Gao Mei Wetland(高美湿地) at Taichung, Taiwan
The setting sun
It was a magical evening for me at Gaomei Wetlands. Situated in QingShui (清水) District of TaiChung (台中) it took about a 20 min drive from Tai Chung city.
The information board at the start of the boardwalk
It was extremely windy at the wetlands. The wind turbines which were situated along a water break were constantly turning and generating electricity.
the inviting wooden walkway
R and I took a long slow walk out on the wooden walkway. The winds grew increasingly stronger as we ventured out towards the sea.
A wefie of R and me
The wind made it extremely cold and I wished that I had taken my jacket along instead of leaving it in the car. My hands were icy cold after we returned from the walk.
The right side of the walkway
Two dramatically different scenes unfolded before me while venturing out on the walkway. To the right I could see a sea of lush green grass which was vibrating in the wind.
The view on the left side of the walkway
On the left by stark contrast was the muddy flats of the wetland where if one looked carefully they would be able to spot the tiny inhabitants.
The one big claw fiddler crab
The tiny inhabitants which I am referring to are the fiddler crabs. They are really unusual as they have an extremely large claw while most crabs which I have seen have claws of the same size.
Another variety of the fiddler crab
It was really interesting seeing these crabs scuttling along the wetland. Do you know that only the males have the gigantic cheliped (Claw). He waves the “halberd” to attract the females and expel the other males. The female uses two tiny chelipeds to feed.
A wetland white bird- Crane perhaps??
Beside crabs we also saw this crane which seems to be fishing. It was alone and kept lowering it’s head in the water periodically.
A flock of birds
I couldn’t get a better close up of this flock of birds as they were rather far away from the walkway. They too seem to be looking for food.
The crowd admiring the scenery
There were many people who went down to walk in the mud at the wetlands. R and I gave it a miss as we didn’t bring slippers and I didn’t fancy sinking my feet into the squishy mud.
Capturing the sun and sea
We waited to see the sun set and it touch the horizon but unfortunately we were unable to see that scene as it was too cloudy that day. The sun got covered by the clouds as it set. Maybe another time if I do get to visit that place again.
May 26, 2015 @ 11:25 am
Wonderful photos. You captured the most beautiful walk.
May 26, 2015 @ 2:26 pm
I love the photos. Beautiful place. Were you with your kids? It seems like an educational eco-walk 🙂
May 26, 2015 @ 3:23 pm
@Marie,
the kids were not with us but we will be bringing them to the place when we next visit it later on this year 🙂
May 26, 2015 @ 4:17 pm
Looks like it’s just you and the husband? nice to see you got some alone time 🙂 the mud actually looks very inviting to walk onto, haha, but I also wouldn’t like the cleanup needed right after
May 26, 2015 @ 5:45 pm
Lovely photos! Love the ones with the pier and the windmills! x
May 26, 2015 @ 5:49 pm
Thank you for joining our Oh My Heartsie Girl Wordless Wednesday Link Party.. Absolutely stunning photos! Thank you for sharing, co-host Evija at From Evija with Love x
May 26, 2015 @ 6:46 pm
Beautiful photos. My favorite is the one with the wind in your hair and the crabs.
May 26, 2015 @ 6:54 pm
What a beautiful spot. I love your shots of the cloudy sky and ocean. The wetlands remind me a lot of the wildlife refuge in Port Aransas Nature Preserve in Texas.
May 26, 2015 @ 7:35 pm
Lovely photos! 🙂
May 26, 2015 @ 9:11 pm
Gorgeous pictures. Thanks for adding such beauty to Oh My Heartsie Girl Wordless Wednesday!
Shellie
http://www.thefabjourney.com
May 26, 2015 @ 9:29 pm
I love the crab pictures!
May 27, 2015 @ 12:47 pm
Wow! Nice place. It looks serene and relaxing.
May 27, 2015 @ 9:09 pm
What a lovely spot. Those crabs are cute!
May 27, 2015 @ 10:36 pm
Despite the cold it looks well worth the time to explore
Mollyxxx
May 28, 2015 @ 11:29 am
Lovely photos Dom. You look so pretty. Wish to visit such place too. A very relaxing place for couples 🙂
Mommy Maye
http://www.ourfamilyblogsabout.info
May 28, 2015 @ 2:33 pm
The place is beautiful with all the windmills. I wonder how much power those turbines can produce.
May 28, 2015 @ 10:04 pm
Are those offshore windturbines? It is great to visit a different ecosystem like a wetland. Different flora and fauna from the usual mountains/beaches.
May 30, 2015 @ 3:43 pm
Love your nature photos. I had heard about a crab with one bigger claw, but didn’t know its name until I read this post.
May 30, 2015 @ 9:46 pm
I love the way you captured the crabs and birds.
June 1, 2015 @ 7:46 pm
what a beautiful place that you can just stare from morning till eve.