My parents had planned a one week trip to Bali, Indonesia from the 13th-19th of July. I took the chance, and we asked Bali Birding Tours to guide us for some endemic birds for three and a half days, while the last three day we could relax.
Day 1 – 13th Saturday 2024:
We flew from Hong Kong at 9:30AM, and five hours we landed at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, at Denpasar, Bali. We met up with our guide, Mas, and our driver, Nur from Bali Birding Tour. The drive to our hotel ( Handara golf and resort Bali) was three hours, and by the time we got to the hotel in the highlands, it was 8PM. We did not expect that in our hotel grounds, it was 15 degrees at night, but it had to relate that we were over 1100 meters above sea level! After dinner, we slept early, as we were starting at 6:30AM the following day.
Beautiful stars in Handara – not a sight we see in Hong Kong due to light pollution
Day 2 – 14th Sunday 2024:
Me and my dad met up with Mas in the lobby at 6:30, and we walked down a path behind the hotel. It turned out that we did not bring warm enough clothes, even with two jackets and a shirt, I was still a bit cold. Mas said that this road was quite birdy early in the morning, and sure enough after a bit of playback, a flock of Javan grey throated white eyes flew in.
Javan Grey Throated White Eye
Suddenly, Mas metioned to us that he had heard the crescent chested babbler, and soon we spotted a few birds skulking in the bushes next to the road. I got good views of the babbler, but only my dad got a shot.
Crescent Chested Babbler – photo by my dad
A few minutes later, w saw a pair of sunda warblers were foraging behind some trees, and a quick burst of playback brought them out into the open.
Sunda Warbler – calling
We continued along the road, and I suddenly spotted a small bird perched on the side of the road hawking for insects, a quickly scan confirmed it to be a female little pied flycatcher. Further along, we found a pair of freckle breasted woodpecker, but the lighting was bad for photos.
Little Pied Flycatcher – female
Freckle breasted woodpecker – male
Up ahead, a fruiting bush attracted a female blood breasted flowerpecker down low to feed, while a few olive backed tailorbirds called from the bushes.
Blood breasted flowerpecker – female
Olive Backed Tailorbird
With that, we headed for breakfast with my mom and my sister. After breakfast and checking out, we headed to Bedugul Botanical Gardens for birding. Along the way, we stopped for a photo on the hotel gates, and while waiting, I got the chance to photograph common species such as the cave swiftlet, and we also saw a few grey cheeked green pigeons.
Cave Swiftlet
Grey Cheeked Green Pigeon
Once we arrived at the botanical garden, we immediately heard the call of the flame fronted barbet, and with a burst of playback, it flew in out into the open.
Flame Fronted Barbet – calling
After the barbet, things got quiet for a while, so we moved spots to higher up near the temple, where we heard and saw the sunda cuckoo, but no photographs. Mas heard the black backed fruit dove, and as soon we headed into the forest, where after a bit of playback, a pair of the black backed fruit doves flew up to a large tree. Mas stated that this species is really hard to see in Bali, and he had only see it a few times before.
Black Backed Fruit Dove
We also heard the javan owlet, though we could not see it despite coming really close. Next, Mas led us to look for the javan bush warbler next to the road. When we arrived there, Mas played a burst of playback, and soon enough we heard the reply from another individual. After a while of more waiting and getting brief views of it skulking inside the bush, we saw the bush warbler calling from a branch, though it was partially covered I got a record shot.
Javan Bush Warbler – singing
Just before we left, we added a javan hawk eagle which appeared very briefly and a pair of fulvous breasted jungle flycatcher.
Javan Hawk Eagle – rare in Bedugul according to Mas
Fulvous Breasted Jungle Flycatcher
We headed to lunch after that, where I got a nasi goreng fried rice. After lunch, we started the three hour long drive to West Bali National Bark ( Bali Barat NP ).
I slept through most of the drive, and as we were arriving at the hotel, Mas said that as there were still daylight, we could go and try for the green junglefowl. At first it was pretty quiet, with no birds. Nur then turned the car onto another road, and that was a magic road for the junglefowl. Almost as soon as we were on the road, we spotted a male junglefowl, and from there we stopped at around every 5 minutes as we spotted the junglefowl.
Green Junglefowl – male
Green Junglefowl – female
As it was getting dark, we checked into our hotel, The Menjangan and we slept early once again for an even earlier start tomorrow, meeting Mas at 5:30AM.
Day 3 – 15th Monday 2024:
Today was our only full day at West Bali National Park, and with an early start, we drove out of the National Park, to a hide for the Javan Kingfisher. The sun was just rising when we arrived at the rice fields where the kingfisher resides, and there a few Javan Pond Herons around.
Javan Pond Heron – inflight
We soon got into the hide for the Javan Kingfisher, where Mas got some crickets and put it on a wooden post, and almost as soon as he left, the kingfisher flew in.
Javan Kingfisher
Our next stop was the bali myna rehabilitation centre, where the staff there handed out food for the wild bali mynas, and Mas said that it was a guarantee for me to see. When we arrived there, I immediately saw a huge flock of white birds, and what other can it be than the BALI MYNA!! Me and my family observed the myna for over 20 minutes at close range and eye – level.
Bali Myna
We decided to go birding around the grounds of the rehabilitation centre, where we got a pair of Malaysian pied fantails along with a coppersmith barbet which showed beautifully at it’s nest.
Malaysian Pied Fantail
Coppersmith Barbet – at nest
Next, a male scarlet headed flowerpecker showed itself, and it was joined by other birds, such as black winged flycatcher shrike, small minivet and white bellied sea eagle which drifted over us.
Scarlet Headed Flowerpecker – male
Black Winged Flycatcher – Shrike
Small Minivet
White – Bellied Sea Eagle
As we had gotten all of the targets at this location, we decided to head to a hide to look for the javan banded pitta. The hide was next to a temple, and we were sharing it with another group. Almost a soon as Mas and another guide put the mealworms on the branch, we heard the call of the pitta, and slowly and cautiously the male pitta hopped out onto the clearing. It soon started feeding, but it did not stay long, as it was chased away by a few yellow vented bulbuls.
Javan Banded Pitta – a real stunner!
Yellow Vented Bulbul – common in bali
A rufous backed dwarf kingfisher soon joined the fray, along with an olive backed tailorbird and an fulvous breasted flycatcher.
Rufous Backed Dwarf Kingfisher
Olive Backed Tailorbird
Fulvous Breasted Flycatcher
Once again with all the targets complete, we decided to head to the next spot for a pair of sunda scops owl. The pair was roosting in the backyard of someone’s home, so after a few minutes, we decided to leave it alone.
Sunda Scops Owl
With this target in the bag, we headed to the Gilimanuk savanna area, to look for the savanna nightjar, white shouldered triller, brown honeyeater and the little blue kingfisher. When we arrived, we almost immediately flushed a savanna nightjar, I wanted to go after it, but Mas said that there would be more around the area. And sure enough, after a few minutes Mas said that he had spotted the bird, and we enjoyed great views of it.
Savanna Nightjar – inflight
Savanna Nightjar
After we had enough, we decided to look for the triller, and so we got great views of a pair, though it was a bit far away.
White Shouldered Triller – male and female
We tried really hard for the brown honeyeater, but it did not want to show. Other birds in the area include white breasted woodswallow, sunda collared dove and chestnut headed bee eater.
White Breasted Woodswallow
Sunda Collared Dove
Chestnut Headed Bee Eater
Mas then said that he had a better place for the brown honeyeater, and within a few minutes of driving, we had reached someone’s back garden with a water fountain. I was a bit confused, until a pair of brown honeyeaters flew down and started drinking at the water fountain. The birds stayed there almost the whole time we were there. Mas stated that this was the only water source around, and so it attracted the honeyeaters here. A zebra dove also came in for a dip.
Brown Honeyeater
Zebra Dove
As it was nearing noon, we decided to head to lunch before we continued to go birding in the afternoon. After lunch, we dropped off my mom and sister at back at the hotel, before we headed out to another hide. When we got there, I spotted what I think was a changable hawk eagle, though we could not cofirm the ID as Mas did not see it. We headed into the hide, and soon the Javan banded pitta came hopping out. It was later joined by a horsefield’s babbler, which was another new bird for me.
Javan Banded Pitta
Horsefield’s Babbler
We started making our way to the nearby spot for the roosting oriental bay owl, but along the way, we spotted another bird guide from Bali Birding looking at something. He told us that it was a black thighed falconet, but as it was the first time seeing this species, I never expected it to be this small! Soon after the falconet flew away, we turned from the grassland into a small path into the trees to look for the bay owl, and within a few minutes we were getting great eye level views of the owl!
Black Thighed Falconet
Oriental Bay Owl – roosting
We left the owl in peace, and next stop was for the javan plover in the saltpans. It turned out that the plovers were easy to find, as when we arrived at the saltpans, we were greeted with a few Javan Plovers.
Javan Plover
We were busy with photographing the plovers, so when me and my dad looked up, we saw Mas gesturing for us to come, and it turned put that he had called in a pair of pied stilts.
Pied Stilt – flying
As there was still daylight, we decided to got back to the hotel and look for the green junglefowl again. The views were not as great today, most of them stayed in the cover of the bushes, only my dad got a reasonably good shot.
Green Junglefowl – photo by my dad
Suddenly, Mas heard the call of the black thighed falconet, so we got of the car and sure enough we saw it fly by the road and land on a dead tree. When we got our bins on it, it was eating a rat.
Black Thighed Falconet – inflight
Black Thighed Falconet – feeding
As we were driving back to the hotel, we got one more Javan Banded Pitta before the sun set, and it was an early start at 5AM tommorow.
Javan Banded Pitta – wild looking setting
Day 4 – 16th Tuesday 2024:
Today was our last day with Mas and Nur, so I wanted to make the best of it and add as many species as possible. My main target was the black winged starling and java sparrow that we had missed yesterday. After the early start at 5AM, we arrived at a temple near Penebel, and as I walked around, I spotted a black winged starling! I called Mas and my dad over, as they were still having their breakfast and soon enough Mas had found us an adult! The first one that I had seen was a bit scruffy, with it’s head almost without any feathers.
Black Winged Starling – scruffy individual
Black Winged Starling – adult
Our next target bird was the little barbet, though it was a bit shy and only after half an hour did it allow a record shot. While we were waiting for the little barbet, a flame fronted barbet also appeared.
Little Barbet – just larger than a white eye
Flame Fronted Barbet
As we walked along, Mas played the call of the black naped fruit dove and soon we heard not one but two respond on both sides of the road. Suddenly, as my dad and Mas was looking in the other direction, I saw a plump, green bird fly up to a branch really close to the road, and I exclaimed “Fruit dove!”. Within moments, us three was enjoying great views of a male dove, and as it was just sitting there, we got good photos too.
Black Naped Fruit Dove – male
Our next stop was next to the stream to look for the white crowed forktail, but almost as soon as we arrived, we got a male orange breasted flowerpecker.
Orange Breasted Flowerpecker
In the end, the we heard and saw the forktail, but it was just too fast for a photograph. Other birds we saw include a square tailed drongo cuckoo, a sankar white eye which we saw and a feeding black naped fruit dove.
Square Tailed Drongo Cuckoo
Black Naped Fruit Dove – feeding
With this, we headed off to lunch and the restaurant was looking over rice fields, and we got a few Javan Pond Herons there.
Javan Pond Heron
After lunch, we headed to mengwi bus stop, the place that I least expected to find two lifers! Our main target there was the java sparrow, and soon enough when we arrived we saw around a dozen individuals, juveniles, males and females. Other than the sparrow, we got a pair of javan munias with a nest, another new bird for me. A pacific swallow landed on top of me, though only my dad got a good shot.
Java Sparrow – male
Javan Munia
Pacific Swallow – photo by my dad
Our next and final stop was to Nusa Dua Water Treatment Plant, Mas stated that although it was a wtp, there are some good birds there. When we first arrived there, one of the first birds that we saw was a purple heron.
Purple Heron
Mas then spotted two sunda teal a few ponds away, and so we decided to creep slowly up towards them to get closer. But they soon got spooked, and we flushed them. Other birds include little pied and little black cormorant, little tern, javan myna and blue tailed bee eater.
Sunda Teal
Sunda Teal – inflight
Little Pied Cormorant – inflight
Little Black Cormorant
Little Tern
Javan Myna
Blue Tailed Bee Eater
Our next stop was for the Little Blue Kingfisher, and along the way we got a pair of white browed crakes.
White Browed Crake
All the little blue kingfisher needed was a burst of playback, and a pair of them flew right out into the open, and they even started a courtship dance!
Little Blue Kingfisher
Little Blue Kingfisher – courtship dance
As we were heading back to the car, we added orange breasted and pink necked green pigeon and striated heron.
Orange Breasted Green Pigeon
Pink Necked Fruit Dove
Straited Heron
We got back onto the car, and towards our last hotel, Andaz Sanur, where we said goodbye to Mas and Nur, and we checked into the hotel.
Day 5 – 17th Wedsday 2024:
There were some trees around our resort, and so I woke up early to look for some birds. The first bird that I got was a javan munia carrying nesting munia.
Javan Munia – carrying nesting material
A pair of large billed crows flew over, joined by a close view of a white breasted woodswallow. I was even more surprised to find a small flock of grey cheeked green pigeon.
Large Billed Crow – flying
White Breasted Woodswallow
Grey Cheeked Green Pigeon
After lunch, we decided to go biking along the shorline where we got a pretty confiding pacific reef heron and another little tern and a juvenile Malaysian pied fantail before dark.
Pacific Reef Heron
Little Tern
Malaysian Pied Fantail – juvenile
Day 6 – 18th Thursday 2024:
We woke up early today to rafting, all the notable bird to be seen there was a pair of Javan Kingfisher, a white crowned forktail and a Stork Billed Kingfisher, though it was a shame that I could not bring my camera. For the afternoon, we did some sea watching out from the beach where were got a pair of sooty terns without a photo, a lesser or greater crested tern ( too far away to identify ) and a trio of little pied cormorant.
Lesser or Greater Crested Tern – over 1 km away
Little Pied Cormorant
At dusk, I heard the call of the savanna nightjar, and as it was too dark for proper photo, I did some artistic shot.
Savanna Nightjar – inflight
Day 7 – 19th Friday 2024:
I decided to wake up early with my dad to try and find the nightjars, and we got some cool shots of them perched and calling. When it started to get lighter and they stopped calling, we looked for other birds such as coppersmith barbet, orange breasted green pigeon and lemon bellied white eye.
Savanna Nightjar – calling
Coppersmith Barbet
Orange Breasted Green Pigeon
Lemon Bellied White Eye – only photo of this species of the trip
The most unexpected find, however was a tanimbar cockatoo which I later learned that this was a escapee.
Tanimbar Cockatoo
With that, we headed to breakfast and packed our bag and headed to the airport. Our flight landed in Hong Kong at 9:30PM.
In conclusion, the trip was really successful, with the proper birding time of 3 days we covered highland, lowland and wetland habitats. Our total was 127 species on this trip, and 73 of which were lifers! Thanks to Mas and Nur for organising and planning the time perfectly for such a short time zone to get as many birds as possible. It would have be nearly impossibly for me to find those by myself.
