2006 TIBET TRAVERSE TOUR
10 June-11 JulyLeader: Ben King

As we neared a site where we had previously seen the Pink-tailed Rosefinch, our anticipation turned to horror: the once luxuriant scrub that had been dense and up to 2.5 meters high was now scattered and only 0.5 meter high. The ever-increasing numbers of yaks, sheep and goats had eaten the vegetation down to a pitiful remnant, a condition becoming rampant on the Tibetan Plateau. The following day we visited a second scrub patch and were relieved to find it largely intact, although it too was less luxuriant than on our last trip. We roamed through the scrub, frequently stopping to play the Pink-tailed Rosefinch tape in hope of locating one. While the habitat was in seemingly good shape, we were perplexed by the lack of such typical birds as White-browed Tit-Warbler and White-browed Tit. After several hours of diligent searching, we still hadn¡¯t found the rosefinch and were beginning to feel that we might not find it. Then, in checking out a broad finger of scrub, a brown bird popped up to the top of a bush and looked at me¡ªit was the female of the Pink-tailed Rosefinch. Soon she was joined by the male. I quickly called the group over and we enjoyed some 20 minutes with this lovely pair of birds, including superb scope views. Our sighting and extended viewing was all the more gratifying as the male is exquisite and the species, always an enigma, is currently thought to represent a monotypic family.

Other particularly exciting species were: several close intimate studies of Tibetan Partridge; good views of Tibetan Eared Pheasant; great sightings of some 20 Black-necked Cranes; excellent looks at Ibisbills;  Pallas¡¯s Sandgrouse;  several superb Derbyan Parakeets;  the second record for China of the  Yellow-rumped Honeyguide; Tibetan, Mongolian and Hume¡¯s Larks; Pale Martin (Riparia diluta); Robin and Brown Accentors; Siberian and White-tailed Rubythroats; Firethroat; Chestnut, White-backed, and Chinese Thrushes; Tibetan Blackbird; Giant and Tibetan Babaxes; Giant and Brown-cheeked Laughingthrushes;  Chinese Fulvetta;  Beautiful Sibia;  Gansu and Chinese Leaf-Warblers;  White-browed and Crested Tit-Warblers; Songar and White-browed Tits; Snowy-browed and White-cheeked Nuthatches; Wallcreeper; Tibetan Serin; Grey-capped and Black-headed Greenfinches; Black-headed Mountain-Finch, Mongolian Finch; 9 rosefinches (including Pink-bellied, Pale, Streaked, Great, Red-fronted and Tibetan), Rock Petronia; all 6 possible snowfinches; Tibetan Ground-Tit; Mongolian Ground-Jay; and Daurian Jackdaw.

Some of the other species seen were: Whooper Swan, Bar-headed Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, Yellow-nib Duck, Red-crested and Ferruginous Pochards, Lammergeier, Himalayan Griffon, Himalayan (Buteo burmanicus) and Upland Buzzards, Steppe Eagle, Saker Falcon, Tibetan Snowcock,  Blood Pheasant, White Eared Pheasant, Demoiselle Crane, Great and Brown-headed Gulls, Hill and Snow Pigeons, Speckled Wood-Pigeon, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, Little Owl, Crimson-breasted and Black Woodpeckers, Yellow-hooded Wagtail, White-throated and Brown Dippers, Alpine Accentor, Indian Blue Robin, Orange-flanked and Himalayan Bush-Robins, Hodgson¡¯s, White-throated, Daurian, and White-bellied Redstarts, Isabelline, Desert and Pied Wheatears, Rufous-tailed Rockthrush, Plain and Elliot¡¯s Laughingthrushes, Red-billed Leiothrix, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Red-tailed Minla, Spotted Bush-Warbler, Yellow-streaked, Hume¡¯s, Golden-spectacled, Olive-crowned, and Black-faced Warblers, Goldcrest, Ferruginous and Slaty-blue Flycatchers, Vivid Niltava, Gould¡¯s Sunbird, Chestnut-lined Bunting, Twite, Plain Mountain-Finch, Grey-headed Bullfinch, Collared Grosbeak, Azure-winged Magpie, Spotted Nutcracker, Red-billed and Yellow-billed Choughs, Rook, and Carrion Crow.

We had several nice mammals, including: Tibetan Wild Ass, Tibetan Gazelle, Hog Badger and Himalayan Tahr. Much improved roads, accommodation and food are making this an easier and more comfortable trip. It was a grand adventure to one of the most spectacular and remote areas on earth. The only foreigners we saw in 22 days were members of another birding group.