Save Silence 04 "Don't let the noisy road drive away the songs of migratory birds!" Listen to the vitality of Yong'an eggplant wetlands

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/ Lin Kunhai (Director General of the Kaohsiung Bird Society) Photography / Tu Jianfeng

Compared with winter, the wetlands in midsummer are slightly empty, and most migratory birds return northward as early as March to April, ready to breed their offspring in the north. at this time, Taiwan's wetlands have entered the season of five poor and scattered birds among the bird population. Even so, the coastal wetlands are still full of vitality. Resident birds from all over the country also strive to survive and reproduce the next generation: small ring-necked plover, stilt plover, red-crowned water chicken, small mackerel, brown-headed wren warbler, gray-headed wren warbler and other birds are frequent visitors in the wetlands, singing in the wetlands as usual. defend the field, call the young birds, drive away the enemy, although not as spectacular as hundreds of migratory birds, the wetland is still full of vitality!

With the sound of a kingfisher, the water-blue figure rowed across the water, as if leaving a natural exclamation point! In addition to watching birds in the wild with their eyes, they are more likely to use "listening"!

Forest birds often hide among the thick leaves and branches, so it is not easy to see clearly; on the other hand, the call of birds is a better identification tool. Birds living in the woods convey messages through their calls, whether it is the sound of courtship, vigilance, defense, or the call of young birds, which can always spread clearly and far through the dense forest. In bird surveys or bird watching competitions, bird sounds can be an official record, or even the main basis for bird surveys!

Photo courtesy of / the importance of wetlands provided by the eggplant Ecological Culture Association

It rained for a long time in Kaohsiung in July and August. 719 received more than 100 millimeters of rain in just 12 hours, causing serious stagnant water in many places, causing inconvenience to transportation and loss of people's property. such disasters also show that high-intensity rainfall has become the norm in extreme weather. In addition to the need to strengthen drainage, improving the resilience and coping ability to endure flooding is also an important consideration. At this time, the preservation of water seepage area of wetlands, river water areas and urban green space is more critical and important!

The Kaohsiung municipal government is proud of the wetland corridor policy, which covers 21 wetlands, including the state-level Chau Tsai wetland, the large Yonan Yantian wetland, and artificial flood detention ponds hidden in dense residential areas. From natural to artificial, large areas to small detention ponds, for people and wild animals, wetlands are not only a place to live, but also the best place to avoid danger, flood damage, stay away from traffic and get close to nature.

Photography / Tu Jianfeng from Yantian to Wetland

Less than a 50-minute drive from downtown Kaohsiung to the Yong'an Wetland, the landscape has changed from densely populated high-rise buildings to endless fish fish scenes. Yong'an District is a professional fish culture area. The main farmed fish are grouper and milkfish. Grouper culture covers an area of more than 300 hectares, with an annual output of more than 8,000 metric tons. Its quality and quantity are second to none in Taiwan, and it is known as the hometown of grouper. This is also the only remaining Yantian relic in Kaohsiung-Kaohsiung Wushu Salt Farm. Wushu Salt Co., Ltd., a magnificent historical building imitating baroque style, stands in the center of the salt field, guarding the 100-year history of the salt field.

The Yong'an wetland, formerly known as the "Wushu Salt Farm", is part of the salt fields in Kaohsiung, and to the north is the "Zhuhu Salt Field" across from Xingda Port. It has been covered with sand because of the construction of Xingda ocean-going fishing port, which is no longer what it used to be! The former "Zhuhu Yantian" is now called "eggplant Wetland", and it is also one of the itineraries that we are about to visit.

In 1973, the Taiwan Power Company bought Yong'an Yantian as a place for ash storage at the bottom of the power plant, but it was unable to use it for a long time when residents protested, so it has been idle to this day, so it has become a place for many migratory birds to migrate from the south to the north and spend the winter. It has been designated as an important wild bird habitat by Birdlife International (IBA TW 041). In 1996, it was recommended and assessed as a local-level national important wetland. On February 2, 1995, the Wet Law was implemented, and in 107, it was announced as a local-level national important wetland, with an area reduced from 130 hectares to 41.25 hectares. The Yantan in the north is used as the plant area for the renewal of gas units in Xingda Power Plant.

The water level of the Yong'an wetland in summer is slightly higher, and the winter migratory birds have long since disappeared, and small and large wading birds such as small egrets and stilt plovers can be seen on the surface of the water. The small mackerel is one of the few local resident birds that can dive and catch fish. Its fishing method is different from the way the kingfisher dives into the water. Its feet are at the back of the body, webbed, and are good at diving, so it is not good for walking on the ground. So stay with water almost all your life! Benefit from the rising water level of wetlands in recent years! On the contrary, the numbers of other waterbirds with short legs, such as Oriental ring-necked plover, small ring-necked plover, red-breasted shorebird, and so on, have also decreased significantly. In addition to the increase in rainfall days and rainfall, artificial control is also one of the reasons.