Do Possums Like Eggs?

Doesn’t look like it – at least not at first sight.

Out of idle curiosity, I did an experiment in my back yard where possums are frequent if slightly unwelcome visitors.

Always getting into mischief by tearing into rubbish bags left outside, or raiding the bird table. I’d even added some aluminium around the bird table leg to stop them climbing – yeh right that worked.

But given they are here, and that I am forever hearing they are a threat to nesting birds and take their eggs, I decided to do a little experiment of my own.

Repurposing a motion security camera to point towards my bird table, I put some food out for the birds but added a hen’s egg for good measure.

Visitors came and went during the night, and all the bird food disappeared, yet quite unexpectedly, the egg survived unscathed – despite two rather large possums walking all over the top of the bird table.

First visitor just after midnight:-

C:\Users\andi\Pictures\Possums\A20010700181220.jpg

Then another an hour later – could be the same or a different one:-

C:\Users\andi\Pictures\Possums\A20010701362720.jpg

Then back an hour later again:-

C:\Users\andi\Pictures\Possums\A20010702265220.jpg

But at 4am, two visitors – word is spreading…

C:\Users\andi\Pictures\Possums\A20010704110020.jpg

That egg looks interesting:-

C:\Users\andi\Pictures\Possums\A20010704410220.jpg

The egg remains unaffected despite all the attention during the night.

Next step is to repeat the experiment with a lot less bird food, and then maybe later crack open the egg to see if they like eating the contents.

Part two continues here:

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