Each year, as autumn turns to winter, Fengxian's coastal wetlands greet migratory birds flying south. With the cold front pushing south, winter birds are now gathering near Bihai Jinsha in Haiwan, Fengxian. They bring a burst of life to the shoreline.

On the expansive mudflats and among the windbreak forests of Bihai Jinsha, shorebirds, waterfowls, and other winter migratory birds are now flocking. They wander gracefully, pecking for shellfish and tiny fish in the sand. Or they soar above the glistening waves, their wings tracing graceful curves through the air.

"Look, the lapwing is flying! Can you see it?" Gao Shuhong, an associate professor at East China University of Science and Technology and a bird monitoring volunteer with the Shanghai Wild Bird Society, has been tracking birds here for years. She noted that Fengxian's coastal wetlands sit on a key migratory route. They are crucial rest stops for birds flying south. But this year, the warm weather delayed autumn and winter. That pushed back the birds' migration by about two weeks.

Based on early-month observations, around 4,800 migratory birds of about 50 species have been spotted here 0 far from the usual peak of over 13,000. "More waterfowls are flying in, so numbers are climbing," Gao noted. She expected that as temperatures fall, more winter birds will arrive over the next month, with the peak likely hitting at the end of this month or around February next year.

Though arriving later than usual this year, migratory birds still show a similar variety to past seasons. Along with common birds like white spoonbills, avocets, mallards, and cormorants, rarer species such as horned grebes, black-necked grebes, and long-billed dowitchers have been seen, drawing flocks of bird lovers. We urge everyone to keep a respectful distance and avoid disturbing the birds while watching or photographing them, to ensure these migratory guests have a peaceful place to rest.