Source: Xuxi.cn
On November 3, Fei Mingjian went to the Qilihai as usual, taking photos of sunrise and seabirds. “This is the picture of seagull I took this morning. It is paddling with its webbed feet in the water although it looks like floating on the water!” When the journalist interviewed him in the morning, he couldn’t help taking out the camera and showing the pictures to the journalist, as if sharing his treasures with friends.
The 66-year-old Fei Mingjian was born in Houli Village, Tuanlin Management Area, Beidaihe New District, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province. He was born and grew up at the seaside. He was recruited as a soldier in People’s Navy, and opened a supermarket at the Xinkaikou wharf after he was discharged from the navy. “I have never left the sea in my life,” he said. His face was tanned by the sea breeze, and the birds that fly and inhabit in the Qilihai are always in his dream.
Fei Mingjian takes photos of the bird in the Qilihai.
Pictures taken by Fei Mingjian in the Qilihai.
Pictures taken by Fei Mingjian in the Qilihai.
Pictures taken by Fei Mingjian in the Qilihai.
“I like birds from an early age, I can’t bear to watch people hurt the sparrows, and I always dissuade them from doing that,” Fei Mingjian said, who was fond of photography more than a decade ago. Since then, he took photos every day with his camera, and recorded them in his computer with more than ten hard disks. Followed Fei, and his two sons were obsessed with taking photos of the birds too. His wife Liu Guiqin was responsible for collecting and editing the pictures with photoshop for them.
Fei Mingjian directed his wife Liu Guiqin to edit pictures.
Qilihai near the Feis’ house was protected as a nature reserve, therefore, there are fewer tourists, and the birds are increasing. In the past few years, he found a variety of snipes and plovers breeding when he was photographing near the Qilihai Lagoon, which makes him sleepless all night with excitement. He discussed with his wife and developed a plan of protecting birds in Qilihai: Patrolling around the Qilihai everyday despite of the rain or wind; patrolling on the car in case of disturbing the birds; no publication in case of affecting the habitat of the birds by attracting crowded people to watch birds or take pictures; dissuading the villagers from picking wild vegetables or hunting in the wetland; and persuading tourists not to play in the Qilihai in case of affecting or hurting the birds... Fei himself also adheres to the principle of never disturbing the birds, he has prepared a sandbag in his car to pad his camera and lens when he takes pictures of the birds in the car, which can avoid scaring the birds. In summer, he wears a straw hat and hides in the high reeds when he takes pictures.
Fei Mingjian always carries his photographic equipment in his car.
Day after day, Fei recorded the process of the bird mating, spawning, hatching, young birds from shell to bird growth, and migration with his lens, and also a glimpse of the wonderful world of birds. “Once upon a time I saw two birds fighting, and the smaller bird chased and pecked the bigger one. They rested in the reeds for a while when they got tired, then fought again, which makes me confused.” Sometimes Fei was moved to tears by what he saw through the lens: “When it rains, the mother bird will twitter to call the young birds, open her wings to protect them, but their small claws are still out of the wings, the mother bird tried her best to protect her children despite of the heavy rain.”
Fei cares for the birds very much. In winter, there are many kinds of cranes that spend the winter in the Qilihai, Fei worries about their food when it snows, he sweeps out and sprinkle food for them, and then quickly hides and waits for the birds to eat. One day, he found an empty nest in which bird eggs were still there the day before, he was told that those who picked wild vegetables might have done that. Fei’s heart was broken. From then on, he watched those who pick vegetables or hunt pheasants, he always warns those lingering in the Qilihai with slingshots in hands, “Don’t hurt the bird, it is a life, birds are our friends, don’t hurt them.”
Fei Mingjian drives to patrol around the Qilihai every day.
Fei Mingjian walks in the reeds of the Qilihai.
Once again, Fei drives to patrol in the Qilihai. He pointed to the reeds and said to the journalist: “the reeds are still short, and the government has promised to repair the ecology of the Qilihai, by then the reeds will be taller, and there will be more birds coming here to build their nests.”
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