Fan-tailed Godwit (photographed in Yangjiang, Guangdong).
Red-billed Blue Magpie (photographed at Peizheng Road, Dongshan Street, Guangzhou).
National first-level protected wild bird Black-faced Spoonbill (photographed in Luhu Lake, Guangzhou).
Colored snipe nest (photographed at Dajisha Island in Huangpu, Guangzhou).
Brown-bellied Great Fairy Flycatcher (photographed at Sun Yat-sen University campus).
Chen Chunqing.
Black-faced spoonbills, a national first-level protected wild bird known as the “Panda among Birds,” visited Zhuhai collectively in April. Chen Chunqing, 69, has been photographing this bird for many years. He grew up in the Pearl River Estuary in Guangzhou, and he always remembers the scene of migratory birds flying back "overwhelmingly" when he was a child. This also gave him deep memories and emotions for birds.
Nandu reporter learned that as of the end of 2021, there were 577 species of wild birds recorded in Guangdong, including 136 national key species and 107 provincial key species. Chen Chunqing has been photographing birds for more than 20 years, and has come face to face with nearly 300 species of birds, recording their stories with photos.
Recently, Chen Chunqing was interviewed by reporters from Nandu and N Video. He said that he has witnessed the decrease in poaching in recent years, and birds have returned to Guangdong. "Clear waters and green mountains are valuable assets. Now the situation is much better, with flowers, birds, insects, fish and trees, and the ecology is rich."
Initial
from The global endangered species Black-faced Spoonbill began its journey of photographing birds
Chen Chunqing’s parents were overseas Chinese who returned from Malaya (now Malaysia and Singapore) in the 1950s. After returning, they settled in Nansha, Guangzhou City The Pearl River Overseas Chinese Farm in Eryong, Wanqingsha Town, Wanqing District.
Wanqingsha Town is located at the estuary of the Pearl River . It is an important habitat for birds to overwinter and is rich in bird resources.
He still remembers when he was a child, when the north wind came around the National Day, the migratory birds came back and landed in the rice fields, "the overwhelming feeling". In summer, there are a lot of resident birds here, and traces of bird nests can be found in the nearby trees, bamboo forests, and even on the vegetable fields.
Chen Chunqing recalled to a Nandu reporter that when he was in primary school, every spring when the weather got warmer and the southerly wind blew, wild ducks and swan geese would fly north. He and his friends would rush to the playground together and watch them waiting in the sky for the group to arrive. When all the wild ducks and geese have arrived, they will circle around a few times, as if they have memorized the coordinates here, "setting up navigation and positioning" for their journey south in autumn. Then, each "family" forms a team and moves north in a herringbone or straight line. "They will spend one or two months flying all the way to the place of birth to give birth. In autumn, these birds will bring their babies with them and fly in large groups along the monsoon wind back to their wintering grounds in the south. .”
Chen Chunqing grew up in such an environment. He has deep memories and emotions about birds.
In the 1990s, he learned from newspapers that the globally endangered black-faced spoonbill appeared in Wanqingsha Town, and immediately rushed to the scene to take pictures. This also sparked his interest in bird photography and bird conservation. Chen Chunqing admitted to Nandu reporters that wild animals are a difficult subject to photograph.
According to the "China Bird Observation Manual" published in 2021, there are 1,491 species of birds recorded in the wild in China. As of the end of 2021, Guangdong has recorded 577 species of wild birds, including 136 national key species and 107 provincial key species. There are many types of birds in Guangdong. At the beginning of the shooting, Chen Chunqing set a goal for himself: "In 10 years, see if I can photograph 300 species of birds."
He takes the black-faced spoonbill as his observation and tracking target. In addition, there is also the yellow-breasted bunting, which is an extremely rare species among the " graffiti" commonly known by many Guangdong people. In 2017, the rating of this bird was announced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to be upgraded from "endangered" to "critically endangered". After the adjustment of the " List of National Key Protected Wild Animals " in February 2021, the yellow-breasted bunting became a national first-level protected wild animal.
observed
raising 5 nests painted snipe persuaded the construction workers to quit and witnessed the improvement of the environment, more birds flew back
Over the past 20 years, Chen Chunqing has photographed nearly 300 species of birds.But in a few years, he found that fewer birds could be observed: "There was a time when the water quality of the Pearl River Estuary was poor, which had a great impact on birds, especially waterbirds. Coupled with urban development and human activities, The activity area of birds has shrunk sharply, and many birds have chosen to go to other places, making it difficult for me to observe them.”
He recalled to Nandu reporters that in the past, people would poach and sell these poached birds. , "I heard that a wild duck can be sold for 100 yuan to 120 yuan."
Chen Chunqing also noticed that in the past ten years, people have gradually realized the importance of environmental protection, and the government has also paid more and more attention to bird protection. In 2018, the Guangdong Provincial Government issued the "Notice on Further Strengthening the Protection and Management of Wildlife" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notice"), requiring that from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2023, a comprehensive ban on wild animals in the province Hunt wild birds, comprehensively strengthen the protection of wild animal populations in the wild, and prohibit the hunting of wild animals under national and provincial key protection. After the hunting ban expires, the provincial government will decide whether to extend the hunting ban based on actual conditions.
Chen Chunqing witnessed with his own eyes that poaching has decreased and birds have begun to fly to Guangdong again. Coupled with the construction of various wetland parks , "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. Now the situation is much better. Flowers, birds, insects and fish trees, rich in ecology”.
In January 2021, Chen Chunqing discovered several nests of painted snipe hatching eggs in the rice fields of Dajisha Island, Huangpu District, Guangzhou City. This bird is widely distributed in areas south of the Yangtze River and generally likes to live in shallow water areas such as hills, plains, swamps, and paddy fields. Due to the reduction of marshlands and environmental changes, it was listed on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species in 2016.
On that occasion, Chen Chunqing discovered about five nests of painted snipe, and the eggs in two of the nests had hatched and started to raise chicks. However, because the rice fields needed to be cleared of ditches and other work, the tractor was ready to go into the field at that time, which made him very worried, "If the tractor goes down, the nests of these painted snipes will be gone."
He finally found the boss of the water conservancy engineering company responsible for the work and communicated with him. "I said it's only January, so it's still early for spring plowing. There are more than 1,000 acres of land here. You can go to other fields for construction first. After a month, the painted snipe cubs will hatch, and then you can start construction here. The person in charge of the project came over at that time and listened to me. I was very happy after finishing it and immediately notified the machine to leave the venue."
Chen Chunqing explained to Nandu reporters that the painted snipe chicks can leave the nest with their parents to look for food a few hours after hatching, and will not return to the nest and live far away from the place of birth.
Nandu reporters noticed that on April 7, the Supreme People's Court and Supreme People's Procuratorate also jointly issued the "Interpretation on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Laws in the Handling of Criminal Cases of Damage to Wildlife Resources" (hereinafter referred to as the "Interpretation") . The "Interpretation" no longer relies solely on quantity theory for crimes of damaging wildlife resources, but instead uses value as the basic criterion for conviction and sentencing to better reflect the requirements of , the principle of commensurate guilt and punishment in .
As for the fine standard, it is determined in accordance with the "Value Assessment Method of Wild Animals and Their Products" issued by the country in 2017. For example, the black-faced spoonbill is 15,000 yuan per bird. Because it is a first-level protected animal, the penalty will be 10 times that of 150,000 yuan per animal. thrush 1,000 yuan/animal, which is a second-level protected animal, and the penalty is 5 times that of 5,000 yuan/animal. In addition to fines, there are also prison sentences.
is popular
Many bird photography enthusiasts come to Guangdong from other places or even foreign countries to take pictures
The ecology has improved, there are more birds, and more people are watching and photographing birds.
Chen Chunqing told Nandu reporters that bird photography has become very popular in recent years. Bird photographers with "long guns and short cannons" and bird lovers with telescopes hanging on their chests can often be seen in major parks. Bird watching and photographing bird groups have become a "beautiful scenery" incidental to the ecology of various places.
Chen Chunqing has several recommended bird shooting locations. "The first is the Nansha Wetland, as well as the mountains and forests in northern Guangdong, the Pearl River Delta, eastern Guangdong, and the tidal flats on the west coast of Guangdong. From October to March every year, for five or six months, migratory birds from the north will return During the winter in Guangdong, it will always be rewarding to go out and watch birds every day during this period. "
In addition, the areas around Guangzhou and Baiyun Mountain are good choices for bird photographers.Chen Chunqing explained that Baiyun Mountain Park has dense forests and many species of birds, but because of the high mountains and many trees, it is difficult to watch and photograph birds. Many enthusiasts will choose parks around Baiyun Mountain, such as Yuexiu Mountain, Sculpture Park, Green Bamboo Garden, Luhu Lake, etc. In the streams of Huolu Mountain in the eastern suburbs of Guangzhou, bird species are also extremely abundant and active.
Guangzhou Haizhu National Wetland Park is also a place where Chen Chunqing often goes to take pictures of birds. "Because the lake in the wetland will have high and low tides, it is very convenient for water birds to forage here, attracting a large number of birds to stay. There is a small island in the park, which is the hatchery of heron, night heron, little egret "
In March 2022, Chen Chunqing made a rough count. There were about 63 nests of herons and hundreds of night herons on this small island. There are also birds such as egrets and swan geese here, attracting a large number of citizens and bird watching enthusiasts every year.
"When it comes to egrets , Guangzhou's Liuhua Lake Park is also a good place to take pictures." Chen Chunqing told Nandu reporters that there is a decades-old egret island in Liuhua Lake Park. There is a tree on the egret island. Huge banyan . "There are at least three to five thousand herons there," Chen Chunqing said. These herons fly to the west to feed in the morning and return in the evening. The sunset is red, the birds are returning to their nests, and the scene is picturesque. You can take pictures of landscapes at any time.
In recent years, many bird photography enthusiasts have come to Guangdong from other places or even foreign countries to take photos.
Chen Chunqing told Nandu reporters that a Beijing bird-watching enthusiast he knew had made a special trip to take photos of the Red-eared Bulbul. This beautiful bird with red ears, red buttocks and a crest on its head is a common bird species in Guangdong, but not found in Beijing. There are also groups of Chinese from the United States and Canada who came back to take pictures of egrets and black-faced spoonbills in Shenzhen Bay.
He also gave an example that on January 1, 2020, a spotted-breasted frog appeared on Dajisha Island in Guangzhou, which immediately attracted "bird lovers" from Shanghai, Hubei, Guangdong, and even Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to watch it.
Years of bird watching experience have also made Chen Chunqing attach great importance to bird protection. He hopes that parks in Guangdong can leave a space for birds to not be disturbed, "just like the Heron Island in Liuhua Lake and Haizhu Lake, leaving a small and suitable place for them to breed and live." . When planting flowers, plants and trees, the living needs of birds can also be considered."
Chen Chunqing said that the Pearl River Delta and the coast of Guangdong are important habitats for birds to overwinter. He suggested setting up warning lines in places where key protected animals appear, and prohibiting fishing, driving into the sea, and the entry of people within a certain period of time (such as the wintering period) to avoid disturbing the birds.
● Recommended bird shooting spots
First of all, there are the Nansha Wetland, as well as the mountains and forests in northern Guangdong, the Pearl River Delta, eastern Guangdong, and the tidal flats on the west coast of Guangdong. From October to March every year, for five or six months, migratory birds from the north will return to Guangdong to spend the winter. During this period, going out to watch and photograph birds in the wild every day will always be rewarding.
● Talking about bird protection
It is recommended to set up warning lines in places where key protected animals appear, and ban fishing, driving to sea, and people from entering within a certain period of time (such as the wintering period) to avoid disturbing the birds.
Produced by: Nandu Instant
Written by: Nandu Reporter Yang Tianzhi
Photographed by: Chen Chunqing
