@doktrnick.bsky.social
Hi Dr Nick
I noticed one of my resident ringtail possums high in a tree minus most of its essential bits.
About 2.5m up and underneath another tree, mid south suburban Brisbane.
Reckon I might have owls?
P.s. I and @lucyparkerpaul.bsky.social are with The Powerful Owl project that monitors Powl breeding success in Brisbane and Sydney. If you do hear or see one, it'd be great to send the data to the project either via the Birdlife website or feel free to PM us. Thanks!
birdlife.org.au/projects/pow...
Hi Nick et al. I'd say almost definitely. They eat them from top to bottom, and often roost with the bottom half in their talons. Occasionally they'll drop them & you'll find half on the ground. It'd be worth having a listen for hooing at dusk, but keep the location to yourself as it can get crazy.
That is great info. Thanks.
Might install a wireless motion activated ir camera to monitor this tree.
It's become one of the tallest on the street by default (tree removal a favourite activity locally).
Bit sad for this poss who's been here for years but at least it's a natural process.
Thinking about it, it might not have been your possum, it could well have been brought in from somewhere else. They can fly quite a distance with prey. As you may know, the Powerful Owl is the only bird in Oz that can carry more than its own body weight. It has a very literal name ๐
I did not know that. Impressive.
One of the results of planting so many trees here is that I'm now living in the midst of a high density multi species possum oasis.
If I was an enormous possum eatin' bird, I'd just perch here and live like a king....
Cool about the IR camera. I believe you can't see the body of a Powl too well in IR, but the large eyes show up very well.
Like Dogmatix in the Asterix I get upset whenever I see a big old tree cut down in the suburbs. So many species depend on them.
Indeed. I've planted dozens here in the burbs.
Here's a brushtail in the same garden last night, mostly visible by eye reflection.
Poss obviously didn't get the memo about the silent death from above....
New, better cameras ordered, stand by for developments.... ๐ฆ
