We started the day by spending a few hours at Shanga, five km. east of Lhasa. This was Tserings study area for his master thesis. His master dealt with the breeding ecology of the Grey-backed Shrike (also referred to as Tibetan Shrike - see photo of a first-winter bird below). There were still lots of them around, both adults and first winter birds. Normally the Grey-backed Shrike migrates to the Indian subcontinent during September and October, with some late youngsters lingering in November. The shrikes spent lots of time on the ground, searching for beetles and other insects. The location is forested (planted) with different species reaching up to ten meters above ground level. Other good species in the woods were amongst others Dusky Warblers and Tickell's Leaf Warblers, with about thirty of each. Both species were calling a lot, and the Tickell's did actually also sing quite a bit. Two Olive-backed Pipits gave brief views in the woods. At the southern part of the area, the dried out river came in. Some water pits made a good habitat for wagtails, and both Citrine and White Wagtails were present. I also got my first views of the only natural rodent here, the hyperactive Pica. The Pica is a small animal, looking like something in between a mouse and rabbit.
 Grey-backed Shrike |  Citrine Wagtail |
The rest of the day was spent at the foothills of Pagar, 35 km. east of Lhasa. The area has lots of canyon-like formations which ends up in agricultural land. Many of passerines were present here. Mixed parties of the stunning Brown Accentor, Godlewski's Buntings, Twites, Russet Sparrows and some Common Rosefinches fed on seeds from some kind of plant. We were sitting behind some rocks, and got excellent views of the birds. Nearby we came over two family-groups of Hume's Groundpeckers (also called Tibetan Ground-jay or Ground Tit). This is a small passerine, about the size of a Wheatear, with an amusing behaviour and look. It is mostly sandy grey with a brownish cap, and has a quite long decurved bill. Looking like nothing I've ever seen before. See a picture of this amuzing species and its habitat here. When we were about to leave we flushed a Little Owl in front of us. Tsering could tell me that it was a rare bird in the Lhasa valley, and he had never encountered the species before here. The area was filled with Picas running around, and we got excellent views of an Himalayan agama lizard (which is the largest of three different lizard species in this part of Tibet).
 Black-lipped Pika  Eastern Black Redstart rufiventris |  Godlewski's Bunting  Brown Accentor |
Total list from today: Common Hoopoe (30+), Little Owl (1), Hill Pigeon (30), Oriental Turtle Dove (5), Redshank (1), Great Black-headed Gull (1), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (1), Common Buzzard (1), Eurasian Kestrel (3), Grey-backed Shrike (30), Black-billed Magpie (2), Hume?s Groundpecker (10), Red-billed Chough (2), Eurasian Blackbird (10), Black Redstart (8), Common Stonechat (1), Great Tit (5), Eurasian Crag Martin (4), Dusky Warbler (30), Tickell's Leaf Warbler (30), Yellow-browed Warbler (2), Oriental Skylark (10), Russet Sparrow (10), Citrine Wagtail (10), White Wagtail (10), Olive-backed Pipit (2), Brown Accentor (25), Twite (40), Common Rosefinch (2) and Godlewski's Bunting (15).
Species list for Shanga and Pagar.
Species list for Shanga and Pagar.
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