So much for being Nocturnal!
by Doreen, David, Gillian, Vonnita, Kim
(Pickering, Ajax, London, Pickering, Guelph, Iona Station, Grimsby, Dorchester)
Doreen from Pickering wrote to say ..... I've been seeing Possums around our neighbourhood in Pickering, Ontario, for the past few months but it was usually late at night or early in the morning when it was still dark. Yesterday, our dog was going ballistic and wanted to get outside into the backyard. When we looked out the window, there was a very large Possum eating seeds under our bird feeder. It eventually started to move down towards the back of our yard, along the fence line and then through to our neighbours yard. We are hoping that it came out during the daytime to feed only because the winter has been so harsh and it needed food. The alternative is that there is something wrong with it because it came out in broad daylight! Has anyone else ever seen a Possum walking around during the day? Should we be concerned about this?
David Beattie wrote to tell us about his recent Possum sighting ..... At 1.00 pm we saw a Possum on our front step, it wandered around our front garden and then walked along the top of the fence to the back garden. It stopped to clean itself for 2 or 3 minutes and then walked along the top of the fence past 2 neighbours houses and out of sight. We are in Ajax Ontario, not far from Highway 2 and Harwood Ave. So much for being nocturnal!
Gillian Legg from London, Ontario wrote to say ..... on Saturday, March 8th, 2014, I was looking out my back window today at the bird feeders and was very surprised to see an Opossum under one of the feeders. I do usually put extra seed down under the feeders, especially in the cold weather. This little thing was feasting for at least 30 minutes. It was about 4:00 pm. I thought these creatures were nocturnal. I was wondering if it was simply starving, given all the snow and ice that is still on the ground? Pretty desperate to be out and about at that time of day don’t you think?
A reader sent us this report ..... I work at a construction site in Pickering, close to Lake Ontario. Today around noon I watched a Possum nosing around in the grass for 45 minutes. Managed to get a couple of good pics.
A reader wrote to say ..... 3:00 pm on a Monday afternoon and there is a large Possum in our yard / driveway. It seems to be lapping at the water created by the melting snow. Our location is 6 miles south of Guelph.
Vonnita from Iona Station asks ..... A possum came up to the back deck at 1:00 pm Is this normal?
Another reader from Grimsby wrote to ask ..... March 01/14. I thought at first it was a rabbit feeding underneath our bird feeders. Surprised to see the Possum feeding at suppertime, thought they were nocturnal. Watched him/her snuggle their way under our deck.
Kim from Dorchester, Ontario said ..... We saw one on February 19 and again on February 23, 2014. In our backyard during the day time hours on both occasions.
I guess the answer is that Possums are often nocturnal, but not exclusively so, as they are also often seen during the day.
Thank you all for sending us your reports!
