"The river is long, the grass is yellow in autumn, the sound of the piano is sad on the grassland, and the wild geese are heading south, flying over the reed swamps." Every time I hear the song "Swan Geese" by Jiangyang Zhuoma, I will be filled with emotion in my heart. Aroused by my longing for my hometown and a touch of sadness, it has become a small wish of mine to see the beautiful face of "Swan Goose".
However, swan geese are mainly distributed in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, southern Siberia and Central Asia in China; they winter in the Korean Peninsula and Japan. They inhabit lakes, ponds, rivers, swamps and their surrounding areas on open plains and plain grasslands, especially in places with dense aquatic plants near lakes on the plains. Sometimes they also appear in mountainous plains and river valleys. In winter, they mostly inhabit large lakes, reservoirs, seashores, estuaries and bays, as well as nearby grasslands and farmland, and have extremely high requirements for water quality and ecological environment.
Although there are records of her appearance in Liaoning, the number is very small and the specific location is unknown. It is very difficult to see her. It seems that you can see Hongyan in a big city like the provincial capital Shenyang. daydream.
Before the Spring Festival, I saw friends in Shenyang sharing their photos of wild geese in WeChat Moments. I realized at first glance, isn’t this the wild goose I’ve been dreaming about? After detailed understanding of the shooting location, it was on the bank of the Hun River near Bird Island in the eastern suburbs of Shenyang. This did give me a little surprise.
After reconfirming with friends, the place to see wild geese is not inside Bird Island, but a section of the river about 100 meters below the rubber dam on the west side. So, I turned into Binshui Road along Donggao Road and kept driving. I saw more and more cars parked on the roadside. When I opened the car door, I could hear the cry of wild geese. Standing on the roadside, I could see the water in the river. Various birds and birders.
Walking slowly from the embankment to the river, the birds are getting closer and closer. My heart is also a little excited, because I see a series of warm and touching pictures. This is my first time in the river. I saw birds so close in the provincial capital Shenyang. Usually they are thousands of miles away, but now they are close at hand.
From a distance, I saw many birdwatchers on the shore feeding various birds in the water. These birds were not polite, they were very close, and the bold ones even dared to touch people's hands. Going to get food is a picture that only comes from being close to and trusting humans for a long time.
Many parents came with their children. The children who saw these big birds for the first time were extremely excited and wanted to go to the water to play with the birds. This was frightening. adults.
I like this scene very much. Mom and dad take the children to watch the birds. The whole family is happy and warm. Allowing children to get in touch with nature, understand nature, and care for nature from an early age is a valuable education method.
This is a touching place, and the birds that have been far away have returned. This is a manifestation of Shenyang people's efforts to build a harmonious society. The environment is better, the sky is blue and the water is clear, people's awareness of environmental protection has increased, people are kind, and only then can we have a picture of peace and prosperity.
In recent years, the management of the Hun River has achieved remarkable results. Various birds can be seen in many sections of the river. Red shelducks and mallards are common, but larger ones like this This is the first time I see a bird. Because the distance was very close, I took out my mobile phone to take a picture for identification, and the word "Hongyan" suddenly flashed up, which made me a little excited.
After searching for him for thousands of times, the wild goose appeared in front of me. Large waterfowl of the order Aves, family Anatidae, and genus Ans. The body length is about 90 cm and the weight is 2.8-5 kg. The mouth is black, the body color is light grayish brown, the head to the back of the neck is dark brown, and the front neck is almost white. From a distance, the top of the head and the back of the neck look black, and the front of the neck is almost white. The black and white colors are clear and the contrast is strong.
Male and female swan geese are similar. However, the female bird is slightly smaller, has shorter wings, and the wart-like protrusion at the base of the bill is not obvious. The adult bird is dark brown from the forehead base, the top of the head to the center of the back neck. There is a brown-white fine line between the forehead base and the beak, which clearly separates the beak and forehead. The side of the head, chin and throat are light brown, and there are two brown jaw lines at the base of the mouth cleft. The coverts and third-level flight feathers on the back, shoulders, waist and wings are dark gray-brown, with lighter or white feather edges, forming obvious white markings or horizontal stripes.
The upper tail coverts are dark gray-brown, but the longest upper tail coverts are pure white, and the tail feathers are gray-brown. The front neck and sides of the neck are white, the lower part of the front neck and chest are cinnamon color, gradually becoming lighter towards the back, and the lower abdomen is completely white. The undertail coverts are also white, the flanks are dark brown with brown-white feather tips; the underwing coverts and axillary feathers are dark gray. The mouth is black, the iris is reddish brown or golden yellow, and the tarsometatarsus is orange yellow or flesh red.
The male bird has a wart-like protrusion at the base of its upper bill. The body of the young bird is covered with downy feathers, the upper body is yellowish gray brown, the lower body is light yellow, the forehead and cheeks are light yellow, the eye area and first eye are grayish brown, and there is no white stripe at the base of the forehead. The mouth is black, the tip of the mouth is light yellow, and the iris is light yellow.
Hongyan is listed as a second-level protected bird in my country's "List of Key Nationally Protected Wild Animals in China". It begins to migrate from its breeding grounds to its wintering grounds in large numbers from late September to the end of October every year. Migration often occurs in large groups of dozens, hundreds, or even thousands. Currently, there are about a hundred swan geese in the waters of Bird Island.
I don’t know when Hongyan came to settle in Shenyang, but I can basically determine when he will leave, which will be next month.
The swan geese are good swimmers, have strong flying ability, are highly vigilant, and move extremely cautiously. When resting, there are often a few 'whistlebirds' standing in a higher place and watching. If anyone approaches, they will Then it screamed loudly and flew away immediately, and other birds also took off immediately. When flying, the neck is stretched forward and the feet are placed under the abdomen, one after another, arranged very neatly, forming a "one" or "human" shape, moving forward slowly and slowly. It screams while flying, and the sound is loud, clear, and single, but it lasts longer, like a 'um-um-' sound, and can be heard miles away.
Swan geese feed on the leaves and buds of various herbaceous plants, including terrestrial and aquatic plants, reeds, algae and other plant foods. I saw some selling cabbage leaves and corn kernels at the scene. If I had known, I would have brought a piece of cabbage here.
Swan geese usually fly to their feeding grounds in groups as soon as it gets dark, and return to lakes or rivers to rest and swim in the early morning. Sometimes they also rest on the grass or beach on the shore.
In ancient poetry, swan geese are generally used as metaphors for messengers who deliver letters between lovers. It first appeared in the Book of Songs, and later generations often used swan geese as a metaphor for letters. This is the meaning of "Swan geese fly long and fly, but fishes and dragons dive and leap into the water." Due to the impact of the epidemic, many people cannot go home for the New Year this year. Hongyan settled in Shenyang to deliver the best news to people who are homesick.
Go outdoors, return to nature, relax your body and mind, embrace the spring with the rare swans, and send all your beautiful expectations to your relatives far away. Shenyang is so nice!
Tips Attached: Driving route map to see the swan geese on Bird Island by car
Bus: No. 148; No. 168; No. 218; No. 385; No. V128; Sightseeing Line; Lei Feng No. Shenfu Intercity Passenger Transport Line 1 [via Gaowan direction]; Lei Feng Shen-Fu Intercity Passenger Transport Line 3 [via Gaowan direction] get off at Dongling Station and walk 500 meters south along Binshui Road to arrive.
Popular science: Day geese belong to the class Aves, family Anatidae, and are the general name for various birds in the subfamily Ans. Common ones in China include swan geese, gray geese, bean geese, white-fronted geese, etc. A flock of geese is composed of 6 geese, or multiples of 6 geese. A flock of geese is an aggregation of some families, or some groups.
Meeting is also beautiful, but the dust is already falling