As the sun sets over Haipo Village in Lingmen Town, Dianbai District, Maoming, Guangdong Province, flocks of egrets glide in from all directions before settling into a dense grove beside the village.

What may appear to be a nature reserve is actually local resident Yang Liuxing's backyard. The village's coastal mudflats offer abundant fish and shellfish, while the trees Yang has planted provide a sheltered habitat where the birds can roost and nest.

Over the past five years, the site has gradually transformed into an egret haven, with the population soaring from a few hundred to around 10,000 today. Each day, the birds fly out at dawn to forage in nearby mudflats, aquaculture ponds, returning to the grove at dust.

As local ecological conditions improve, both the number and variety of egrets continue to rise, making Haipo Village an increasingly important habitat for the birds.

Author | Huang Xinying

Photo | Maoming Daily