Mike Kilburn Interesting developments are afoot for this area. Tai Ho Stream has won SSSI designation as a most important site for freshwater fish. In addition the landowners - Swire Properties and Sun Hung Kei have proposed an Ecology Park be established in the valley. It is encouraging to see that poorly prepared EIAs are not merely rubber-stamped in the name of commercial expediency. At the same time, the bund which has been lowered can act as another roosting site for waterbirds because the water level is managed so that it normally just covers the bund.
Many waterbirds like to stand in shallow water, or areas of wet mud.
This is triangular pond at the back of the Mai Po Education Centre where many of the wintering Cormorants roost. Whilst the aim is to manage this pond as a freshwater pond using rainwater to provide the freshwater, there had been problems with leaks in the bunds of the pond allowing brackish water in from adjacent ponds. Therefore, the whole pond has had to be drained and the leaks plugged. It is hoped that the works can be completed before the end of April. This pond has been managed over the past winter to provide an open freshwater habitat using rain to provide the freshwater as with gei wai 15c.