Great crested grebes play in the lotus garden of Hengshui Lake in Hengshui, Hebei province on Thursday. [Photo by Zhang Kai/For chinadaily.com.cn]
As early summer unfolds, Hengshui Lake in Hengshui, Hebei province, has entered its most picturesque season. Water lilies are in full bloom across the clear blue water, while hundreds of bird species are busy nesting and feeding their young.
Known as one of the most beautiful wetlands in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the lake is now dotted with colorful water lilies that resemble floating lanterns. The floral display is expected to last until August, with birds often seen foraging and swimming among the blossoms.
Birds nest and breed in an area of Hengshui Lake in Hengshui, Hebei province on Thursday. [Photo by Zhou Jin/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Beyond its floral beauty, Hengshui Lake is also a vital habitat for more than 330 bird species and is hailed as a bird paradise in Hebei.
At present, herons, egrets and cattle egrets have entered a critical period of breeding. Nests are densely scattered in trees, flowers and reed beds across the lake area, where parent birds fly back and forth to feed their chicks.
A little egret parent its chicks in an area of Hengshui Lake in Hengshui, Hebei province on Thursday. [Photo by Zhou Jin/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Sitting on the East Asia–Australasian flyway, the lake serves as an important stopover for migratory birds. More than 80 species breed here, with a total population of over 20,000 birds, according to local authorities. The breeding season runs from March to August each year.
The 163.65-square-kilometer nature reserve is the only national-level protected area on the North China Plain that maintains a complete wetland ecosystem consisting of swamps, open water, mudflats, meadows and woodlands, according to the Hebei provincial department of culture and tourism.
Heron chicks wait in their nests for parents to feed them during the fledging period in an area of Hengshui Lake in Hengshui, Hebei province. [Photo by Zhou Jin/For chinadaily.com.cn]
In recent years, the reserve has carried out ecological water replenishment, lakebed restoration and water quality improvement measures to sustain biodiversity. The lake has also been designated as a national 5A-level tourist attraction.
In January this year, the reserve recorded a new species - the sandhill crane, a national second-class protected animal - bringing the lake's recorded bird species to 337, according to local authorities.
Water lilies in bloom, dotting the clear blue waves at the lotus garden of Hengshui Lake in Hengshui, Hebei province. [Photo by Zhou Jin/For chinadaily.com.cn]
A great crested grebe forages among water lilies at the lotus garden of Hengshui Lake in Hengshui, Hebei province on Thursday. [Photo by Zhou Jin/For chinadaily.com.cn]
A grey heron feeds its young in a reed nest in an area of Hengshui Lake in Hengshui, Hebei province on Thursday. [Photo by Zhou Jin/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Several breeding cattle egrets are active in the nesting area, with some incubating eggs on nests and others perching on branches in an area of Hengshui Lake in Hengshui, Hebei province. [Photo by Zhou Jin/For chinadaily.com.cn]
A great crested grebe swims among the flowers in an area of Hengshui Lake in Hengshui, Hebei province on Thursday. [Photo by Zhang Kai/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Water lilies in bloom in Hengshui Lake of Hengshui, Hebei province on Thursday. [Photo by Zhang Kai/For chinadaily.com.cn]
