Section 1 - Introduction, logistics, itinerary and general information.
Section 2 - Birding sites (Java - Bogor Botanical Garden).
Section 3 - Birding sites (Java - Gunung Gede and Cibodas).
Section 4 - Birding sites (Java - Carita, Indramayu, Pantai Song and Cangkring).
Section 5 - Birding sites (Java - Baluran, Pangandaran and Segara Anakan).
Section 6 - Birding sites (Bali - Gilimanuk and Bali Barat).
Section 7 - Birding sites (Bali - Bedugal, Ubud and Sanur).
Section 8 - Annotated checklist.

Bedugal area

Bedugal in the central highlands of Bali is a good base for several sites in the surrounding area. From Denpasar, take one of the numerous buses or bemos (3,000 Rp) going over the island to Srinagara, and ask to be dropped at the botanical gardens.

Accommodation in Bedugal, being such a touristic spot, is plentiful. Several Losman can be found near the botanical gardens, and more expensive hotels can be found on the shore of Lake Bratan and at several up-market joints and resorts along the main road. Losman near the centre of town suffer the usual problem of the early call to prayer from the mosque, but have better access to shops, restaurants and the botanical gardens. For quieter surroundings a better alternative is to stay outside the town. I tried both; in town staying at the Dahlia Indah Guesthouse (20,000 Rp) near the entrance of the botanical gardens, and outside at the Losman Strawberry Hill (20,000 Rp) opposite the entrance to Lake Bratan. The Strawberry Hill had the advantage of hot showers (especially appreciated up here in the highlands) and no mosque, but suffered from road noise (ear-plugs were very useful).

The three main birding areas around Bedugal are the Bedugal botanical gardens, the forested ridge above Lake Bratan, and the shores and secondary growth around Lake Buyan.

Bedugal Botanical Gardens. These are the highland extension of the Kabun Raya of Bogor. The one kilometre entrance road to the gardens, starts in the centre of town, and is marked by a huge phallic statue of a sweetcorn thrusting skyward from a cabbage, and an archway over the road signed "Kabun Raya". The entrance barrier, cafe and ticket booth are found at the end of this road. Unfortunately the gardens are not officially open until 08:00 (1,000 Rp entrance fee), so either ask if anyone is around (unlikely) or it is easy to step over the low barrier and pay on the way out. As with the other parks and gardens of Indonesia avoid the weekends and holidays if at all possible. Birding in the gardens offers the possibility of finding Russet Bush-Warbler (a species which has only recently been discovered to be fairly common in the Bali highlands). Brown Honeyeater can be found in flowing bushes throughout the gardens. The gully and forest around the temples can also be productive early morning. The forest trail climbing through the primary forest behind the gardens, to a small hut is not well marked. To find it, follow the main road uphill from the entrance gate and walk to the left of the administration buildings. The trail starts just to the left of the "Kabun Raya" sign made from small hedges. Interesting species found along the trail include Dark-backed Imperial-Pigeon and Golden Whistler.

Lake Bratan. An interesting half day can be spent exploring the forested ridge above the southern shores of Lake Bratan. From Losman Strawberry Hill and the "policeman" statue, follow the paved road toward the lake. After a few hundred metres you see a large bus parking area after which a white stone road goes off right with the main road bending to the left. Follow this stone road 300 metres, crossing the newly built concrete spillway, after which the road finishes and becomes a narrow trail. After another 50-100 metres a trail goes off left and ascends the ridge. The first half (about a kilometre) of this trail is the best birding section, and has a relatively easy gradient to climb. However, after the narrow viewpoint the trail gets rather steep and is probably not worth the effort from a birding point of view. Those ascending to the top will find a small temple. Judging by the amount of rubbish, this trail must be a favourite pilgrimage at certain times.

Two side trails lead of right from the main trail; the first after a small clearing with a shrine, the second farther toward the viewpoint. I spent a couple of hours along the second, which follows the back side of the ridge through good forest. Several Black-backed Fruit-Dove were found in the high canopy along here. This trail eventually (after about 700 metres?) exits into a plantation. From here it looks likely that it would be possible to descend to the main road, but the trail was very overgrown. The second trail also looked good, but I had no time to explore it. It is possible to walk all the way around the lake at the shore level. The north-east corner appears to consist of open areas with scrub, paddies and grassland.

Lake Buyan. Lake Buyan is just west of the main road, 4-5 km, north of Bedugal. From Bedugal take a bemo, bus (500 Rp) or ojek (2,000 Rp) to Pancasari and get off at the bus terminal and market, where food and water can be bought. Take the road along the north side of the market, which is signed to the "Berry Farm". This road skirts the lake, initially passing houses and agriculture.

This eastern end of the lake is the shallowest and best for crakes, herons, bitterns and waders. To access the lake simply walk along the edges of the fields and paddies. I simply waved, smiled and shook hands with the people I met and had no problems walking through their properties. It is quite wet and boggy underfoot as one nears the lake. After passing the Berry Farm the houses peter-out and the driveable road ends at a campsite/picnic area. Pass under a barrier and continue into a forest plantation. This trail continues for about 900 metres to finish at the lake edge, passing through a series of scrub and secondary growth. Sunda Ground-Thrush was seen feeding on the trail next to the small concrete shrine, and Orange-spotted Bulbul was in the trees around the marked area of rank grassland. Brown Honeyeater is abundant in scrub at the western end of the trail near the lake. A driveable road also skirts the northern side of the road, and is supposed to be walkable to Lake Tamblingam, from where it should be possible to return along the southern side.

Species recorded from Bedugal area:

Little Egret 1 Javan Pond-Heron c(c) Yellow Bittern Cinnamon Bittern 15 Crested Serpent-Eagle 1 Black Eagle Changeable Hawk-Eagle Red Junglefowl 3 Green Junglefowl White-breasted Waterhen 1 White-browed Crake Watercock Common Moorhen c(c) Pintail Snipe 2 Common Greenshank 1 Wood Sandpiper 10 Common Sandpiper 2 Feral Pigeon 10 Spotted Dove 2 Little Cuckoo-Dove 1 Emerald Dove 3 Zebra Dove Orange-breasted Pigeon Grey-cheeked Pigeon  (c) Large Green Pigeon Black-backed Fruit-Dove 5 Dark-backed Imperial Pigeon 2 Yellow-throated Hanging Parrot  (r) Rainbow Lorikeet  (r) Oriental Cuckoo  (c) Sunda Brush Cuckoo Lesser Coucal 1 Sunda Scops Owl Cave Swiftlet c(c) Asian Palm-Swift Collared Kingfisher 3 Sacred Kingfisher Flame-fronted Barbet c(c) Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker Common Flameback Golden Whistler 5 Pied Fantail 6(c) Black-naped Monarch 6 Ashy Drongo 4 Common Iora Black-naped Oriole 3 Javan Cuckooshrike 2 Lesser Cuckooshrike Scarlet Minivet 2(c)

Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrike Long-tailed Shrike 2 Sunda Whistling-Thrush 1 Orange-headed Thrush Sunda Ground-Thrush 1(r) Lesser Shortwing Short-tailed Starling  (r) Asian Glossy Starling c(c) Black-winged Starling Hill Myna Snowy-browed Flycatcher 4 Little Pied Flycatcher  (c) Grey-headed Flycatcher 4 Pied Bushchat c(c) Barn Swallow c(c) Pacific Swallow 1 Orange-spotted Bulbul 1 Yellow-vented Bulbul c(c) Grey-cheeked Bulbul 2 Sangkar White-eye 20 Warbling White-eye c(c) Mees's White-eye c(c) Zitting Cisticola 4 Bar-winged Prinia c(c) Plain Prinia Sunda Bush-Warbler Russet Bush-Warbler Pallas' Grasshopper-Warbler  (r) Mountain Tailorbird 7 Olive-backed Tailorbird 4 Mountain Leaf-Warbler 10(c) Sunda Warbler 8 Horsfield's Babbler 2 Sunda Scimitar-Babbler 20(c) Crescent-chested Babbler c(c) Grey-cheeked Tit-Babbler Great Tit 2 Eurasian Tree-Sparrow c(c) Javan Munia 2(c) White-headed Munia Scaly-breasted Munia  (c) Grey Wagtail 2 Streaked Weaver Plain Flowerpecker 1 Javan Flowerpecker 1 Brown Honeyeater c(c) Ornate Sumbird 6(c) Little Spiderhunter 1

Ubud

Not visited by me, but the paddies around the town of Ubud, in the central highlands, are said to be one of the easiest place to find Javan Kingfisher. As the town is very touristic, accommodation is plentiful, and access is easy by bus or bemo from Denpasar (2,000 Rp). The bar/restaurant "Beggar's Bush" in Ubud is run by Victor Mason, founder of the Bali Bird Society. Other recommended accommodation is Homestay Shana (16,500 Rp/double inc. breakfast).

Species recorded around Ubud (incomplete):

Little Egret Medium Egret Cattle Egret Javan Pond-Heron White-breasted Waterhen Wood Sandpiper Common Sandpiper Spotted Dove Sunda Scops Owl Grey-rumped Treeswift Cave Swiftlet Asian Palm-Swift Javan Kingfisher Sacred Kingfisher Blue-tailed Kingfisher Chestnut-headed Bee-eater

Long-tailed Shrike Pied Bushchat Barn Swallow Pacific Swallow Eastern Red-rumped Swallow Yellow-vented Bulbul Zitting Cisticola Bar-winged Prinia Pallas' Grasshopper-Warbler Olive-backed Tailorbird Australasian Bushlark Eurasian Tree-Sparrow Javan Munia Scarlet-headed Flowerpecker Ornate Sumbird

Sanur Fish Ponds

Not visited by me. The Sanur fish ponds are conveniently located close to the Bali international airport south of Denpasar, and can be visited during a half day at the beginning or end of a trip. The nearby touristic centres of Sanur or Kuta beaches have heaps of accommodation. Access is by bus or bemo along the main Sanur-Kuta route. The nearby Benoa Port causeway also acts as a good observation point, and can be a major orientation point as the plane lands. Both the fish ponds and the mudflats around the Palau Serangan are a major wader attraction. The fishponds do have a security gate, but the guards are friendly and will let you in to watch birds.

Section 1 - Introduction, logistics, itinerary and general information.
Section 2 - Birding sites (Java - Bogor Botanical Garden).
Section 3 - Birding sites (Java - Gunung Gede and Cibodas).
Section 4 - Birding sites (Java - Carita, Indramayu, Pantai Song and Cangkring).
Section 5 - Birding sites (Java - Baluran, Pangandaran and Segara Anakan).
Section 6 - Birding sites (Bali - Gilimanuk and Bali Barat).
Section 7 - Birding sites (Bali - Bedugal, Ubud and Sanur).
Section 8 - Annotated checklist.