Thursday, February 3, 2011

Birds in Lhasa, Winter 2010

The Lhasa River and the Yarlung Tsangpo host thousands of ducks in winter. Most common were
Bar-headed Geese and...
Ruddy Shelduck


However White-tailed Eagle also showed up sometimes.


The Lalu Wetland Nature Reserve reaches almost in the centre of Lhasa. Unfortunately, it recently serves as deposit for tons of plastic waste.
Other birds in and around Lhasa were:

White-winged Redstart

Streaked Rosefinch
Beautiful Rosefinch
Hume's Ground Tit
Raven
...and a real specialty of central Tibet: Brown-cheeked Laughingthrush
High above the Yarlung Tsangpo River at ca. 4400m asl are the ruins of an old monastery:
The Dengsatil Gompa. 
A few big trees still withstand goats and logging in the middle of an already completely deserted slope. 
This is the habitat of a seriously endangered species:


Tibetan Eared Pheasant
At this monastery they were so tame and spoiled by local pilgrims that they would dare to steal your food out of your pockets...