2025.04.28｜Shenzhen, China
Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining.
Raindrops pattered against the bus window as I made my way to Futian Mangrove Ecological Park. My gear is IP53 rainproof — birds, unfortunately, are not. The damp air not only drives them into hiding but also impairs the lens’s range of visibility.
The rain intensified as I arrived. I had come intentionally for the Black-faced Spoonbill, a rare and vulnerable species with its namesake bill and dark face — an unofficial icon of Shenzhen. Honestly, I’m not the biggest fan of waders. Their elongated bills are marvels of evolution, perfectly tuned to their habitats, but… let’s say they’re not built to please the eye.
Under the canopy, I spotted a few Masked Laughingthrushes snatching up earthworms and other insects. Some were also busy gathering twigs — signs of the approaching breeding season. Still, the place felt quiet, especially for someone filled with birding anticipation.
Just as the rain turned torrential, I was lucky to find a bird hide. Thunder echoed through the shelter while my mood sank. My days in China were drawing to a close, and every missed opportunity weighed heavier.
And — here came the miracle.
As I was gazing out of viewing slit, lost my focus in the rainy mist, when the reeds outside suddenly shook — not with the wind, but with something alive. Leaves quivered like ripples spreading from a tossed pebble. A gray-brown figure emerged from the grass — a Plain Prinia.
It searched for a dry spot, wings and tail trembling rapidly to flick off the rain from its feathers. Then it started wiping its ‘face’ with its alula, just like a person toweling off after a shower. That little gesture — delicate, determined — was heart-melting.
The heavy rain passed as quickly as it had come. A friend joined me and invited me to lunch. I snapped a few quick shots of a White-breasted Waterhen under the clearing sky, and returned — a little reluctantly — to the civilized world.
