Her most impressive birding trip occurred in October, when she heard that a slaty-breasted rail was spotted taking a dip in Huahai Park in Fuzhou by other bird-watchers.

After research, she found that the bird enjoyed the water around 9 am, noon and after 3 pm when it felt safe, with fewer people around. Having failed seven times to record the bird's bath, Rundan didn't give up, and on Oct 16, after waiting for about three hours, the slaty-breasted rail reappeared. "From birdwatching, I have learned to never give up," the girl adds.

Contact the writers at wangqian@chinadaily.com.cn