[Birding-Aus] Mount Bass Fire Trail Sandflies

[Chris Ross]

Was out on the Mount Bass Fire Tail in the heathland in Royal National
Park on Sunday, great day with plenty of birds, including beautiful
firetails and brown headed honeyeaters and a chestnut rumped heathwren
and all the normal heath birds about. When I got home I noticed the
characteristic pink-red dots from fresh sandfly bites. They stayed at
that overnight before swelling up the next day. It's probably about
2-3km from the water and any mangroves and the wind in the wrong
direction so thought it a bit unusual, assume they are breeding there as
the area is very wet and muddy in spots. So watch out if you are
birding the area, the banks of the Hacking at Audley are also bad for
them at dusk and dawn. On that note has anyone come up with a good
treatment for them, they seem to stay itchy for ages!

regards,

Chris Ross
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[Shirley Cook]

carry a little bottle of vinegar with you. Apply liberally as soon as you
are bitten.

Regards
Shirley

[Elizabeth Shaw]

I usually don't feel Sandfly bites until hours later. Then the itching is
unbearable and I often end up with sores that take weeks to heal- sometimes
leading to scarring.

Ti tree ointment can help relieve the itch and heal quicker.

A doctor in Cooktown last year suggested digging fingernails into two sides
of the bite might also help. A couple of bites threatened to turn into
tropical ulcers and being diabetic healing takes longer than healthier
people.
Elizabeth Shaw
Phillip Island
Victoria

[Denise Goodfellow]

Elizabeth, suffering from diabetes, you need to be really careful. As a
guide my clients are mainly senior Americans. We always cover up when
spending time in mangroves. And you could try spreading baby oil on any
exposed parts. If you don't like that idea then do what my semi-traditional
relatives do - cover those exposed parts with mud. It also makes for a
great talking point.
Denise
--
Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow B.A. Grad.Dip.Arts
1/7 Songlark Street, Bakewell NT 0832, AUSTRALIA
Ph. 61 08 89 328306
Mobile: 04 386 50 835

Birdwatching and Indigenous tourism consultant
PhD Candidate (Southern Cross University, NSW)
Interpreter/transcriber, Lonely Planet Guide to Aboriginal Australia
Vice-chair, Wildlife Tourism Australia; ecotourism adviser, Mitchell Creek
Landcare
Nominated by Earthfoot (2004) for Conde Nast's Traveler International Award

"it gave me huge insight" into the lives of Aboriginal Australians
Jonathon Franzen on "Quiet Snake Dreaming".

For copies of Birds of Australia¹s Top End or Quiet Snake Dreaming, visit
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