Sacred Kingfishers and White-breasted Waterhens

Birding was terrific! Gail is an old pro, but I'm clueless. My only other bird-watching experience consisted of roasting in a Costa Rica parking lot without binoculars while people around me exclaimed at the beautiful birds they saw. Not much fun. Today was LOTS of fun!

We met Sumadi, our guide, at 9 am outside a small warang (cafe). She gave us binoculars, water and a list of birds we might see here in Ubud. Then she lit a stick of incense and laid out several little offerings before we set out. She has an amazing eye and immediately began pointing out birds and butterflies to us. She also seemed to know every plant we passed and gave us a basic lesson in traditional medicines.

She led us across the main street in town, up a hill, and into the rice paddies. We walked on narrow, hard-packed dirt and concrete trails that followed the irrigation canals. This is a world we never saw from a bus window. There were farmers, teenagers on scooters, small shops and restaurants, women selling fruit, and temples along the narrow footpath. We were surprised to even see rental homes and small tourist hotels back there. How on earth do people find their way to these places?

Su explained that a public board controls the water supply, and that one of its main missions was to make sure that farmers at the lowest elevations received all the water they required for their crops. Strange scarecrows and tiny shrines were scattered throughout the fields. One of the other people in our group asked if one of the structures was spiritual, and Su chuckled and said, "In Bali, everything is spiritual and practical at the same time."

Of course we saw birds, 23 different species, and about 15 kinds of butterflies, too. Su is a great tour leader and made sure even those of us who were incompetent (me) saw everything. About 2 hours into our walk, she took us to a tiny lean-to/shop to rest a bit. We had fresh coconut water, tapioca chips, rice chips, and special Bali Jimmy Carter peanuts. Afterward, we made our way back to town, with lessons all along the way. We shared a Balinese lunch and discussed what we had seen on our walk. Su also shared some of the experiences she had traveling in the US. Nice lady. Beautiful birds. Great morning.