When I went out last night to close coops, I heard Golly, one of my American Buff geese, hissing loudly and without stopping. The more assertive of the two girls, I've heard her hiss many times, but never like this.
As I looked past one of the chicken coops, I could see Golly with her wings and neck fully extended, and the hissing was still nonstop. I got around the corner of the coop and spotted her enemy -- a fat opossum was happily cleaning the last of dinner out of the feed dish.
Now, maybe Golly didn't attack because she was protecting her sister, Gussie, who stood silently and motionless behind her.
In any case, the intruder-- who was reluctant to leave even when it spotted me -- finally decided to make a run for it. Well, kind of. Turns out a fully fed possum doesn't fit so well through a small hole in a fence. It managed to squeeze its way through and wiggle into a nearby hollow tree. I will bring out the live trap today and hope to move it to a new feeding ground, miles away.
And Golly, who never fails to project an image of incredible bravado toward strangers, runner ducks and passing motorcycles, had to be gently herded along with gentle Gussie into their house. It was like reassuring little kids that the monster under the bed is gone now.
As I looked past one of the chicken coops, I could see Golly with her wings and neck fully extended, and the hissing was still nonstop. I got around the corner of the coop and spotted her enemy -- a fat opossum was happily cleaning the last of dinner out of the feed dish.
Now, maybe Golly didn't attack because she was protecting her sister, Gussie, who stood silently and motionless behind her.
In any case, the intruder-- who was reluctant to leave even when it spotted me -- finally decided to make a run for it. Well, kind of. Turns out a fully fed possum doesn't fit so well through a small hole in a fence. It managed to squeeze its way through and wiggle into a nearby hollow tree. I will bring out the live trap today and hope to move it to a new feeding ground, miles away.
And Golly, who never fails to project an image of incredible bravado toward strangers, runner ducks and passing motorcycles, had to be gently herded along with gentle Gussie into their house. It was like reassuring little kids that the monster under the bed is gone now.
