Sea Sparrow Shadows: Autumn Whispers at Huangcuo Bay, Xiamen

Autumn in Xiamen is often wrapped in the ocean’s gentle warmth. As the morning light just dyes the sea surface of the Convention and Exhibition Beach a pale gold, the tides bring the soft sound of waves rolling over the sand grains. In this season, the bay always holds unexpected surprises—a flock of red-necked phalaropes, known as "sea sparrows," follows the shallow sea’s bait.

On the nearshore water surface, groups of small gray-brown figures swim together. They are only 18-21 cm long, similar in size to land sparrows. Their sharp beaks lightly tap the water surface from time to time, and their red webbed feet draw delicate arcs in the blue waves, moving as lightly as grass leaves swayed by the wind. If it weren’t for their ceaseless movement in the water showing the unique liveliness of seabirds, one might truly mistake them for land sparrows that have landed on the sea.

As a typical marine sandpiper, the red-necked phalarope often gathers in flocks in shallow nearshore waters outside the breeding season. This habit has formed an autumnal bond with Xiamen Bay. Sometimes they cluster together as if sharing migration stories; sometimes they spread out, gliding along the water surface to forage, their red webbed feet occasionally breaking the surface like scattered tiny corals on the sea. The salty breeze from the shore, mixed with the soft sound of flapping wings, becomes the gentlest whisper of the bay.

As the sun rises higher, the seawater becomes clearer, and the shadows of these little spirits reflect sharp outlines in the water, forming a lively painting with the distant Gulangyu Island and nearby coconut trees. The ancient scene of “sand gulls flying and gathering” transforms at this moment into the leisure of the “sea sparrows”—they calmly preen their feathers and chase bait, as if this sea area is their home.

With the ebb and flow of the tide, the red-necked phalaropes linger near the shore until the sunset bathes the sea surface in afterglow, then gradually swim toward the deep sea, leaving the sea sparkling with waves. Their visit is like a brief appointment, adding wild charm and vitality to Xiamen’s autumn sea, quietly telling the gentle story of the mutual pursuit between humans and nature.

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Post by ME. Gus 27 | Nov 3, 2025