MY MOVE TO NORTH WARRANDYTE

I have now moved into my beautiful new home on the Yarra River in North Warrandyte.

View from my kitchen window

I've been here eight weeks and the list of birds seen on my property numbers 41 species.  So far, there's just one introduced species, the Common Myna.  When I write 'CB' on my daily walk list, here it means 'Common Bronzewing' not 'Common Blackbird' as it did in Kew. I'm delighted to report that my list does not include the native but most unwelcome Noisy Miner.  Perhaps for this reason I have fairywrens, scrubwrens and thornbills.  I rarely venture out after dark so my birdlist does not yet include any nightbirds.  I believe there are Powerful and Barking Owls, Southern Boobooks and Tawny Frogmouths.  There are choughs up the road which haven't made it to my place since I've been here and the previous owner photographed a Crested Shriketit in the backyard. I've found active nests of Red Wattlebirds, Superb Fairywrens and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters and an old nest of an Eastern Yellow Robin.  I'm told the Yellow-faced Honeyeaters are resident all year round, which is interesting as I always thought of these birds as migratory.  When I check Simpson and Day, it says they can be an annual migrant, a partial migrant or nomadic. 'The Australian Bird Guide' talks of annual migration but notes that 'many birds remain in coastal south east Australia.'

River Yarra from my place

Rainbow Lorikeets are present but not in plague proportions as they are in many parts of Melbourne.  Crimson Rosellas are far more common.  The most numerous species is the Red Wattlebird.  I have two cuckoos so far - Brush and Fantailed.  I look forward to adding more to my list.

My backyard

 Echidnas are common and I have a resident wombat who I have not yet met.  My bluetongue likes to sun himself beside the swimming pool.  I'm turning the pool into wetlands and I've changed the design to retain the bluetongue's bricks.  I have a frog pond too, decorated with pink waterlilies.  It is home to Pobblebonks, Common Eastern Froglets and at least one huge Spiny Crayfish.  Yesterday I found a dead blue frog, which I have not yet identified.

My frog pond

It truly is a lovely home and very different from my home in Kew.  Just two things prevent it from being perfect:  (1) the genuine fear of bushfire (I have a bunker); and (2) I cannot walk to the shops.

As I write, an Eastern Spinebill is playing in the garden, luring me outside.  I fear I may not get as much writing done here, as I did in Kew.