Under Village Wings

By Li Xiaoyu

W hen the rooster crows， Ren Weidong wakes up. From his window， he takes in deep breaths of fresh forestry air， while his eyes feast on the serene mist rising from the canyon as the birds cheerful chorus resonates across the mountain. As if to set the rhythm， the dogs bark from time to time. The morning is an undisputed setting of bucolic beauty. Yet Ren is eager to leave the lodge located in the middle of the Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve in Yunnan Province and set out on another pictorial adventure.

This amateur photographer， equipped with his camera and a pair of binoculars， took advantage of his retirement to go on ornithological excursions. In his quest for more variety， Ren doesnt hesitate to drive thousands of kilometers from his home province of Zhejiang， purely for the purpose of bird study and observation.

To accomplish his mission of the day， he is accompanied by Mi Bosi， a 41-year-old guide from Sanhe Village， Luzhang Town in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture. As soon as hes settled into the observatory at Mis house， Ren marvels at the sight of various colorful species roosting and feeding on the bamboo stalks placed right in front of the vibrantly colored erythrina， a genus of flowering plants in the pea family， in Mis courtyard. From the shelter of a camouflage tent， he cant help but press the shutter button to capture everything he sees. Every now and then， he will ask his guide about the names of the birds in the pictures hes just taken.

In just half a day， Ren was able to photograph and identify five species of the souimangas—fire-tailed， black-breasted， yellow-rumped， blue-throated and yellow-bellied birds—which account for almost half of the observable species in the country. He couldnt have been more pleased with the days findings.

Tapping into natures value

The Gaoligong reserve was included in the World Wildlife Funds List of Nature Reserves of International Importance in 1992 and added to the UNESCOs World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2000. It is home to over 520 species of birds， accounting for more than 30 percent of the national total， making it a sanctuary for mans feathered friends. Every year， thousands of bird enthusiasts like Ren visit this little paradise.

Despite the abundance of natural resources， locals struggled for generations to carve out a more decent livelihood for their families. Just four years ago， Mi was working as a truck driver. He found his health rapidly deteriorating due to stress stemming from the long working hours.