Early bird catches the pochard
Spotting elusive creatures becomes a passionate hobby for watcher who fittingly works in Optics Valley, Xu Lin and Zhou Lihua report.
Growing up in a rural area until the age of 6, Deng had the privilege of exploring the fields and mountains with his grandfather.
Their adventures exposed him to the enchanting sight of birds and insects, sparking an enduring love for nature within him.
Upon entering university in 2015, he was attracted to an activity organized by the bird-watching association on campus.
After graduation, when he started work in Optics Valley in 2019, he was surprised to find that the surrounding area was a bird watcher's paradise, due to the local ecology.
"It's just like someone who loves coffee finding a great cafe across the street from their office. I often go to Baoxie Lake and Longquan Mountain on weekends," he says.
It was in April 2020 when he first spotted not one Baer's Pochard, but several of the rare ducks, on Baoxie Lake.
He instantly informed Yan Jun, president of the Wuhan Bird Watching Association, of his exciting discovery.
"I could hardly believe that I saw such precious ducks within the city, so I spent every weekend of the following two months tracking them," Deng says.
