It's Not a Mum and Babe, It's Mr & Mrs Possum.

Two nights ago, I heard noise on the roof again. I could not remember some parts of what happened but I somehow ended in the back garden.  I waited quietly and patiently.  Within minutes, I heard a slight scratching sound and the possum (wildlife) was walking on the fence behind the grevillea and pomegranate trees. I had switched off all sensor lights and my torch so I had to depend on my hearing and night vision. Then I heard a slight rustle and light crunching sounds. I felt safe to turn on my torch and was shocked to see the possum feeding on the seeds and grains out of the bird feeding dish I placed under the grevillea tree. Suddenly there was a noise (can't remember now) on the front garden and this possum stood up, pricked up its ears and listened.  I noted that it has an amazing sense of hearing.  When it felt all was safe, he continued to feed on the bird seeds. Now that I know that it feeds on seeds and grains, I have to keep the tray each evening to cut this food suppy.

The possum down on the ground feeding on bird seeds.

I took some pictures but they are not very clear as it was dark.  I quickly went to my son's bedroom and got him out of bed, sleepy and drowsy...to have a look at the possum. The possum found a clear space on the wooden fence and scrambled up onto the shed.  My boy had a look at it on the shed before it proceeded to my adjacent neighbour's fence. I put my son back to bed. Upon returning to the back garden, the possum has gone so I just kept standing near my back door and quietly waited.

Soon after, I heard a sound of an animal jumping onto a tree.  Then I heard another sound.  It was like a baby bird chirping and I thought somehow the possum has gotten a baby bird near where the plum tree is. I do have two nymahs which have been frequently my roof and I am not sure if they are nesting.  So I decided to go to the front garden.

When I opened the gate of my front door, I saw the possum run from my peach tree to the olive tree. He went up the main trunk. I did not want to scare it away and stood afar. I also confirmed for the first time that there are two of them.  The other one was on my roof close to where the plum tree is.  The one on the olive tree then came down, went to the lawn and went for the peach tree. I saw how it got up the tree, it was easy anyway as the main branches are very close to ground. It went for the peaches. I did not stop it, I just watched. Then I approached it and it ran off to the olive tree again.  I saw that one peach has been picked and was tangling in the nets, so I decided to take it out.  I rolled it onto the lawn for the possum.  Well, he really came off the olive tree and started eating the peach.  I forgot that I had pyrethrum-sprayed the whole peach tree in the morning! It did not seem to mind. I pray he will not get poisoned. Gosh, this little fellow took like 45 minutes to eat one peach. In the dark, I could hear the other possum calling out to this dining one, and it sounded like a baby bird chirping. The dining one was so pre-occupied eating the peach it did not respond.

The low branches of my peach makes the plastic protection useless.

I stood in the dark watching the peach-eating possum. When the peach became smaller, it took the fruit up the olive tree and stayed on a branch to continue eating, and pooing at the same time. After finishing, he dropped the peach stone and remained on the tree.  I went to sit on my patio step as it was getting a bit cold for my feet. I was just wearing socks. When I came back to the tree, I watched the possum move on the branch and used the wire to get back onto my roof and ran off.

Less than 10 peaches this year for eating after peach curl, aphid attack, carpophilus beetles attack and possum  helping themselves.  However the main damage was done by the beetles.

The possum eating the peach given by me.

My camera flash was reflected by the silver foliage of the olive leaves and the picture came up very clear.

While the peach-eating possum stays on the ground, its partner was on the roof  looking at me.

In conclusion, the possum cannot get to my plum tree (which was it's first target of attack) now, so it gets to my olive tree via the wire and roof, and from there it gets down the tree to access my peach tree.  Next step of action - prune the olive tree and plastic-protect the trunk to cut off access. I also confirmed that they can walk very well on the thorny devils we have put up, so we are going to return them to the nursery!