Australian Politics Forum - I couldn't believe it

bogarde73

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I couldn't believe it
Feb 18^th, 2017 at 9:10am

I had to get up this morning to clear a blockage in the gutter where a short pipe leads into a tank.
It was just gushing over in the couple of storms we had but it's not long since I cleaned it out.

I found a piece of bone from a leg of lamb wedged in the bend, so all the debris had welded round it.
But all the magpies have gone. Some bastard has poisoned or shot them. And I couldn't think of another bird capable of carrying it up to the roof. It was 4-5 inches long and maybe a bit more than an inch thick.

Then the penny dropped. A possum.

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miketrees Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 6488 Gender:	Re: I couldn't believe it Reply #1 - Feb 18^th, 2017 at 10:19am Crows,, but yes bastard possoms
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bogarde73 Gold Member Offline Anti-Global & Contra Mundum Posts: 18443 Gender:	Re: I couldn't believe it Reply #2 - Feb 18^th, 2017 at 10:56am Crows, yes they could do it, but haven't seen any here. Rat? Don't think they could carry a bone like that up to the roof. Must be a possum. They are fruit eaters but also scavengers of all sorts.
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miketrees Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 6488 Gender:	Re: I couldn't believe it Reply #3 - Feb 18^th, 2017 at 10:59am Possums will eat anything, they love fruit and roadkill,,, probably you if you stand still too long
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Dnarever Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 57150 Here Gender:	Re: I couldn't believe it Reply #4 - Feb 18^th, 2017 at 11:00am Dog with a ladder ?
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Lord Herbert Gold Member Offline Posts: 34441 Gender:	Re: I couldn't believe it Reply #5 - Feb 18^th, 2017 at 11:27am Codsey with a ladder in her stocking?
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bogarde73 Gold Member Offline Anti-Global & Contra Mundum Posts: 18443 Gender:	Re: I couldn't believe it Reply #6 - Feb 18^th, 2017 at 11:53am Do they realise they are.going to kill me one day with unnecessary climbing on the roof at my age. I am an animal lover to a point - I love like an animal given the chance - but there is a limit.
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cods Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 88048	Re: I couldn't believe it Reply #7 - Feb 18^th, 2017 at 12:47pm Lord Herbert wrote on Feb 18^th, 2017 at 11:27am: Codsey with a ladder in her stocking? no chance my son is a possum man though if you have problems in the ACT...he even builds little possum boxes so they live in the trees instead of your roof....lol..
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mantra Gold Member Offline ozpolitic.com Posts: 10750 Gender:	Re: I couldn't believe it Reply #8 - Feb 19^th, 2017 at 9:31am miketrees wrote on Feb 18^th, 2017 at 10:19am: Crows,, but yes bastard possoms It could have been a hawk. They aim for the stomach of other animals and occasionally bits and pieces of them fall off in the process as they're flying away. Possums don't eat meat.
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miketrees

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Re: I couldn't believe it
Reply #9 - Feb 19^th, 2017 at 10:19am

http://www.birdgard.com.au/articles/top-10-facts-about-possums

Possums are mainly herbivores (plant eaters), favouring eucalyptus and other leaves, ferns, buds, flowers and fruits. Brushtail Possums are known to be tolerant of many plant toxins and will eat trees that other animals find poisonous. Possums will also eat insects, moths, grubs snails, birds’ eggs and babies.

And just about anything

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Lord Herbert

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Re: I couldn't believe it
Reply #10 - Feb 19^th, 2017 at 12:06pm

mantra wrote on Feb 19^th, 2017 at 9:31am:

miketrees wrote on Feb 18^th, 2017 at 10:19am:

Crows,, but yes bastard possoms

It could have been a hawk. They aim for the stomach of other animals and occasionally bits and pieces of them fall off in the process as they're flying away.

Possums don't eat meat.

I'm glad to hear it. I have a young married couple with children living part-time in the loft and part-time in the Hedera vines outside the house.

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mantra

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Re: I couldn't believe it
Reply #11 - Feb 20^th, 2017 at 6:12am

Quote:

I'm glad to hear it. I have a young married couple with children living part-time in the loft and part-time in the Hedera vines outside the house.

They must feel safe there Herbert if they've set up a home at your place.

The occasional possum comes into my garden, but they seem to disappear quickly and don't hang around even though I tempt them a bit.

I know some possums are as big as cats, but I don't trust cats around them - particularly if they bring their babies.

I didn't see them in my area for 20 years, so it's good to have them visit sometimes, but there are too many cats and dogs around for them to stay safe. Even if another animal doesn't get them - a car often does.

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bogarde73 Gold Member Offline Anti-Global & Contra Mundum Posts: 18443 Gender:	Re: I couldn't believe it Reply #12 - Feb 20^th, 2017 at 6:46am Quite a few possums on my place probably because there are a lot of big trees, probably with holes. I wish they'd stay home though instead of kicking up a rumpus on the roof. And now that there's a dog hatch in the back door I wouldn't be surprised if they walk in during the night and carry off the fruit bowl.
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Lord Herbert

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Re: I couldn't believe it
Reply #13 - Feb 20^th, 2017 at 7:00am

My family of possums have been here for months now, and I don't think they'll be leaving any time soon. It's a paradise for them with its four Arizona pine trees, two paper-barks (Melaleuca), two Grevillea Robusta, one Illawarra Flame Tree, and a gigantic Camphor tree to chew on.

One of the adults was so at ease with things that he climbed up a viburnum tinus bush right next to me without any anxiety, even stopping to chew on something he had in his paws.

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mantra

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Re: I couldn't believe it
Reply #14 - Feb 22^nd, 2017 at 1:48pm

After all this talk about possums - amazingly 2 ringtails appeared at early daylight this morning. I have never seen one before - only the brushtails. They were scurrying along my fence and looked like squirrels with long skinny tails which were stuck straight out behind them.

I couldn't find the cat, so walked up the garden path and saw one of them sitting on the fence watching me. Then it scurried off to join its mate. They played tarzan amongst the trees for about 10 minutes then went to the top of the biggest tree and disappeared - maybe into a nest.

I found the cat hiding in a nearby bush. He must have been following their activity, but if he wasn't there - it would have been a stray cat doing the same.

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