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.
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.

Our most notable wild residents are the birdlife. 


​​So notable, in fact, that we've given them their own page:

Possums

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.​This Brushy lives in the Abbotsley carport roof and loves to come out every evening and clean up whatever feed the birds have left at the end of their day.

We hear them every summer evening but almost never see them...

Cyclochila australasiae, commonly known as the 'green grocer' cicada

It'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.
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!
..
and this St Andrews Cross spider - also at Whistlewood - is really impressive too...

Foxes

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.

And more...

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.