Mt St Leonard, Yarra Ranges National Park, Victoria

Mt St Leonard is approximately 9 km north or Healesville, Victoria. The tower on its summit makes Mt St Leonard an easy-to-identify landmark from a great distance. A 3-km walk from the Mt Monda Road takes the visitor from the carpark, along the vehicle track up to the summit and back again the quick way via a steep and stony descent. Along the way are huge eucalypts and tree ferns that survived the intense, widespread 2009 fires. Various species of wet-forest birds can be seen or at least heard. In particular, the distinctive, piercing, silvery call of the elusive Pilotbird will give away its hiding place, even if it cannot be seen. Another hard-to-see, easy-to-hear bird that inhabits these forests is the Olive Whistler. With luck a Pink or Flame Robin might appear in the open, grassed area at the start, or end, of the walk.

12 November 2011

The following photos were taken during a visit to Mt St Leonard by Yarra Valley BOCA, now Birdlife Yarra Valley.

            Treefern and eucalypts.

                Patches of bush and farmland viewed from the tower on the
              summit.

                A closer view looking down from the Mt St Leonards tower.