Part 154 - Specimens and field notes: Hamo Chu Valley to Lhakheng Dzong, Tibet (29–30 Aug, 1 Sept 1933)

1 page

SUMMARY:
Page lists bird specimens (nos. 2305–2315) and notes the party crossing the main range into Tibet via Kang La and Pi La, moving from forested Hamo Chu Valley toward the drier zone near the Kuru Chu. At Lhakheng Dzong typical Tibetan birds were first observed, including magpie and rock dove; at Tsona the rock doves were notably tame.

CONTENT:
2305 30.8.33 ♂ Leptopoecile sophia obscura.
2306 - ♀ - - -
2307 - Imm - - -
2308 - Imm - - -
2309 - ♀ Calliope tschebaiewi pectoralis confusa
2310 - Imm - - -
2311 - ♀ Prunella strophiata
2312 - Imm. - - -
2313 - ♂ Cinclus c kashmiriensis.
2314 - ? Laiscopus nepalensis.
2315 - ? Motacilla c calcarata.

Iris 11. On 29.8.33 August we crossed the main range into Tibet by the Kang La & Pi La Passes.
The Hamo Chu Valley, in which we now found ourselves, was well forested, and we still continued to meet with Himalayan types such as
Iris 468 Mycerobas melanoxanthos
" 469 Pyrrhula erythrocephala
" 494 Dendrotreron hodgsoni
" 499 Ithaginis cruentus tibetanus.
" 273 Ianthia cyanura rufilata
But as we descended the Hamo Chu & rounded a spur a few miles above its confluence with the Kuru Chu, the aspect of the country changed with great suddenness. The hill slopes in front of us were quite bare, & we seemed to have stepped into the dry zone without warning.
The nature of the avifauna now clearly announced that we had reached Tibet though not the true plateau region. Here, at Lhakheng Dzong, a rather squalid Tibetan village at 10,000 ft., we saw for the first time such typical Tibetan birds as Sept 1st
Iris 20 Pica pica bottanensis - Magpie. Iris 20
Iris 494 Columba rupestris turkestanica - In Tibet extremely common N. of the main range. At Tsona it was so tame that it actually entered our tents in search of food.