Site description: Oebaha

Location: Suco - Bobometo
Site name: Oebaha, Oelpanaf

Fig.1-Oebaha

How to get there?

This site is located some 18 km from Pante Macassar town centre (BM STA 0 000) located in front of Hotel Inur Sakato. You’ll need to get out of town via the recently built Samoro-Pasar Tono Market Road, pass Nuslau and take what will hopefully become the Tono Market – Oesilo National Road. You’ll need to cross two (2) bridges, Kinloki and Abanal bridge over tributaries of the Tono River. The site is fairly close to the second bridge, however during the rainy season it takes you anywhere from 60 minutes to 90 minutes to get to Oebaha. Some 550 meters from the second bridge’s end (abutment towards Oebaha) you’ll have to turn right as if going toward the neighborhood known as Faut, as you get to the river known as Noeana (little river) a tributary of the Tono River, you’ll have to hike 600 metres up the river and get to the margin to your left, there you’ll see a small drainage canal and a fairly visible landmark (a well). This entire area roughly 1.5 hectares is known as Oelpanaf (Well).

Fig.2-Oelpanaf, shaded by a Samanea saman

Where does the water come from?

There is a slight depression and a small size pond is formed here during the rainy season and the lower parts of the depression retain water all year round. Water flowing from the surrounding steep hills drains into this site, which acts as a retention basin, retaining also waters drained from rice field located in the flatlands next to it. All this water then drains to the river by means of an earth dug canal.

Fig.3-Water Canal

Vegetation

The less sheltered and more disturted flatlands have some trees which include the schleichera oleosa, the palm Borassus flabellifer, and some scattered Zyziphus. This site has been taken over by Bellyache bush (Senna alata), some candlebush (Senna alata). The more sheltered and protected steep slope have Pterocarcus, and a small trek is available from the well all the way to the ponds far edge through this more shaded and protected area. Several flowering plants where photographed here.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21075949
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21075842
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21075841
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21075839
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21075838
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21075836
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21075405
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21075404
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21075142
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21074403
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21074400

What can you expect to find:

1. Lestes concinnus (?) (?)(margins of the pond)
2. Ischnura senegalensis (margins of the pond)
3. Pseudagrion microcephalum (?)(margins of the pond)
4. Pseudagrion pilidorsum (margins of the earth canal)
5. Anax guttatus (?) (caught in the morning 10 am flying at the water edge near shaded areas with Borassus palms)
6. Camacina gigantea (a fairly common species in the pond)
7. Neurothemis ramburii (photographed near the well)
8. Orthetrum caledonicum (?)
9. Potamarcha congener (pond)
10. Zyxomma obtusum (caught at dawn flying in a shaded area earth canal )
11. Gynacantha sp. (caught at dawn)

I have looked at High Resolution Satellite imagery for this location (1 pixel = 10cm) and this small depression was not visible as the image was taken during an El Nino Year. The only thing you can only see a non-farmed area (the pond) covering some 1.2 ha in total. If you were to look at Google maps you would think I made a georeferencing mistake, however I photographed using my Olympus TG4 with GPS and Glonass enabled, took my handheld GPS (Garmin etrex 30x). If you look back at sat imagery from 2011 and 2016 you’ll be able to tell it just.

This is a fairly good site, many different species can be seen here. This was the site where I made my first record of a Camacina and of a Potamarcha . I was bitten by a Camacina for the first time here. I did not know how aggressive this little beast can be. This would be a perfect place for a picnic with friends, although there are no waterholes nearby big enough for a swill. The surrounding hills host, as I have been told three different species of orchids, which are now in bloom. I’m looking forward revisit this site.

Posted on March 10, 2019 01:11 AM by ruidasilvapinto