ordinary buzzards in the Changjiang Dagentang Wetland Conservation Area. This is a kind of wintering waterbird with hidden habits and likes to act alone, commonly known as "water chicken", which moves fast and runs when it sees people, bringing certain difficulties to monitoring.
Ordinary buzzards appear less in Hainan and prefer freshwater swamp areas, and Dagentang has just such conditions. But before that, no one was sure if there were ordinary buzzards in the pond.
Early that morning, Guo Nengwei and the investigators squatted in the Dagen Pond to carry out a water bird investigation. Unexpectedly, a figure appeared in front of them, everyone held their breath, and finally found that it was an ordinary buzzard. This is also the first time in the 17 years since the survey of wintering waterbirds in Hainan that ordinary buzzards have been found.
They once disappeared
Now it's back
Wetlands are one of the three major ecosystems of the earth, and water birds are one of the important species of wetland ecosystems. The total area of wetlands on Hainan Island is 320,000 hectares, and the wetlands provide an irreplaceable role in the water quality, water system and climate of Hainan Island, and the excellent ecological environment is one of the important characteristics of Hainan Free Trade Port that distinguishes it from other free trade ports in the world. To some extent, protecting water birds is precisely to protect the ecological environment on which Hainan depends for its survival.
On the morning of January 16, Cai Ting, a member of the investigation team from the Haikou Haoyu Wetland Research Institute, arrived at Xinying Bay in Danzhou City to begin a two-day wintering waterbird survey here.
Prior to this, Cai Ting had come to Xinying Bay many times and initially mastered the species of wintering waterbirds living in this bay area. "The black-faced spoonbill was spotted here last November, the spoon-billed sandpiper was spotted in December, and it is hoped that more wintering waterbirds will be spotted these two days." Cai Ting introduced that this batch of black-faced spoonbills migrated from the northeast region of China, and the spoon-billed sandpipers came from Siberia, "The spoon-billed sandpipers that are farther away also come a month later than the black-faced spoonbills." ”
Spoon-billed sandpiper foraging in Danzhou Bay. Photo by Chen Zhengping
In the eyes of the investigators, whether it comes early or late, "it is good to come." Just like the ribbed duck, small blue-footed sandpiper, black-billed gull and other wintering water birds that once disappeared in Hainan, they finally "arrived late".
In 2013, 10 years after the Hainan Wintering Waterbird Survey, the survey team members wrote a summary report listing a series of wintering waterbirds that once appeared in Hainan but disappeared at that time.
"Referring to previous literature records, you will find that some water birds have been found in Hainan in recent years. They are: ribbed ducks, small blue-footed sandpipers, black-billed gulls..." The summary report reads: "In well-protected areas, the number and species of waterbirds will grow, such as Dongzhai Port, Xinying and Huaguo Mountain Villa. It can be seen that as long as we reduce the disturbance of birds and changes to the habitat, birds can coexist in harmony with humans. ”
Seeing this report again now, Lu Gang is very emotional. In recent years, with the continuous efforts of governments at all levels and the masses in Hainan for ecological protection, the habitat of wintering waterbirds has been significantly improved and expanded, and those wintering waterbirds that once left have finally returned.
"According to recent observations, wintering water birds such as ribbed ducks, small blue-footed sandpipers, and black-billed gulls have reappeared in Hainan." Lu Gang believes that this is also the significance of ecological protection activities such as the survey of wintering waterbirds in Hainan, "through ecological protection activities, convey the awareness of ecological protection to the public, unite the strength of all people, and protect this green water and green mountain." ”
Unite the strength of the multitude
In the future, it is hoped to establish a normal monitoring network
The 2021 Hainan Wintering Waterbird Survey was held for three days from January 15 to 17, and a simultaneous survey was conducted at 50 waterbird habitats along the coast of Hainan Island.
Compared with 17 years ago, Lu Gang admitted that "too much has changed." "At the beginning, the investigation team members were all composed of professionals, and they could only be divided into 3 groups at most, and it took more than a week to carry out the investigation throughout the whole island of Hainan." In contrast, the survey power and observation objects are limited.
After 10 years of conducting the survey of wintering waterbirds in Hainan, a total of 82 species of waterbirds have been recorded, of which the largest numbers are egrets, ring-necked plovers, blue-footed sandpipers and chestnut ducks.
Little blue-footed sandpiper.
With the continuous development of the Hainan wintering waterbird survey activities, more and more bird lovers have joined in, and more than 30 bird lovers will be among the more than 50 survey team members of the Hainan wintering waterbird survey activities in 2021.
Wang Haoyu, a 27-year-old bird lover who works at the OCT Nature School of Haikou OCT Cultural Tourism Development Company, gradually learned about birds in the process of preparing lessons and became a lover who likes bird watching and bird protection.
"When you see birds, you want to know the story behind them. The image of the bird is also one of the iconic images of traditional Chinese culture. On January 16, Wang Haoyu found a grass heron standing on the tip of a pine tree in Haiwei Wetland Park, Changjiang Li Autonomous County, which resembled a crane and looked at it from a distance, like a "pine crane map.""
Wang Haoyu cultivates his sentiments in the process of bird watching, and the bird watching behavior itself is also contributing to the protection of birds in Hainan.
The 17-year-long survey of wintering waterbirds in Hainan has attracted and cultivated a large number of bird lovers for Hainan, and has become the longest lasting and most influential bird survey activity in Hainan.
"Nowadays, many bird lovers have joined in, and the investigation team can be divided into 8 groups, and the whole island can carry out simultaneous investigations, and the investigation strength and the scope of the survey subjects have been greatly improved." According to Lu Gang, according to current observations, there are about 130 species of water birds in Hainan, most of which are migratory birds, "more public participation will help protect Hainan wintering waterbirds and improve the frequency of wintering waterbird surveys." ”
On January 17, the 2021 Hainan Wintering Waterbird Survey will be successfully concluded. For the future, Lu Gang hopes to form a "professional + public" combination of monitoring network, in each habitat there are personnel for normal monitoring, in a comprehensive and rapid way, to grasp the dynamics of wintering waterbirds, "the future may no longer rely only on the annual wintering waterbird survey, but every month, week may be able to grasp the situation of wintering waterbirds, so that monitoring and protection become the norm." ”
New Hainan client, Nanhai Net, Nanguo Metropolis Daily reporter He Lifan
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