Birdwatchers flock to Fujian to catch glimpse of beloved blue-throated bee-eaters

Flocks of blue-throated bee-eaters have recently returned to Nanping in east China's Fujian Province for the breeding season, drawing bird enthusiasts from across the country to observe these stunning birds playing and foraging in the wild.

The birds, under second-class national protection in China, have blue feathers around their necks, a graceful figure and a loud, distinctive call, all of which has seen them dubbed as one of China's "most beautiful birds".

Their return in early May now marks the tenth consecutive year that this popular bird species has been spotted around Nanping's picturesque Xiexi Village. Located in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River, the village boasts a beautiful environment with dense forest coverage and abundant food resources, making it an ideal habitat for the birds during the breeding season.

The appearance of the beloved birds has delighted birdwatching enthusiasts who have gathered at the site to catch a glimpse of the special winged visitors.

"This is my fourth time here. The landscape is definitely wonderful, as well as the ecology. I feel proud to have these birds here," said Song Hongwei, one of the birdwatchers.

Located along the bird migration route between East Asia and Australasia, the coastal Fujian Province is noted for its great biodiversity, and the number of wild animal and plant species ranks among the top in all of China.

A large number of migratory birds breed, overwinter or stop over in the province every year, with around 600 bird species being recorded in 2024.

Birdwatchers flock to Fujian to catch glimpse of beloved blue-throated bee-eaters

The death toll from a landfill collapse in the central Philippine city of Cebu has risen to eight by Monday morning as search and rescue operations continued for another 28 missing people.

The landfill collapse occurred on Thursday as dozens of sanitation workers were working at the site. The disaster has already caused injuries of 18 people.

Family members of the missing people said the rescue progress is slow, and the hope for the survival of their loved ones is fading.

"For me, maybe I’ve accepted the worst result already because the garbage is poisonous and yesterday, it was raining very hard the whole day. Maybe they’ve been poisoned. For us, alive or dead, I hope we can get their bodies out of the garbage rubble," said Maria Kareen Rubin, a family member of a victim.

Families have set up camps on high ground near the landfill, awaiting news of their relatives. Some people at the site said cries for help could still be heard hours after the landfill collapsed, but these voices gradually faded away.

Bienvenido Ranido, who lost his wife in the disaster, said he can't believe all that happened.

"After they gave my wife oxygen, my kids and I were expecting that she would be saved that night because she was still alive. But the night came and till the next morning, they didn't manage to save her," he said.

Death toll in central Philippine landfill collapse rises to eight