(file photo)

 

Herons living in north China typically build nests hidden in thick patches of grass or endangered shoals where human beings cannot set foot. However, more than 100 herons living near the Dalinoer Lake in Hexigten League of northern China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have moved their homes into the trees. According to the local nature reserve administrator, this sight is quite rare.

 

The heron is the state’s second-level protected animal. They like strolling near lakes and in marshes; they stand alone in shallow water, waiting for the opportune moment to catch fish and other aquatic creatures.

 

Vice Director of the Dalinoer Nature Reserve Administration Song Lijun said that it was the first time for him to see herons building nests in the trees. He made a phone call to relevant experts for consultation and he was told that this phenomenon is rare in the north of China. It is speculated that the heron population in the reserve has increased by a big margin, so they were forced to broaden the sphere for making nests, said the experts.

 

The Dalinoer Lake and its surroundings constitute a state-level nature reserve, serving as habitats for a large variety of migratory birds.

 

(China.org.cn by Zhang Tingting June 1, 2007)