Ruffled feathers at Lake Panic
Tuesday, 19 July 2016, 14:18 PM
After entering the bird hide at Lake Panic near Skukuza with great clamour (due to a rogue lens hood hurtling to the floor) we had to endure a few death stares from disgusted twitchers, but lucky for us their attention was quickly diverted to a more spectacular drama unfolding in the avian realm…
An African Darter manages to snag a very impressive fish which he lugs to shore and proudly exhibits to a couple of rather disinterested neighbours; some Water Thick-Knees and a Blacksmith Lapwing.
The Darter draws the admiration of a Pied Kingfisher who lands beside him for a closer look (not pictured), but little do they know an uninvited guest is on the way to crash their party…
An African Fish-Eagle swoops in terrifying the Kingfisher, Lapwing and Darter into a hasty retreat, leaving the fish in their dust:
The fish itself proves to be a slippery customer as it flips about under the Fish-Eagle’s legs:
Finally the eagle manages to get a grip by pinning the fish down on the sand, looking very proud of the robbery she just perpetrated:
Dejected: the Darter looks on in horror as his lunch disappears. Ann Landers once said: “Bragging is not an attractive trait, but let’s be honest. A man who catches a big fish doesn’t go home through an alley.” Perhaps the alley would have been a better route after all…?
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Haha love it!! Stunning pictures!