One night a few weeks ago I wandered along the local creek looking for Tawny Frogmouths and Boobook Owls. I have been spending more time lately improving my night and flash photography with my Canon Speedlite Flash units. To get close enough and take a picture of an owl at night I need to become much better at getting into position and using the flash (let alone actually finding the owls). Along the creek to the golf course where the owls had been spotted were many possums – the smaller Ring Tailed and larger Brush Tailed. Using a red coloured flash light and walking quietly I was able to get quite close to the possums and practice my focussing and shooting using the flash. I got mixed results and my owl shots (I actually found a Boobook on a fence at the lake) were terrible…hopefully I will get a second chance…meanwhile I will keep practicing on the local possums…
Ring Tailed Possum, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria
II
Demon eyed Ring Tailed Possum
Brush Tailed Possum, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria
The Gap Year and Beyond 
Cool that you got a chance to take these photos… we don’t have them here, so, it was interesting to see your possom photos 🙂 The possom doesn’t look too shy, and I wonder are they hiding fast if they see you, or are they slow animals?
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Thanks for the comments Dennis. These possums are fairly urbanised and used to people, I have several small Ring Tailed Possums living in one of my hanging baskets in my backyard. They have converted it into a drey (nest) They can be quite fast when scared but these ones all just continued to feed after I moved on.
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Gotta say, those possums don’t look happy at being disturbed 🙂 A bit like going un-invited into a teenager’s bedroom.
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Hi Sue, these guys are local urban possums and quite used to people. They did not react to the red torch light and were not even bothered by my photo flash – they just went back to feeding. The big brush tail possum had been chasing another around the branches of that tree when he noticed me and stopped for a look…he seemed more curious than scared. I think all animals and birds are disturbed by our presence in their space…
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