A black stork feeds its nestlings. [Photo provided to gogansu.com]

In the heart of northwestern China, where azure skies meet crystalline waters, the Zhangye Heihe Wetland National Nature Reserve unfolds its ecological tapestry. As early winter embraces the landscape, this vital ecosystem along the middle reaches of the Heihe River showcases nature's grand performance.

Against the backdrop of swaying reeds, life moves in perfect rhythm. Pallas's gulls trace elegant patterns across the water's surface, while magpies orchestrate their playful dance through branches. Grey-headed lapwings wade thoughtfully through shallow waters, sharing their habitat with white-winged scoters, pintails, and red-crested pochards, whose calls echo across the wetlands in a natural symphony.