Within the Dandenong Ranges, about an hour east of Melbourne, is a stunning garden called Cloudehill. It is one of the three display garden nurseries of the Diggers Club. The other two gardens are the Garden of St Erth in Blackwood and Heronswood in Dromana. I think Cloudehill is one of the most beautiful gardens I have been to and as an added bonus it is usually full of birds. While Mrs Gap Year wanders around and then hits the nursery shop or the cafe to read the paper I can go deeper into the gullies at the bottom of the gardens and look for birds. On this occasion I went to find the resident lyrebirds but for the first time I did not hear or see them. I did find a rather large and noisy flock of Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos – shooting into the canopy was difficult but with Lightroom the images could be salvaged.
Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo
Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo II – several were chewing on the bark of this tree.
Silvereye
Juvenile Silvereye
Juvenile Spinebill
Juvenile Spinebill II
Juvenile Spinebill III
Juvenile Spinebill IV
Part 2 – The Wonderful Gardens of Cloudehill
Coming Soon:
Part 3 – Colours of Cloudehill
The Gap Year and Beyond 
And speaking of spinebills… at best I know maybe around 50-60 species of native birds without needing to look up a book, however, I was down at Greens Bush on the weekend walking the Long Point Circuit with a pair of 7×50’s… and saw my first spinebill, which I would not have known except for your earlier post! Thanks!
LikeLike
Thanks Andrew, I do like a bird that has an easier identifier – in the case of the Spinebill it is the long curved bill. I am seeing quite a few around at the moment especially juveniles as they have not learnt to fear everything yet. The one above stayed on the blue flowering bush for quite a while until a parent zoomed down and spooked him and took him away over the hedge.
LikeLike
Regards to Mrs Gap Year
LikeLike
Actually Mrs Gap Year came down into the gullies with me looking for the Lyrebirds and other birds as well…..I was very surprised….I will turn her into a keen birder yet….(just don’t mention the mozzies, ticks, leeches, snakes and spiders – oohh so many spider webs I have walked into….)
LikeLike