Possums (Opossums), Raccoons and Armadillos are the Screech Owl's Companions at Night and clean up any left over birdseed and enjoy clean fresh water.
We're expecting the return of nesting Eastern Screech Owls within 3 to 5 weeks and I'm testing out a new "nightvision" camera (more on that in a future blog) to hopefully get more action footage of the screech owls flying around the backyard at night. When all the other birds roost for the night the owls are just getting started, but there are many other creatures that come out at night and are part of the same suburban ecosystem. The video above shows a Raccoon and a Possum cleaning up leftover seed around one of the bird feeding areas and partaking of the fresh water from a small birdbath. This is a regular stop at night for many creatures. In this case, the Raccoon and the Possum come to terms with each other and coexist rather peacefully, although the smaller Possum seems a little less trusting than the Raccoon who goes out of his way to avoid direct eye contact. The top predators in this environment are likely Bobcats and Foxes, but I have not seen any. They undoubtedly have a much farther ranging territory and do not stop by daily. I hope to document whatever chased the Armadillo and scared the Raccoon and Possum at the end of the video. It looks like the nightvision camera is going to work - more to come.
It has been so chilly lately I have not spent a lot of time watching the wildlife in our backyard. I can't wait to sit on the deck at night in the spring and see everything come alive.
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