When: August 2016 Weather: Warm 26-30C
Nikon P900
After our successful meeting in Bali, we headed up to Ubud to chill for one night. Staying at one of the many resort hotels there, we arrived just as dusk fell. We were recommended Locavore as a top restaurant in Bali utilising local ingredients cooked in western fashion but I would say it was underwhelming. Merah Putih in Kerobokan on the way back to the airport the next evening was much better at a quarter the price.
Bali Birding tours is well known as the birding experts in Ubud so we joined Su and 4 others for our 3 hour trek through the Ubud rice terraces…We met at Murni’s Warung which backs onto a verdant hillside and there was some activity of common birds…

the first bird we saw was the ubiquitous yellow vented bulbul, so common in asia.

a rather handsome spotted dove posed in the sunlight

and then this splendid male brown throated sunbird made an appearance
We then set off among the padi fields after a 10min ride by van…..

The munias were very busy feeding on the rice grains…here a scaly breasted munia

juvenile scaly breasted munia

back view of scaly breasted munia

and then this first of two Bali endemics we saw on this trip…the Javan Munia

Javan Munias perched on wire

Much better view of the Javan Munia bathing in our pool!

Aaaah…

The unmistakeable zitting of a zitting cisticola…

Hello! Ziiiiiit

another view of zitting cisticola

and then this golden headed cisticola appeared..a lifer for me!

The second Bali endemic..The Javan Kingfisher

resplendent in blue and violet with orange beak..the Javan Kingfisher

another view

an olive winged sunbird feeding…

diving sunbird

duckies in a row…

and a lovely tree snake in the water..

close up of snake

and just before we left,,this plaintive cuckoo appeared..

plaintive cuckoo
All in, a reasonably fruitful morning although it would have been nicer to start at 730am!
Awesome shots!
Great set of photos. Love the Kingfisher!