Egrets dance over mudflats in Maoming's Dianbai

Flocks of migratory birds dance gracefully.

After the start of winter, the chilly wind has been blowing in northern China, while Maoming's Dianbai district on the shore of the South China Sea remains warm. As a key stop on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway migration route, its mudflats, mangroves, and wetlands host a large number of migratory birds that spend winter there. Egrets skim over the water, and flocks of birds fly over the waves, creating a vivid ecological picture.

The scene of fishing boats, birds, and ocean spray is as beautiful as a painting.

The first light of dawn, egrets standing serenely on the mangrove walkway in Shuidong Bay.

"So far, more than 20 species of migratory birds, including egrets, bulbuls, and plovers, have arrived," says a staff member from the Maoming Bird Watching Ecological Development Center. Monitoring results show that compared with previous years, both the species and number of migratory birds have increased this year. It is expected that the peak of migration will arrive between late December and next January, when more migratory birds will inhabit the area for the winter.

A migratory bird holds its prized catch.