THE AUDUBON CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT has become a holiday tradition in the United States and we have participated in several. This year we will have our own, the Bali Christmas Bird Count.
Made in Bali (it's a play on words, get it?)
Ever resourceful, Connie found a local bird guide online and arranged for a day of birding—our mutual Christmas present—in and around Bali Barat National Park. Made Surya, ma-day, learned English at university where he studied accounting. After Covid he left the business world for a career as full-time bird-guide, good news for us.
Endemic Bali Myna
Connie and Made had compromised on a list of twenty target species we could hope to find. He picked us up at 6:30 Friday morning, cautioning us that the rains are late this year which is affecting the nesting behavior, but within an hour we had checked the #1 suspect off our list, the endemic Bali Myna, and we hadn’t even gotten to the Park!
Javan Banded Pita
Sunda Scops Owl
Javan Banded Pitas are colorful but stealthy and it required a short hike to Made’s secret spot. We settled in for a stakeout while the pita dodged and darted through the underbrush continuously calling. It took twenty minutes before we could get a good look and a photo. On the hike out Made conjured up a Sunda Scops Owl—conjuring is the only way I can describe it, the bird was so well hidden. I’m astonished I could get this photo.
Black-Necked Fruit Dove
Grey-Cheeked Green Pigeon
Black-Necked Fruit Doves and Grey-Cheeked Green Pigeons are relatively large birds and one might think they would be easy to see. But once they perch in a leafy fig tree they seem disappear. This is where a guide with good eyes and a laser-pointer comes in handy! Another new species, the Freckle-Backed Woodpecker was much more cooperative as were the Common Iora and Scarlet-Headed Flowerpecker—neither was new but they’re both cuties.
Freckel-Backed Woodpecker
Uncommonly Cute Common Iora
Scarlet-Headed Flowerpecker
I didn’t hold out much hope for the Savanah Nightjar. Nightjars are usually seen at night (duh) by watching where they land and shining a bright spotlight on them. But Made somehow saw this one sheltering from the sun under a bush. I had trouble making it out even when I knew where it was!
Well Camoflaged Savanah Nightjar
Our final stop was at the Banyu Wedang salt pans for the Sunda Teal, just another run-of-the-mill teal as far as I am concerned but a new species for Connie. The salt gathering operation is pretty fascinating. The drained ponds attract all sorts of shorebirds like this trio on one small sandbar. And as we were driving out, what should fly by but five Sunda Teal.
Grey-Tailed Tattler, Common Greenshanks & Bar-Tailed Godwit
Our total for the First Annual Bali Christmas Bird Count is 57 species. Fifteen "Lifers" was a nice Christmas present indeed. And don’t tell Made but Connie would have called the day a success with just Javan Banded Pita and the Bali Myna!
