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Whilst watching a Brown-headed Honeyeater foraging
in the flowers of our Red Cedar tree (Toona australis), something I've not seen
before (the choice of foraging substrate, not the bird), my wife and I were
distracted by a loud cry of alarm. We looked around to see what we both
thought was a large branch falling from a nearby Angophora costata (Sydney Red
Gum). It was only after it hit the ground that we realised it was actually a
Lace Monitor (Varanus varius) with a Common Ring-tailed Possum in its jaws. Our
immediate, instinctive reaction was to call out, whereupon the goanna let go of
the possum and scrambled up the tree. The possum ran off and up a different
tree. We were amazed that both animals appeared to have suffered no ill effects
from the fall which must have been about thirty feet (nine metres).
Paul Osborn
Cooranbong, NSW
(~33 02S 15125E)
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