Under The Paws: Erlang Shan - Next stop on our China/Tibet Holiday

Firethroat - Love his fluffy pants

Finally released from a traffic jam to then get a puncture.

Whoops, time runs away with you and I find other posts had been posted before finishing our China and Tibet holiday blog.

Many of our destinations required some travelling, so if not early starts for the birds i.e. getting up way before the sunrise we also had to get miles under our belt. This day proved to be soooooooo long......Again my frustration was that photography was not the prime aim of those
people on our trip so photos were snatched when

Rice threshing

I was able. Occasionally we would stop for lunch or whatever!! or on the occasion below, when we got a puncture..... to the embarrassment of our Chinese guide. There seems to be nothing like the RAC so taxi rides to the local town and a repair ensued. Stopping for a proper repair in the town we were choked by the industrialisation, smog, smog, smog, the acid of which went into the back of your throat. However amongst the dull acidic light people would snatch a patch of ground and cultivate it. While others on our trip looked for a chance of birds in this environment I watched generations of one family harvest their rice crop traditionally.

Off we went again on what can only be described as a mizzly day, the air was moist and clothes just became damp however what fantastic birds that even a non bird watcher can appreciate. A FIRETHROAT, a stunning bird and a weird COLLARED OWLET.

Firethroat

A favourite

The two faced, Collared Owlet

The Owlet threw me!My OH found it in the scope and I looked but...........was it two owls one facing one way and the other facing 180 degrees in the opposite direction? but I could not see another body, I tentatively put it to my OH "does this owl have two faces????????... " waiting for a derisory comment, which I got!!!!! However the birding guide heard and indeed said the owl had an exact owl copy of its face on the back of its head......something that 'you know who' had missed : )))

Eager, bright endearing kids

Our accommodation at our next stop seemed to cyclist heaven!!! however it was in a village which had the greenest of gardens, the cutest dogs and the most endearing of children but these were only seen the next day as we arrived at 11pm due to horrendous horrendous traffic and our puncture.