Pondoland C.R.E.W. Blog: Ongeluksnek Nature Reserve after a long absence (16 to 18 January 2019)

Having made repeated but unsuccessful attempts to revisit this reserve in the recent past, on each occasion being thwarted by the lack of accommodation, we finally managed to get a booking in the lodge at Ongeluksnek Nature Reserve and set off for a two-night visit. Despite the short notice we were glad Brendan Cole, CREW member from Rhodes in the Eastern Cape, could join us.

Leaving the tarred road shortly after passing through Matatiele, we bounced along the rough dirt road and stopped to get a proper look at a pair of Denham's bustards in the grassy wetlands. Once we reached the Reserve we could see that the planned staff meeting was under way in the lodge so we went in search of Brendan who had arrived at the Reserve a little earlier than us. We found his vehicle parked near the start of the Bushman's Cave walk but there was no sign of Brendan so we decided to have lunch near a small stream.

Denham's bustard

Once refreshed, we started exploring alongside the stream and it was not long before Brendan joined us. We found a robust Crassula sarcocaulis in flower at the side of the stream and not far away was a Gomphocarpus fruticosus sporting both flowers and fruits. Growing with feet in the water were several Mentha longifolia and on the banks of the stream we found an unusual blue-flowered Cyanotis speciosa. Overhanging the stream were Grewia occidentlis and Euclea crispa and alongside the stream bed we found Chrysocoma ciliata and Senecio harveianus.

Cracks in a nearby dolerite outcrop sported Delosperma lavisiae and Jamesbrittenia pristisepala. Nestling under the Euclea we found a Cyrtanthus obrienii, one of many to follow.

Crassula sarcocaulis

Cyanotis cf speciosa

Chrysocoma ciliata

Gomphocarpus fruticosus

Mentha longifolia

Jamesbrittenia pristisepala

Euclea crispa

Cyrtanthus obrienii

Grewia occidentalis

Delosperma lavisiae

Senecio harveianus

We decided to head up the steep slope to the south to see what the grassland and the rocky crest had to offer. On the edge of an exposed dolerite sheet there were clusters of Bulbine abyssinica. On the way up this slope we found three species of Hermannia: H. coccocarpa, H. geniculata and H. parviflora

Bulbine abyssinica

Hermannia parviflora

Hypoxis cf obliqua

Hermannia geniculata

Hermannia coccocarpa

We pushed on up the slope finding several Convolvulus sagittatis in various stages of flower opening. Closer to the top we found Jamesbrittenia atropurpurea and Crabbea acaulis as well as two species of Pelargonium: P. pulverulentum and P. sidoides. We also found a few small Lantana rugosa shrubs in full flower. There were several procumbent Rhynchosia cooperii and a small colony of Solanum capense in flower.

Convolvulus sagittatis

Crabbea acaulis

Jamesbrittenia atropurpurea

Lantana rugosa

Pelargonium pulverulentum

Pelargonium sidoides

Rhynchosia cooperii

Solanum capense

Dotted about the top of this rocky ridge were Stachys rugosa with pink flowers. It was clear this was very suitable habitat for Boophone disticia as there were many specimens of large bulbs with their characteristic fan of leaves scattered among the rocks.

Stachys rugosa

A choice habitat for large Boophone disticia bulbs

Starkly posed Boophone disticia

Among the rocks at the top of the ridge we found Anacampseros rufescens, Psammatropha obtusa and a small scattering of the delicate Gladiolus permeabilis. By now thunder was starting to roll in the distance and we decided it would be better to be under shelter if the storm reached us. We got back to the lodge pretty smartly and soon were unpacked and enjoying the ever-changing shadows on the mountains opposite us. It was not long before a violent electric storm struck the area bringing torrential rain, justifying our decision to get off the mountain.

Psammatropha obtusa

Gladiolus permeabilis

The evening skyline before a violent thunderstorm

Then next morning dawned clear although there was dense mist hanging over the Mariezell mission station a few kilometers away down the valley. We were entertained at breakfast on the stoep by a pair of Buff-streaked Chats. We decided to drive up to the border post and then walk in the high-lying grasslands adjacent to the border post.

Ongeluksnek sunrise

Buff-streaked Chat male and female

Stopping occasionally along the track to look at roadside flowers we found Ipomoea plebia, Eulophia hians var. nutans, a few Aloe ecklonis and a small patch of Pelargonium multicaule.

Ipomoea plebia

Pelargonium multicaule

Eulophia hians var. nutans

Once we reached the border post and received permission to leave our vehicles there, we set off across the grassland to see what we could find. As we had had good results with the rocky ridge the previous afternoon, we aimed for a dolerite dyke that had several boulder outcrops along its length. On the way we found Berkheya sphaerocephala and several small patches of Diclis rotundifolia.

Berkheya sphaerocephala

Diclis rotundifolia

From here, the view up the Ongeluksnek pass was pretty spectacular. There were certainly no vehicles using the track in either direction while we were in the area, so this is probably not the busiest border post on our borders.

Ongeluksnek pass

Enthusiastic botanising

Once we reached the ridge we found a rather stunted Myrsine africana sheltering between the rocks and displaying a few fruits. Close by was a Schizoglossum stenoglossum subsp. flavum. However, this ridge was less productive than that of the previous afternoon and it was getting very hot. We turned back towards the vehicles, going past a small wetland where there was a colony of Gunnera perpensa, interspersed with Geranium flanaganii, Pelargonium alchemilloides, and a colony of robust Xysmalobium undulatum, some of which were flowering.

Myrsine africana in fruit

Schizoglossum stenoglossum subsp. flavum

Gunnera perpensa inflorescense

The South African Ongeluksnek border post

Heading back to the valley where we started walking the previous afternoon, we noticed a few orange flowers some distance from the road - these turned out to be Gladiolus oppositiflorus. We elected to walk on the opposite side of the valley - a mistake as it turned out, as shade was in very short supply. We ended up eating lunch perched rather precariously in the shadow of a large cave-sandstone boulder but at least it kept the sun off for a while.

Gladiolus oppositiflorus

Pushing on we found Polygala serpentaria, Watsonia gladioloides and very robust Hypoxis cf rigidula.

Hypoxis gerrardii

Polygala serpentaria

Watsonia gladioloides

Then we found the track to the bushman cave and followed it, finding Plectranthus grallatus growing in the shade of the sandstone cliffs where there is still evidence of bushman paintings. As it was becoming too hot for comfortable walking, we headed back, encountering Trionum burchellianum on the way down. We relaxed at the lodge for the early part of the afternoon but once the sun lost its bite, we walked down to the river and paddled or dunked ourselves in the small pools.

Plectranthus grallatus

Trionum burchellianum

Down at the river we found Gomphostigma virgatum, Potamogeton pusillus and Berula thunbergii, growing either in or close to the water.

Potamogeton pusillus

Gomphostigma virgatum

Berula thunbergii

The following morning, with only time for a short walk, we decided to follow a different stream. Here we found a diminutive Aristea abyssinica, Cyphia longifolia, several more Cyrtanthus obrienii, and a few Haplocarpha scaposa. Then it was time to call it a day and set off for the long trip homewards, stopping briefly along the road to look at a blue-flowered Lactuca sp. We were also rewarded with the sight of a pair of Secretary Birds stalking across the grassland.