Report

​Another day. A bit cloudy but cold and some sun. Big day it was too. Did the Grand Tour plus deploying five more traps, plus put cap on A21 and install camera on birdfeeder and looking for the missing trap T36! Well all is accomplished. From ten thirty to three thirty!
 
Loaded rucksack with all the gear. Traps, saw, secateurs, camera, cap, hammer, signs, nails, rope. The rope is for measuring the distance between traps. It is twelve metres long so I attach it to some stick and go my way until I used it twice. About 25 metres. Then I look for tree and attach trap. You can see it between trap A59 and A60.
 
But first I had three new yellow boxes in the rucksack. Jack and Charlotte gave me those. They do not like to use them. I think they are the best. So make my way to lookout point and from there over stile onto walkway. When I get to the first bend in the walkway that is where I put my first trap. Have been looking at that spot for a long time. It looks like another walkway but it is done by the possies. They come out of the bush and walk up there into the grass to feed on clover. That is what they do. So now trap T49 is right in their way and they will put head in. And dead!
 
Then the next one I put further down where another track is so obvious. But I have to go in at a different spot and then cut a path through bush to get to their little highway. Again I deploy trap, T50. Then not too much further down I deploy trap T51. Another good spot. Check it out on the map.
 
Now at least I have got rid of these yellow boxes and they can set to work. Now I make my way with a lighter load all the way up to Piccadilly Line. There I have to replace the cap of A21 and all is good. A little bit further down I cut my way through to trap 28 which is an old automatic possum trap. Has not done too many but some. Still there. Now below that one I install A59. It is among nice forest and right above the stream below. From there I use the rope to measure my distance and cut with the saw some branches off. There is a nice ledge above the stream which I follow.
 
Many large trees in there and quite dense bush. And always a bellbird or two above. Just beautiful. So after two rope lenghts I find nice tree and attach yet another trap, A60! From there I investigate the terrain a bit more and I can make a nice track further down and get some more traps in there. It will be next week. On way back it was good that I left the rope because I could just follow it back to trap A59 and back to walkway. This time I put blue ribbons all along so it is easy to find again. Normally the rope business is done by Dr Who and Lady Sue. He holds the one end and she walks along until all done and then he catches up and she walks again. But by myself I have to put in little sticks and attach the rope and then when at the end I yank the rope off the stick and continue again. So much more time involved.
 
Anyway back on walkway I get to stream crossing and watch the birdfeeder. But no birds on it. Make my way to it and install the camera in a nice spot so now we can see whether any birds actually use the feeder. Will take a while I think but once they find it they will be there often. Just hope that no other walkers muck around with it. It is hidden but someone might just see a bit of blue.
 
So only one task left which is to find the missing trap T36. I get to the spot and climb up again where I thought the trap would be. Check everything under bush and ferns. And nothing. I am puzzled. So walk along and then for some reason I look up to my left up a little gully and there is my trap! And guess what. As a bonus it even has a possum in it. Dead. Large. Female. I just wonder how can there be another possum there. It is Piccadilly Line and we have been trapping there for almost two years! Where has this one been? Where did it live? Has it come from somewhere else. I just wonder. What is it doing at night. Where does it sleep? Was it looking for a mate. Or going up to the paddock to feed on grass? Poor thing. I say a short prayer.