African waterbirds pose on a tree at Lake Panic and are reflected in the still water above awakening hippos in the dawn mist

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I was traveling in South Africa in August 2009 and visited Lake Panic, Kruger National Park. I watched the sun set and we watched the wildlife from the bird hides. The following morning I unexpectedly returned to the hide at Lake Panic when a traveling companion realised she had left something in the hide. We caught the sunrise and the wildlife and captured this image. The African Darter is unable to oil its feathers as other birds do, so it must dry its wings by hanging them in a 'batman' pose. Next to the darter is the World's largest heron, a Goliath Heron. In the water, the lake's hippos generate plumes of steam in the early morning light. The perch is reflected in the still waters of Lake Panic, an important source of fresh water in Kruger National Park

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Size: 9949px × 6633px
Location: Lake Panic, Kruger National Park, South Africa
Photo credit: © jimdixonscapes / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: african, aquatic, area, birds, darter, dawn, dead, early, ecosystem, freshwater, goliath, habitat, heron, hippopotamus, kruger, lake, lilies, mist, morning, national, nature, park, primeval, protected, reflection, reserve, rising, shadow, silhouette, south, sunrise, tree, water, waterbirds, wildlife