Migratory birds facing famine as water rises in C China lake

　YUEYANG, Hunan, Nov. 20 (Chinese media) -- About 100,000 migratory birds

that are wintering at China's second-largest freshwater lake, Dongting, face

famine as the water keeps rising instead of dropping as it usually does during

the winter.

The water level was about 28 meters on Thursday, up 6 meters so far this

month, and many wetlands that provide food for birds have been flooded, said Gao

Dali, an official of the Eastern Dongting Lake Nature Reserve Administration.

A worker at the Chenglingji hydrological station at the lake attributed the

rising water level to unusual rainfall upstream.

Gao said birds could easily live at the lake if the water level was 24

meters to 25 meters. The current level of 28 meters was quite unusual for the

lake.

Gao estimated there were more than 50,000 wild geese, more than30,000 wild

ducks and about 10,000 swans and cranes living at the lake.

Flocks of birds have been seen hovering and crying above the lake, and many

birds have turned to nearby farms for food.

Since the beginning of the month, the administration has put out 100 tonnes

of grain, but many of these birds usually eat weeds, fish and insects, instead

of grain, experts said.