Part 68 - Hubsing La visit and blood pheasant observations; plans for Sharietang collecting

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SUMMARY:
The diarist sends the lads to Sharietang and notes target plants to collect, then observes blood pheasant chicks and attempts cine shots of the female. On 8 June, with Lhakpa and Ngudup, they make a rapid early trip to Hubsing La hoping to see Kula Kangri, viewing Kankarpunsum instead, with fine weather until evening.

CONTENT:
here, I sent the lads down to Sharietang for the night. I know there must now be such things as Philadelphus, Deutzia, Rosa macrophylla, and many other things besides, which we must arrange to get. I think they should go down once in July too to see what is happening there then too. I did little here, but took some small things, and went out looking for blood pheasant and young. I found the latter and caught two separately. The parents never went far away, never more than 20 yards, but the chicks were so small they could not 'cheep', and so the parents would not come into the open as much as I had hoped. I got a few poor cine shots at the ♀, but could not catch the ♂.

8th June Halt. A very fine morning, in fact no rain till the evening. I had told Lhakpa not to come early this morning, expecting rain, and in any case there being no hurry to go and look for nothing. So he came at 5.15 only. Then I got up and decided to go to the pass as quick as possible to see the snow, including Kula Kangri which we had been told we would see from there. Ngudup was not thrilled, as he has become a bit slack these days of little to do. And Lhakpa took 3/4 hour to get breakfast. What he does always beats me. These people have no idea, as the Kashmiri has, of getting things going. Anyway we were off at 6.15 and went very fast, getting to the Hubsing La in time at 7.15, to see Kankarpunsum very prettily, with clouds around, but clear itself. There was no sign of Kula Kangri, so we went on, to the next ridge, but again there was no