Western Heights it was even though we had over 50mm of rain and wondered if access into the reserve would be manageable as the dips in the gravel road can become very muddy and slippery and it was not a place one wanted to get stuck. The two Dusters coped with it in ease and as we got to the end to open up the old farm gate, we were presented with the now familiar sight of cattle that was in the reserve on a daily basis. The collapsing fence boarder had been burnt and it was now just a matter of time before the entire fence lay on the ground with free access for the cattle everywhere. Ajun was studying the what pollinated the Disa tripetaloides and up until now nothing was seen to pollinate it, even night cameras hadn’t caught anything as there was thought that perhaps a month was pollinating them at night. Ajun went down the stream to sit and watch whilst the rest of us meandered on.

Raphionacme hirsuta

Our high spirits were soon dampened as we stood in our tracks looking at vehicle tracks that had illegally driven off the road and into a marsh land. In the mud we found boot prints, dog spoor, a broom handle and great pools of water where tree ferns had been dug up and placed in a bakkie and poached out of the reserve. It was disheartening to see.

Hillary, Maggie and Anne.

An unhappy Thursday group.

Gail looking at the tracks made from the poachers vehicle.

Tree ferns poached from the reserve illegally.

Plant poaching

A broom stick used for poaching plants.

Cattle browsed around kicking up plants with their hooves and munching indigenous flowers right down. This was the first time we hadn’t herded the cattle out. We had lost the battle, there were simply too many scattered all over the reserve.

Free range cows!

Satyrium longicauda longicauda and Disa similis grew in the wetland. We found Xysmalobium involucratum and Asclepias praemorsa growing. We saw both Eriosema acuminatum and Eriosema umtamvunense. Raphionacme hirsuta left us in awe, it grows from a large bulb, the purple flowers quite breathtaking.

Disa similis

Satyrium longicauda longicauda

Xysmalobium involucratum

Asclepias praemorsa

Raphionacme hirsuta

Eriosema acuminatum

Eriosema umtamvunense

Polystachya sandersonii

Cyrtorchis arcuata arcuata

We decided to have lunch closer towards Western Heights as we were curious to see if the Boophane disticha were flowering and indeed they were. Leobordea pulchra was on show with their spectacular yellow circular heads shining up.

Leobordea pulchra

Arjun and Banisha

Boophone disticha

Anne, Tracy and Gail meandered down the steep hill to see what was growing near the forest edge. We found Polystachya sandersonii and Cyrtorchis arcuata arcuata growing and then Gail found a barbed wire fence that had been erected illegally most probably by the cattle herdsmen to prevent their cows from meandering off the steep edge to their death. They had cut branches off the Proteas and the red of their stems showed that this was a recently erected fence they had just put up. Tracy and Gail were most upset!

Polystachya sandersonii

Cyrtorchis arcuata arcuata

Bulbophyllum sp.

Illegal fencing in the reserve erected by cattle herders.

Protea used to create fencing posts.

Fencing off this area from cattle who may wander down and fall off the edge of the earth.

Heading up the hillside we found the tiny Habenaria lithophila growing in the grassland. The Leaucadendron spissifolium oribinum were in flowering prolifically.

Habenaria lithophila

Flowers between December and March.

Leucadendron spissifolium oribinum

Tracy holding up a dog bone that was shot. Poaching hounds.

Tracy looking at the view from extreme heights at The Iron Crown.

Thursday group.

It was getting late and about to rain and so meandered home and along the road side saw Disa woodii standing up candle-like leading us out and away.