It’s a neglected corner of Bali, savanna grasslands on rocky, basaltic hills between Pemuteran and Taman Nasional Bali Barat (the Bali Barat National Park), uninhabited and apparently unutilised. I was surprised by the good condition of the vegetation.
Overhead, Blue-tailed Bee-eaters accompanied me throughout (along with the inevitable swiftlets). I flushed a pair of Savanna Nightjars from the ground, and further on a pair of Lesser Coucals. On descending to a wooded zone, a flock of Small Minivets alighted on a treetrop like red and yellow candles. This was some of the best birdwatching I had in Bali.
It was very hot, probably in the high 30s Celsius. I climbed a hundred metres or so at a time, seeking the little shade in which to rest. In my younger days, it wouldn’t have troubled me. I felt fine at the end of my long morning’s walk, but the following day I awoke to a mild case of heatstroke.
Notwithstanding (and as only a dedicated natural historian can!), I rate this morning walk in the savanna as one of the highlights to my time in Bali.