Day 55: 3rd Full Day in Bali
Sunday 9 March 2014
86 °F
Today was my third full day on the paradise island of Bali, Indonesia.
We woke up bright and early for a personal, guided walking tour of the area near the villa in which we're staying. Our driver Marday led the tour.
The first bird on the walk was this SCALY-BREASTED MUNIA, which seems to be one of the most abundant birds on the island:
The trail passed by some extremely beautiful sights, including the following:
Coffee tree:
River surrounded by jungle:
Our villa from afar:
A simply ornate Hindu temple:
Most of the day was quiet and spent at the villa relaxing, swimming, and schooling.
Then, in the evening, our driver Marday picked us up again for a driving tour of the area from 5:00PM-8:30PM.
Our first stop on the tour was a traditional Balinese-style restaurant right in the middle of the rice fields. Our family got to sit on the table, which was the proper Balinese style of dining. My sister got chicken while my mom, dad, and I all got what that restaurant was known for--fried (Balinese style) duck. I saw a few birds in the surrounding fields, including the following:
A male YELLOW-VENTED BULBUL displaying right next to an uninterested female:
A gorgeous JAVAN MUNIA, a nice change from their more abundant scaly-breasted cousins:
Juvenile SPOTTED DOVES:
ZITTING CISTICOLA with a small grasshopper to eat:
The main attraction of the evening, however, was going to a Balinese-style dance show.
The dance was about the story Sita Rama from the Hindu epic Ramayana. It was a beautiful, entrancing show that featured elaborate costumes, fascinating musical rhythms, and great Balinese dance. Here are some photos from the show:
It was a great day.
Bird-of-the-day to the JAVAN MUNIA which allowed for a nice photo.
Stay tuned to my blog because I am spending another four nights (including tonight) in Bali, then two nights and Singapore, and finally back home.
On a final note, please remember that I would be happy to include you on my Bali and Singapore photo stream--simply email me if you wish to be included in this faster way to see my photos from the day.
Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 638 Species (no new life birds today)
