He followed bird-watchers to the mountains and the seas, to wherever the feathered creatures made their appearance. Gradually he became an expert on birds, although he modestly denies this. He can point out their complex and unique behaviors, recognize them by their songs, and tell you which birds can be found in which habitats.

"Those little babies (as Lin likes to call birds) remind me how numb and insensitive I was to the wonderful things around me. What a pity it would be if we let such beautiful things pass by us unnoticed." As if to compensate for his failure to notice them before, he spends a lot of time capturing their beauty on film. "After learning more about birds and seeing many great pictures by the wildlife photographers of our country, I was really anxious to test my mettle." Setting out to upgrade his gear, the ambitious beginner bought three sets of photographic equipment, each one as costly as a new car. With the help of this high-tech equipment, he has captured countless stunning images, many of which have won prizes and have been reprinted in books, calendars and magazines.

Photography is an expensive hobby which people with modest income can hardly afford. Lin owns a factory which produces car jacks, and thus had the financial support to pursue bird photography.

An even greater support is his wife, Shu-erh. When Lin is photographing birds in the wilderness, she helps take care of their family and business. Sometimes she also goes with him on his bird-shooting journeys to foreign countries. "When we get to a location for shooting, I look in one direction and my wife looks in another. Because she's been around me for a long time, she's learned a thing or two about photography. If she sees something worth clicking the shutter, she lets me know immediately and chooses a suitable lens for me. It saves me a lot of effort." When shooting birds, timing is really crucial. A good chance can slip away in no time as some situations present themselves only briefly. With the help of his wife, Lin's effectiveness is doubled. "Thanks to her, I can capture so many good images."


A challenging task

The wildlife world is full of wonders, but when a photographer frames a wild animal in his viewfinder, it will never just take a pose and wait for him to press the shutter. As can be imagined, bird photography is full of challenges and can sometimes be very frustrating. "You can wait for ten days in a wild place without even getting a single shot," Lin says. "At such times, even the most advanced photographic equipment can't help."

"During this year's annual migration of gray-faced buzzard eagles, I spent sixteen days in the mountains waiting for their appearance. In all that time, the beautiful birds only revealed their faces on three days. And each time they showed up in the trees for only one or two seconds and then they flew gracefully away."

Therefore, the most important prerequisite when it comes to bird photography is patience. "It's impossible to expect birds to come at your beck and call. Furthermore, they're extremely wary and the slightest sound or movement can scare them away. You have to get your equipment ready, set your camera at a suitable angle, make sure that the effect of light and shadow is what you want, and then wait patiently for your chance. If you fret easily, good chances are unlikely to come your way." The motto for Lin is: be prepared and hope for the best. In order not to lose a single chance, Lin says it is absolutely necessary to master one's equipment. "A thorough understanding of the mechanics of photography is the foundation of our success. We need to have an intimate knowledge of our equipment, so that when the chance comes we won't get all flustered."

Besides, a bird photographer needs to be strong enough to carry the weight of his equipment, which can amount to as much as thirty kilograms (66 lbs). Scorching heat and bitter cold can also put the willpower of a wildlife photographer to the test. Lin says that when he hides in a camouflaged tent waiting for the right shot, the temperature can reach forty to fifty degrees Celsius (104 - 122 F). "Drops of sweat roll down my face faster than the clicking of the shutter." But all the sweat and hardships are nothing when he gets a satisfactory shot. "When all of the elements come together and my camera finally captures that perfect shot," said Lin with a beaming smile, "I'm the happiest man in the world."

Part of the pleasure of photographing wildlife is derived from familiarizing oneself with the habits of one's subject. For Lin, this pleasure is immeasurable as he explores the fascinating world of birds with their complex courtship behaviors, sweet songs, eye-catching appearances, unique habits, and amazing feats of migration. "It helps a lot in your photography if you know your subject well and can predict its next movements," adds Lin. He takes as an example red-crowned cranes, which are noted for their elaborate courtship dances. If you keep an eye on them, it will not be hard to capture scenes of their animated performances.

Lin shares another experience. "When you find birds sleeping in a tree, wait patiently until they wake up. They look lovely when they stretch and yawn. It's the best time to click your camera."


Environmentally conscious

Since he first tried his hand at this new pastime about eight years ago, Lin has traveled to many countries to photograph birds, and he notices from his experiences that it is most difficult to capture images of birds in Taiwan. "I find that birds in Taiwan are most easily scared. You can get very close to a wild bird in a foreign country, but in Taiwan birds always keep their distance. You have to hide in a camouflaged tent and stay out of sight to get close shots of them." Some Taiwanese used to put up nets to trap birds and then sell them or even eat them. Such unkind behavior has seriously alienated birds from the local people.

"Many wild birds in foreign countries are not afraid of human beings at all. Some birds, mallards for example, even stroll straight into people's yards. I hope that one day birds in Taiwan will do the same thing."

After years of photographing birds, Lin cannot help feeling that we are not doing enough for our natural environment. He cites a personal example of his to illustrate his point. There are fourteen kinds of birds native to Taiwan, and bird-watchers from other nations fly to the island to admire these rare species. Lin often serves as a tour guide. "When I show these people around, I often feel embarrassed because wherever we go there's garbage lying around. I once visited a conservation park in Vancouver, and in such a big park I couldn't find a single piece of garbage. I think we have a lot to learn from our foreign friends."

Lin says that we can see from small things whether the people in a country have enough respect for life. He takes a Japanese approach for example: to protect endangered birds such as the red-crowned crane, the hooded crane and the white-naped crane, the Japanese government sets aside their habitats for conservation parks. Additionally, it also insulates all the telephone and electric power lines in the vicinity to prevent birds from getting electric shocks. Coupled with the efforts of the government are those of local inhabitants--they voluntarily make rounds of the conservation parks to ensure that the birds have a safe environment.

Aside from filming birds, Lin also gives public talks and slide shows. Part of the reason he does so is because he wants to arouse people's concern for our environment. "After showing pictures of these lovely creatures to people, I hope they will understand it is about time to stop polluting the world. Otherwise, these beautiful creatures will vanish from the surface of the earth soon. Come that day, our planet will lose much of its glamour and charm."


The little terns

In the years since he began to engage in bird photography, Lin has witnessed many touching stories of his feathered friends. One story moved him so much that he even wrote a book about it, entitled Little Terns Dying for Love.

Little terns are the most frequently seen summertime migratory birds in Taiwan. Every year in the middle of April, they begin to appear on the sandy shingle shores of Taiwan looking for burning hot stones to lay eggs. After settling down in crude, simple nests, females begin to lay eggs while the males take the responsibility of catching fish to feed the females.

On May 1, 1996, Lin spotted a female little tern lying on the bank of a river. When he inched closer to it, it did not stir at all. From this unusual behavior, Lin knew immediately that the tern must be too sick to move. A short while later, a male little tern holding a shrimp in its beak flew to where his mate was resting. It made importunate sounds and looked as if it were urging the female tern to eat the shrimp, but the lady was too weak to even open her bill. The male could only take the food to the nest not far away on the shore where their babies were eagerly awaiting his return.

"What was happening between the little terns fascinated me, so for the following couple of days I stayed close and kept tabs on them," noted Lin.

The male kept coming back to the female with food, but her life seemed to be nearing its end and she made no response. One day later, she passed away. The male stayed close and made persistent, sad sounds, deploring the death of his beloved mate.

"What surprised me most was that when I went back to the riverbank the next day, I found the male, also dead, lying on top of the female." The male bird appeared to have ended his life for love.


The story did not end here.

Since both birds were dead, their chicks, failing to see their parents come home with food, began to leave the nest and wander around. They came to a nearby road with heavy traffic. When it looked like they could die under the ruthless wheels, another full-grown little tern showed up and brought them away from the dangerous road. She took the baby chicks to a safer place, the side of a big stone, and assumed the responsibility of caring for them.

"The world of birds is amazing and beyond our comprehension. Maybe animals have more feelings than we give them credit for." In nature, there are countless stories like the one that happened between the little terns. Lin is thankful for the chance to be a witness. It certainly opened his mind and made him see the world differently.

Drawn into a feathered world of immense, ceaseless wonders, Lin vows to bring more of its beauty and loveliness to our eyes. The desire to capture a unique moment that can never be recreated the same way again always makes him forget the hardships and sweat involved in bird photography. "I know a lot of challenges are waiting for me out there in the wilderness. My film is ready for them."