In the changing seasons, the Yellow River estuary in Dongying city, East China's Shandong province enters its peak bird-watching season.
The Dongying's bureau of culture and tourism has gathered insights from birdwatchers and photographers over the past year, combining bird distribution data with field conditions to introduce four premium bird-watching routes.
Route one is the Coastal Bird-Watching Route. This route starts at Yonghong Road and Dongba Road, moving through Binhai Avenue, Xiaodao River Wharf, Binhai Wetlands, and the Yellow River Embankment, leading to the Yellow River Estuary Ecotourism Area. Tidal flats and river mouths provide a chance to spot red-crowned cranes, avocets, white spoonbills, and black-headed gulls.
Route two is the Dongba Road Bird-Watching Route. This route begins at Zhimai River; heads north on Dongba Road along the rice paddy landscape, Zhangzhen River Bridge, and a wetland viewing platform; and then finishes at the Yellow River Estuary Ecotourism Area. This freshwater marsh area is home to common pochards, redhead ducks, gray geese, bean geese, whooper swans, and gray cranes.
Route three is the Guangli River Bird-Watching Route. From Dongying Botanical Garden, this route follows Naner Road through Guangli River floodplains, forms a loop with the north dike of the river and Naner Road, and extends north to the Yellow River Estuary Ecotourism Area. Its estuary, reed marshes, and mudflats offer views of avocets, stilts, white spoonbills, black-headed, and black-tailed gulls.
Route four is the Yellow River Estuary Bird-Watching Route. Located within the Yellow River Estuary Ecotourism Area on the south riverbank, this route has five new bird-watching spots, including an Oriental white stork observation area, Bird Island, and an avian education park. Visitors can enjoy views of common pochards, redhead ducks, gray geese, whooper swans, and Oriental white storks in these freshwater marshes. Improved facilities, interactive checkpoints, and high-powered binoculars now allow for an even closer look at the birdlife.
Each route offers a unique landscape and bird species and creates diverse experiences for visitors. With improved facilities and dedicated observation points, these carefully designed routes provide an up-close, memorable encounter with the natural beauty and wildlife of the Yellow River Estuary.
