Report

Yes new report after not such a long time. Last one was on 16th June! But weather has been so bad. Rain and drizzle and wind and cold. Today not a clowd, very big frost and some wind further down. Very cold. Did the Grand Tour. Had to walk right from here because Christine shopping in town.
 
Get to Northern Line first and now interesting is that the lure I put on the trees where the traps are is still there! It was only gone from two trees. That is very good. Means no possum around and no rat! I did sneak some poison into the traps a while ago for the rats and it is all gone. So are probably also the rats. Of course we have to continue trapping. There might just be some stragglers out there.
 
Then onto Circle Line and first five traps nothing. Even here the lure, the apple, is still outside the traps. We put a bit of apple outside the trap so the possum gets the taste and smell and then there is more apple inside. And bang. Dead. But not now.
 
Only when I got to T21 did I get a possum. It was eaten by a cat. I know there is a cat there somewhere. But how to get it? Difficult. Must take some salmon next time.
 
Then other traps had nothing and I take shortcut to walkway. Have to climb over fence but it cuts a good hour from normal walk which goes up the hill and then all the way down again. Must do that more often. Maybe I have to make a stile somehow.
 
From there I check all the traps down to river and nothing. Further along all nothing. Then I get to the coalmine and the boys are there again cutting the sycamore trees. What a mess. Hopefully they will clean it up a bit. Now I have the idea to re plant these areas with natives. Have to get a grant and the trees first. You can help when you are here and I select a nice little place and we plant heaps of trees and then call it the magic forest of Maureen and Taximus.
 
The boys only cut down trees about two tree length on either side of the track. I ask them what about the ones further up or down. He says hopefully they come back next year and then cut the rest down. So I do not have to worry too much about cutting them myself. Big job taken care of. They get the money from Ecan, government department and each year there is only so much in the budget.
 
Then I am on my way home along Piccadilly Line and finally D21 had a big rat in it. Clean it and set it again. Good spot to get a rat because around there are always many birds.
 
So one rat and one possum. Not huge numbers but slowly catch the monkey. Did you realise something?! Today is the 21st June. Winter solstice. And then the possum was in trap T21 and the rat was in trap D21. What a coincidence that is!
 
Tomorrow should be good day too. Have to deploy more traps! And get that bird feeder down there. And also I saw more kowhai trees today in bloom. All yellow flowers. Beautifuls. It was even in the paper on Saturday that kowhai trees are blooming already. Should be in August! Climate change! Plus I saw a pigeon today too and two quails!