Long Valley and Border Wetland Birdwatching Ecotour
LongValley is situated near Sheung Shui town, surrounded by Chung Pak Long and Ho Sheung Heung. This 25-hectare freshwater wetland is the most integrated flooded plain amidst the ShekSheungRiver, River Beas or SheungYueRiver and Ng Tung River, of high diversity of habitats, includingfarmland, freshwater ponds, and abandoned fields, which is theindispensable bird residence and stopover apart from the wetland of Mai Po and InnerDeepBay. In Long Valley 290 bird species have been recorded so far, for example, egrets, kingfishers, herons, black-winged stilt, plovers, snipes, sandpipers, wagtails and buntings, which is an ideal hotspot for birdwatching activity. An ecological enhanced project has been carrying out by ENGOs for years to promote the sustainable organic farming and birdwatching in harmony, i.e. to keep human impacts minimum and bird habitat diversity intact.
The ecological enhancement includes to keep a sizeable deep water vegetable of watercress and shallow water spinach, as well as the unique blood worm pond, lotus pond, freshwater ponds and many pieces of paddy fields to attract waders such as grey heron and farmland birds such as buntings. From Autumn to next Spring, a large number of seasonal birds to sojourn here. This wetland also serves as the shelter for visiting waterfowls in case of bad weather or high tide.
Route: Ho Sheung Heung store to organic farm at Yin Kong village
Duration: 2hours (excluding meal time)
Meal: organic vegetables can be harvested by participants to prepare hand-on raw vegan lunch / high tea at the organic farm.
Extended Itinerary (6km 3-4 hours)
Leaving LongValley, you can stroll from River Beas to Ng Tung River up to Lo Wu border. One can study the environmental impact of flood control scheme of channelization and the adaptive behaviour of waders and waterfowls. The itinerary can continue up to Lok Ma Chau wetland you can pass by many farmland, fish ponds, swamps and abandoned fields, demarcating the border of the natural landscape of ShenzhenRiver in Hong Kong side to buffer the concrete jungle of skycrapers along Fu Tien in Shenzhen. You can choose to visit a Lotus Farm. The itinerary will end at Lok Ma Chau Road you can take bus or taxi to leave by yourself.
Group Size: 20p
Tour fee: LongValley @$180
Long Valley -> Lo Wu -> Lok Ma Chau @$220
(including guide fee, one-way journey taxi fare, meal, binoculars)
Venue & Transport: MaximRestaurant at Sheung Shui Railway Station to take taxi to Ho Sheung Heung.
Binoculars: 2 persons for 1 binocular
Dates:
February 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28
March 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 27, 28
Group tours: can be arranged on weekdays or the days specified per request and tailor-made quotation can be issued per special requirements.
Medium of Ecological Interpretation: English, bi-lingual.
Enquiry and Enrollment: whatsapp 94946446 and then bank-in HSBC A/C:502-139892-001 (Hong Kong Ecotourism Society Ltd.) to have the pay-in slip r whatsapp for confirmation of enrolment.
1