'Uncle Lin' spearheads birding boom in Napo

First bird hide

Lin's initial attempts at bird photography were met with frustration, as his old lens and camera simply couldn't capture the detail and clarity he desired. Recognizing the limitations of his gear, he soon invested in upgrades.

A turning point came when a friend led him to a well-known spot on the outskirts of Nanning. There, local photographers placed papaya, a tempting treat, to attract a variety of birds to a cleared area. "Right away, I was able to get close-up shots of the beautiful red-billed blue magpies," Lin said. "Their feathers gleamed in the sunlight, and it was truly breathtaking."

Returning to Napo, Lin expanded his search to areas surrounding the county town. Then, memories of the myriad bird songs he'd heard at Defu Nature Reserve resurfaced, and he decided to explore the forest, roughly an hour's drive from his home, hoping to document its hidden avian treasures.

In April 2017, Lin discovered a small, shaded pool near the road in Defu that attracted numerous birds. He fashioned a makeshift hide from a tent, about 10 meters from the pool, and photographed them as they bathed. He soon began placing mealworms near the pool, further enticing the birds.

Lin's dedication led to capturing images of rare and elusive species, including gray-bellied tesia. His efforts quickly gained the attention of other bird-watchers in Guangxi, and he was invited to join a WeChat group of experienced local birders that included Professor Jiang Aiwu, an ornithologist from Guangxi University in Nanning.

Encouraged by his peers, Lin devoted himself to the Defu site, building a temporary bird hide — a camouflaged shelter used to observe birds from a close range without disturbing them — and feeding the birds daily. "My wife and son managed the business," Lin said. "My only focus was the birds. I even visited the site on Chinese New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. The birds became like family; I couldn't abandon them."

He readily welcomed visiting birders from across Guangxi, eagerly sharing his knowledge and the site's wonders.

In the winter of 2020, the spectacled barwing, a species primarily found in neighboring Yunnan and rarely sighted elsewhere, began frequenting Lin's site. This attracted significant attention, and he started receiving inquiries from birders and photographers nationwide.

When the number of visitors became overwhelming, a friend suggested that Lin formalize the site as a bird hide and charge a reasonable fee. "Before 2020, I never charged anyone. But with the influx of people, I needed help maintaining the site," he said. "I started at 20 yuan per person per day, then 50, briefly went to 100, and now it's standardized at 80 yuan ($11.73).

"I don't keep any of the income; it all goes to my helpers — first my nephew, and now my retired younger brother," he added.