My companion/driver/& personal chef Guido alerted me to a beautiful dead
bird he found here at th eTownsville campus of James Cook University
yesterday. I identified it as an Oriental Cuckoo, newly deceased, which may
have met it's demise by flying into a window. I have handed over the bird
to the Museum of Tropical Queensland for taxidermical treatment.
Following on from Richard Johnson's comments re bity things; about 20% of
Townsville's population tests positive to the mosquito-borne Ross River
Virus though whether this is because they have dammed the (Ross) river is
uncertain. I can testify to the 'take a Pom along' theory as when I first
came to Australia from the Old Dart they feasted on me something rotten.
Over the years and since my skin is no longer has a grey-blue tinge I have
developed a certain amount of tolerance / immunity to mozzies, but not to
sandflies, which I am informed, 'pee on you rather than bite' and it's the
pee that stings.
Not been troubled with leeches much as they seem to go for the companion
/driver/& personal chef - probably because he tastes nicer.
Alex Appleman
Townsville, NQ
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