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Bickleigh Vale is a unique environment situated In the middle of busy outer eastern suburb of Melbourne. Mooroolbark has a population of about 22,000 in 2017 and sits at the base of Mount Dandenong - a series of low mountain ranges rising to 663 metres. The ranges consist mostly of rolling hills, steeply weathered valleys and gullies covered in thick temperate rainforest and dense ferny undergrowth. Unfortunately, over the years, most of Mooroolbark's native bushland has disappeared and given way to suburbia so the natural habitat of native flora and fauna has been vastly depleted. Over 80 years ago, Edna Walling planted some native trees in Bickleigh Vale and to this day they are enjoyed by native fauna. |
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We are very fortunate to have maintained a small but varied wildlife population that, for the most part, residents are delighted to share their gardens with.
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Brushy Tail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) we have a vast population living in all our large trees within the village. We do see Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrines) but the population is small compared to the Brushy Tail Possum.
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We have had sightings of tiny bats flying around very early in the morning but we are unsure of the identity of the species
Some of the gardens have beautiful fish ponds and tiny frogs can be found - sometimes in unlikely places. Larger frogs can also be heard croaking loudly in chorus at dusk and after dark.
Yabbies and small skink lizards can also be found in the gardens - especially near the creek, Thankfully we seem to be snake free.
Spring and Summer the gardens are full of butterfly's and bees. Bickleigh Vale does have its resident bee keepers!
Our most notable wild residents are the birdlife.
Near their nest outside Wimborne and Abbotsley
In the Sonningfield garden
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White-faced herons In Spring 2019, a pair of White-faced Herons built a nest high in a pine tree on roadside by Wimborne and Abbotsley. After one failure they built another nest higher up and eventually two young hatched. Like many young birds their first excursion out of the nest are just along the branches while they were still being fed by their parents. Soon they could be seen in nearby trees, though still high up, especially in the trees at Sonningfield. They soon came down to start feeding and visited several properties. One of their vantage points was the tennis court fence at The Barn. [photo] 
Watching tennis at The Barn
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They spent some time hunting frogs and insects in and around the ponds at Whistlewood before heading off to explore the wider world. |
Hunting around the Whistlewood ponds
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Tawny Frogmouths (Podargus strigoides) - we have a family of Tawny Frogmouths with in the trees of Sonning / Sonningfield last spring and have been recently heard. |
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Powerful Owl with possum prey, Devon Cottage
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Powerful Owls (Ninox strenua) - have been sighted in the trees in the Devon Cottage garden and, more recently, in the Pine Tree opposite Downderry. This one at Devon Cottage had caught an unlucky possum. Other unidentified owls play the "Guess where I am" game - hooting and clearly audible the length of the village. |
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In the morning, the sulphur crested cockatoos and corellas can make quite a racket as they screach around the village. 
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Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Devon Cottage
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But the Kookaburra's are there every day - laughing away to each other morning and evening.as they keep a lookout for a juicy morsel when gardeners are turning the soil. This one was sitting in an old gum tree in Edna Walling Lane |
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King Parrots, Devon Cottage
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Red-browed Finch, Devon Cottage
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Galah, Devon Cottage
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Bird Sightings
Most of the birds seen at Bickleigh Vale are resident in the village with the most obvious seasonal visitor being the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos which arrive for Christmas and stay over summer.
Several species breed here and in spring and early summer many juveniles can be seen, especially Crimson Rosellas and Red Wattlebirds.
Several species breed here and in spring and early summer many juveniles can be seen, especially Crimson Rosellas and Red Wattlebirds.
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1. Wedge-tailed Eagle (flying overhead) 2. Masked Lapwing 3. White-faced Heron 4. Common Bronzewing 5. Crested Pigeon 6. Spotted Pigeon 7. Rock Dove (Common Pigeon) 8. Tawny Frogmouth (heard at night) 9. Galah 10. Little Corella 11. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo 12. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo 13 Gang-gang Cockatoo 14. Rainbow Lorikeet 15. Little Lorikeet 16. Australian King-Parrot 17. Crimson Rosella 18. Eastern Rosella 19. Southern Boobook (heard at night) 20. Laughing Kookaburra 21. White-browed Scrubwren 22. Brown Thornbill 23. Spotted Pardalote 24. Eastern Spinebill 25. Noisy Miner 26. Common Myna 27. Red Wattlebird 28. Eastern Spinebill 29. Grey Fantail 30. Grey Butcherbird 31. Australian Magpie 32. Pied Currawong 33. Little Raven 34. Blackbird 35. Red-browed Finch 36. Silvereye |
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Gang-gang cockatoos at The Barn, January 2018
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Thirsty Rainbow Lorikeets at Sonningfield, Feb 2018
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We hear them every summer evening but almost never see them...
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Cyclochila australasiae, commonly known as the 'green grocer' cicadaIt's one of Australia's most familiar insects and distributed through coastal regions of southeastern Australia - including Bickleigh Vale. This one was resting quietly in the back garden at Abbotsley on Christmas Eve 2017.
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We have some
Amazing Spiders!
When Karyn saw Susan's picture of this Enamelled Spider at Whistlewood, she said, "Its got a picture of your sister's Boxer dog on it's back - and she's right! Once you've seen it, you can't unsee it!
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..
and this St Andrews Cross spider - also at Whistlewood - is really impressive too...
and this St Andrews Cross spider - also at Whistlewood - is really impressive too...
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A Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) family lives along the small creek which runs through Abbotsley and Sarn. Throughout the seasons they can be seen at all hours of the day especially in the Summer months playing with their new cubs on the lawns of Sonning / Sonningfield in the early morning.
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