Dry Season Trip to Selous Game Reserve – Day 4

We started the second full field day with a trip to a drainage line about 1 km NNE of camp. The vehicles were parked at the pump station from which water is pumped up to camp, and the team followed the stream (which was mostly dry), for approximately 800 metres. The grassy valley bottom was lined by dense thickets, with species such as Syzygium guineense, Rauvolfia caffra, Keetia venosa and Vernonia colorata being common throughout. After a few hundred metres we entered a tall swamp forest that was dominated by Syzygium guineense and Shirakiopsis ellipticus, with other prominent trees being Erythrophloeum suaveolens, Rothmannia manganjae (in flower), Voacanga thouarsii and Pachystela brevipes. The swamp forest was a special place, even if it was not flooded at this time of the year. After following the forest trail for about 200 metres we entered another grassy valley bottom which is most likely an impressive wetland during the rain season. Two massive Milicia excelsa trees marked the edge of the wetland. Always a privilege to stand under these giants. And to add to the pleasure, we were spoilt with great views of a pair of Brown-breasted Barbets perched in the leafless canopy. A cross-section profile of the valley vegetation was done and then we returned to the vehicles for lunch. Thankfully, Duncan spotted a small Uroplectes scorpion in the leaf litter before sitting on it! After lunch we drove back towards camp and then along the spine of a narrow ridge NE of camp and just to the east of the valley we had followed in the morning. The grassland along the ridge had recently burnt, making the floristic survey a bit complicated. However, several trees along the edge of the grassland were in full bloom, most notably Dombeya rotundifolia and Stereospermum kunthianum. Another highlight was a magnificent Leopard Orchid in full bloom in a dead tree. That rounded off a decent day in the field and an approaching thunderstorm sent us scurrying back to camp in the late afternoon. As was becoming the pattern, the day was ended with an evening beer on the platform looking west into the wilderness. What a life!