Eynesbury Forest, at 288 hectares, is one of Victoria’s largest remaining stands of Grey Box, & the largest one south of the Dividing Range. It is a reminder of the Grey Box Woodlands that once covered much of this region, along with vast areas of rolling grasslands. In springtime the woodland comes alive with masses of yellow & gold wattles & bushpeas, as well as numerous smaller wildflowers.
‘In a landscape ecology context it is clear that, particularly for birds, the Eynesbury, Pinkerton and Bush’s Paddock patches function as a single system – each one important for ongoing ecological function in the others.’
As per: Pinkerton Forest and Bush’s Paddock: flora and fauna report 2007
Eynesbury Forest is one of several woodlands in this vicinity, ie Pinkerton Forest, Bush’s paddock Woodland, Strathtulloh Woodland & Five Ways Woodland, Eynesbury being by far the biggest.
133 bird species have been found in Eynesbury Forest to date, but more species are observed here each year.
The woodland provides refuge to many threatened birds that depend upon woodland remnants such as Eynesbury, including many listed in the ‘Victorian Temperate Woodland Bird Community’
Several are listed under a National Action Plan for Australian Birds:
Brown Treecreeper, Speckled Warbler, Diamond Firetail
The Speckled Warbler and Diamond Firetail are listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.
‘Both the Zebra Finch & Southern Whiteface are rare in the Greater Melbourne area. The Southern Whiteface is particularly rare now, and the Mt Cottrell-Exford area down to the You Yangs is probably its stronghold in south-central Victoria’
As per: Pinkerton Forest and Bush’s Paddock: flora and fauna report 2007
Endangered birds in Eynesbury include:
- · Speckled Warbler
- Small endangered ground nesting birds especially vulnerable to cats
- Threatened in Victoria under FFG Act
- · Southern Whiteface
- ‘persists locally only at Eynesbury near Melton & the You Yangs’
- ‘Eynesbury …. in low numbers’
- · Brown Treecreepers
- ‘Persists in Eynesbury, Long Forest, Brisbane Ranges & You Yangs’
- ‘locally their numbers are low & their range contracting’
- · Jacky Winter
- ‘Listed on Threatened Victorian Woodland Bird Community (FFG Act)’
- · Diamond Firetails
- Threatened in Victoria under FFG & declining in much of Victoria
- · Brown-headed Honeyeater
- ‘Listed on Threatened Victorian Woodland Bird Community (FFG Act)’
(As per Birds of the Long Forest 1889 – 2005)
Eynesbury Forest is a refuge for several endangered bird species, but these could also still be lost if we do not take care.
Several woodland birds are noticeably already absent from Eynesbury ie. White-winged Chough & Noisy Miner.
Another woodland bird, the Grey-crowned Babbler was found in Eynesbury until fairly recently (1987). The loss of the Babbler, so recently, is a warning to us to take better care of those endangered birds that remain. The presence of fallen timber seems a requirement for not only the Babbler, but also other endangered woodland bird species.
According to Birds of the Long Forest 1889-2005, the Grey-crowned Babbler was:
‘formerly a common breeding resident in box woodlands in district, but now locally extinct; uncommon by 1960s, last district record from Eynesbury in 1987.’
‘major threats are clearing & fragmentation of bushlands’ Birds of the Long Forest 1889-2005 (page 220)
According to Birds in Backyards:
‘The Grey-crowned Babbler is found in open forests and woodlands, favouring inland plains with an open shrub layer, little ground cover and plenty of fallen timber and leaf litter.‘
‘Grey-crowned Babbler populations have declined throughout their range as a result of land-clearing practices that leave habitats fragmented.’
‘ Habitat degradation is also a factor in declines, with fuel-reduction burning, grazing, weed invasions and removal of timber decreasing leaf litter build-up, which then reduces the amount of invertebrate food available.’
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Pomatostomus-temporalis;
133 bird species have been recorded at Eynesbury, as per quarterly surveys by Birdlife Australia, & other surveys
| Stubble Quail | Peaceful Dove | Masked Woodswallow |
| Black Swan | Common Bronzewing | Black-faced Cuckooshrike |
| Australian Shelduck | Common Pigeon | White-bellied Cuckooshrike |
| Freckled Duck | Spotted Dove | White-winged Triller |
| Pink-eared Duck | Crested Pigeon | Varied Sittella |
| Wood Duck | Galah | Crested Shriketit |
| Pacific Black Duck | Long-billed Corella | Australian Golden Whistler |
| Australasian Shoveler | Little Corella | Rufous Whistler |
| Grey Teal | Sulphur-crested Cockatoo | Grey Shrikethrush |
| Chestnut Teal | Rainbow Lorikeet | Olive-backed Oriole |
| Hardhead | Musk Lorikeet | Willie Wagtail |
| Australasian Grebe | Purple-crowned Lorikeet | Grey Fantail |
| Hoary-headed Grebe | Crimson Rosella | Magpielark |
| Australian White Ibis | Eastern Rosella | Restless Flycatcher |
| Straw-necked Ibis | Red-rumped Parrot | Little Raven |
| Yellow-billed Spoonbill | Swift Parrot | Jacky Winter |
| Nankeen Night Heron | Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo | Pink Robin |
| White-necked Heron | Shining Bronze Cuckoo | Flame Robin |
| White-faced Heron | Pallid Cuckoo | Scarlet Robin |
| Australian Pelican | Fan-tailed Cuckoo | Welcome Swallow |
| Little Pied Cormorant | Eastern Barn Owl | Fairy Martin |
| Little Black Cormorant | Southern Boobook | Tree Martin |
| Great Cormorant | Tawny Frogmouth | Eurasian Skylark |
| Australasian Darter | Laughing Kookaburra | Little Grassbird |
| Nankeen Kestrel | Sacred Kingfisher | Rufous Songlark |
| Australian Hobby | Brown Treecreeper | Brown Songlark |
| Brown Falcon | Superb Fairywren | Australian Reed Warbler |
| Black Falcon | White-plumed Honeyeater | Silvereye |
| Peregrine Falcon | Brown-headed Honeyeater | Common Myna |
| Black-shouldered Kite | Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater | Common Starling |
| Black Kite | Red Wattlebird | Common Blackbird |
| Whistling Kite | New Holland Honeyeater | Mistletoebird |
| White-bellied Sea Eagle | White-fronted Chat | House Sparrow |
| Spotted Harrier | Spotted Pardalote | Eurasian Tree Sparrow |
| Brown Goshawk | Striated Pardalote | Diamond Firetail |
| Wedge-tailed Eagle | Speckled Warbler | Red-browed Finch |
| Little Eagle | White-browed Scrubwren | Zebra Finch |
| Australian Crake | Weebill | Australian Pipit |
| Buff-banded Rail | Brown Thornbill | European Goldfinch |
| Purple Swamphen | Buff-rumped Thornbill | |
| Dusky Moorhen | Yellow-rumped Thornbill | |
| Black-tailed Native Hen | Yellow Thornbill | |
| Red-kneed Dotterel | Striated Thornbill | |
| Black-fronted Dotterel | Southern Whiteface | |
| Eurasian Coot | Australian Magpie | |
| Australian Black-winged Stilt | White-browed Woodswallow | |
| Masked Lapwing | Dusky Woodswallow |
Diamond Firetails in Eynesbury (photos by Chris Luniardi)
Brown Treecreeper in Eynesbury
Jacky Winter
Speckled Warbler in Eynesbury
Brown-headed Honeyeater (photo by Nora Peters)
Spotted Pardalote in Eynesbury
Zebra Finches (photo by Nora Peters)
Tree Martins scooping up mud in Eynesbury
Red-browed Finches in Eynesbury
White-browed Woodswallow by Nora Peters
Whistling Kite in Eynesbury
Whistling Kite nest in Eynesbury
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Wedge-tailed Eagle nest in Eynesbury
Wedge-tailed Eagle nest in Eynesbury (cloesup)
Little Eagle (Nora Peters)
juvenile Little Eagles on nest in Eynesbury (Nora Peter)
Nankeen Night-herons at Eynesbury lake (adult above & juvenile below)
The Jacky Lizard (also known as Tree Dragon) is a lizard commonly seen in Eynesbury Forest. This lizard looks like a miniature version of the larger & better known Bearded Dragon. They grow to about 30 cm in length. Jacky Lizards are seen locally at Eynesbury, in fact Eynesbury is probably the best place to find these small but prehistoric looking lizards. Jacky Lizards are said to be also found in the hills north of Melton & Bacchus Marsh, ie. Toolern Vale, Pyrete Forest, Lerderderg Gorge etc. Also possible sightings at Kororoit Creek at Deer Park. Expert advice states they occur along the coastal area, You Yangs, Mt Rothwell, Point Cook Metro Park & Brisbane Ranges; also ‘reasonably common in woodlands around the grasslands’. They are fond of sunning themselves on rocks or logs.
‘Hic sunt dracones!’
Juvenile Jacky Lizard at Eynesbury
Adult Jacky Lizard at Eynesbury
Shadows in the bush: Eastern Grey Kangaroos in Eynesbury
The occasional Koala is also seen in Eynesbury from time to time. It is not known if these Koalas are permanently resident in the forest, or just passing through. Hopefully indicates a population. During the four day heatwave in January 2014 a Koala was observed drinking water. Koalas, like other wildlife, suffer from heat stress when the weather exceeds 40 degrees.
Koala in tree beside Eynesbury Road in April 2013
Eynesbury Forest in drought 2008
Buloke Woodland in Eynesbury
natureoutwest 
We have a family of blue wrens frequenting our backyard. They have become very tame even sitting on the outdoor table whilst we are sitting there. They have become accustomed to eating the dogs’ meat when he leaves some. One dog lays in his bed and watches them. The other watches them from inside. The Wrens give us great enjoyment. Last winter I fed a family of Magpies who still return occasionally and demand food by coming to the door and talking to us. Very vocal birds! During the winter months I distribute wild bird seed mixture about three times a week to help the birds survive.
Very lucky to have such a large number of birds in Eynesbury
Planting native grasses (Wallaby Grass, Kangaroo Grass, Speargrass, Elegant Speargrass all grow naturally in the forest) should also attract native finches. Placing water ( a bowl,
dish or bird bath will do) will also attract birds, especially in hot weather.
Where is the water fall in Eynesbury? Which area?
Eynesbury Falls is located a short distance southeast from the Homestead.
https://mapcarta.com/N6706049211;