​Good weather today. A bit warmer, sunny but still a bit windy. Did Piccadilly Line today and second trap down from gates had a possum! Now I was astonished. Because that trap has been there for yonks. And no possum for a long time. Now suddenly one turns up. Where did it come from? One of the last possies? Who knows.
 
In my rucksack I had three more traps for possies. I put them along the walkway in places where I see possum tracks. They might be old tracks or maybe new ones. So I put these new traps in places and have to see now what happens. If no possums are caught then maybe the area is free of possums. Who knows.
 
Then along the way I got a rat in D8 and another on in D22. The first one was fresh and the last one had been there for a long time. What do my trappers do I wonder. Because two of them went down there yesterday. Did they walk right passed my first trap and did they not know about the second trap? Who knows what they do. 

The first Kowhai flowers. Did all the traps on the island today. Three hours! Nothing but one hedgehog! So now all ready again with fresh apple and waiting for the possies if there are any left. The Kowhai will now bloom until nearly end of October providing lots of nectar for the bellbirds. Of course the possums are after them as well but with so many gone now there should be plenty left for the birdies. 

​One more rat today. Did what I set out to do which was to re bait all traps on the golf course. Been much neglected since we left. Now all back in order. Was a nice day but very cold wind. It will be interesting now to see whether we get more rats or stoats with peanut butter. Rats struggle a bit when it is so cold. They do not like it. Hardly any birds around too. Heard one bellbird and saw two or three fantails. Lots of ducks on the lakes. Maybe that is because more of them survived after my trapping. 

Back in the saddle again. Back from Europe. Did a round of trapping on the golf course. Nobody did ever look at these traps (somebody was scheduled to do so but did not) and I feared for the worst and was not disappointed. Right at the beginning trap TD1 had a weasel. This one was sort of not too old. Maybe a few days but because of cold sort of preserved. Then next trap TD3 had a well-done rat. Next one T10 had another rat. I was on a roll.
 
But had to wait from then to TD15 which had another rotten weasel. Was hard to recognize. But long body or what was left of it and the tail gave it away. Close by in trap TD17 was another mass of something and it was another weasel! Then up to lakeside and DOC250/3 had a rat. Not too bad this one. But around the corner was DOC150/1 with a rat also and then next trap TD6 had a bunch of hair left which was another rat and last TD7 had another one.
 
So seven rats and three weasels. Not too bad. Tomorrow if weather good I will go out again to these traps and clean them a bit and put fresh peanut butter into them. Then on Monday I can do Waterloo Line. Slowly catch the monkey. 

Been out again. Heavy rain we had and snow. Cold morning and after peeps left I went onto Waterloo Line. The one we did on first day. Got a possum in the same trap, T43. This one was quite fresh. An older man was walking and saw me re-setting a trap. D46 which had a hedgehog in it. So he followed me a while and he took a photograph with me holding the possum. He was from Australia and could not believe it. Because in Australia they are protected.
 
On way back there was another hedgehog in D45! Nasty things. Then I got to Central Station and checked all traps and last one, T10 had another possum. Had to look for the trap which in the end I found down a little slope with possie in it. Must have been the cat pulling it down there. Have seen a cat there a few times.
 
Then went up to lakeside and first trap had a weasel! 

​Wonderful day today. Did the grand tour. Along Piccadilly Line and nothing. Still that elusive possum not in trap. I think of putting another trap nearby. A different one. So on my merry way and only at D73 did I get a rat. Then again at D77 and again at D79.
 
Then I got to D87 and did not expect anything. But the milk bottle top had been sucked in so have to reset trap. As I move trap out of grass suddenly I realize that something is hanging out of it. I look and think possum? Small one? But not quite right. Cat? Not quite right either. So open box and pull thing out of it and there it is: a ferret! I did not think we had any down there. So another pest has turned up. Ferrets normally need bigger traps to go into. And I do not have any bigger traps. What to do now?! By ferret traps also? 

Did TD today. Nothing at all at first then TD13 had a nice rat. First one for that trap just at edge of lake. Then nothing until up on lakeside and had a hedgehog in D0C150/1. Not nice. Then back down to big lake and TD9 had another large rat. Just by the lake. That area is now slowly being cleaned out of rats. 

​Another perfect day. And because of peeps I only do golf course traps. Started well with TD3 one weasel, then nothing for a while and then TD15 another weasel! Very good. Then next one TD16 a rat. Then nothing around big lake. So go up to other lake and TD7 has another rat. Very large rat. There is a water pipe coming out into the lake maybe they come out of there because this is now the third in a short time.
 
Then across lake TD9 had another rat. That was it. No possum. 

​Wonderful morning today but cold and fresh snow on top. So wanted to check some traps desperately. Weather been awful. So went out down Piccadilly and D9 had a rat. Then a family of French people came along and I talked to them. Showed them how it all worked. Then they went off and I did my thing. The plaque is now up on Elizabeth Line and that possum which is around there is still not caught.
 
Then just before stream trap D35 has another rat. Very good. Then I walk up to Circle Line and nothing in all the T traps. Rebait all. Then I think better go over the fence and on to the walkway rather than go straight up. Better chance of getting something along there. And sure enough trap D83 had a weasel!. Then further up the last trap D89 had another rat.
 
Then I get to lookout point and the French family is still about. They had lunch up there. Two families and four kids. One of the girls had a bunch of flowers and I tell father not good those flowers are poisonous they are hemlock. He said she will cry if we take flowers. So I pick a nice yellow flower and ask her to give me her flowers in exchange for mine. No problem.
 
Then he is quite interested in the trapping and I ask him whether they are on holiday and he says no we arrived last week and we are going to stay in Methven. What do you do in Methven? I am a GP! So the clinic down there has a new doctor. How good is that.
 
Then on way back I pick up destroyed trap. Tractor drove over it. Crushed it. Then along the fence where David and I deployed two yellow traps the last one had a hedgehog. Then I took that trap with me and one of our neighbours has asked if I could put a trap near their house. They have always possum poo in front of their entrance. So now they got a trap and hopefully I get the possum. 

​Perfect day today. No wind. No cloud. Guest left late. Then I go out to Waterloo Line. Nothing at first but then T40 had a possum! Very old, smelly, maggoty. Never mind. Then next trap D39 had a rat in the same condition. On I go and to my surprise T41 had another possum. Only skin and bone left. Very good so far. Then I get to D42 and another rat. This one was not too bad.
 
Took the trap down to walkway for better access and open it and get rat out and throw it into bush. Just at that moment a young woman turns up. She stops and I get up and say just walk over the trap or walk to the side. She just looked and I said in fact you can help me setting the trap again because it is easier if someone puts their foot on it. No no she said. Just go to the side then. But she would not. She said do what you have to do and move the trap out of the walkway. I have time. I do not feel comfortable. What a girlie!
 
Anyway I did and she went her merry way. I get to trap T44 and yet another possum. Maybe the worst of the three? I use sticks to get rid of it. And that was it. Then on way back there were two more rats in trap A1. A really good day.