We spent three mornings at Reedbuck Pan in the Maluleke Concession in the Pafuri section in the north of the Kruger Park. Each morning provided unexpected opportunities for different types of wildlife photographs from great bird interactions to wonderful saturated colours across the pan to dazzling reflections on the pan’s water surface.

“The vibration of being who you are and doing what you love is magnetic. You will align everything you need in your life with that energy.” ~ Maryam Hasnaa

As is normally the case on South African game drives, the morning drive has an early start preferably heading out at first light after a cup of hot coffee and a rusk. On the east side of the Pafuri Tented Camp is a rocky ridge with a few baobab trees. They make a wonderful silhouette with the saturated pre-dawn sky in the background.

It takes about an hour to drive east from the camp to the Reeduck Pan. By the time we arrived the sun had risen but the low angle of light cast long reflections of the fever trees across the mirror-like water surface of the pan. Early in the morning the quality of the light is superb. The direction of the light was just right, the colour of the light saturated with the sparkle from the early morning golden colours and light was soft with no specular harshness.

The pan by its nature is shallow and the banks relatively flat which gives plenty of room for waders to wander along the waterline. It also gives us ample opportunity to see crocodiles trying to sneak up on us while we are distracted taking photographs.

The intriguing aspect about this pan is that there is so much birdlife it is hard to focus on one thing. On the bend in the bank closest to where we stopped for coffee there was a Goliath heron, Grey heron, Yellow-billed stork and Three-banded plover all close to each other and quite relaxed.

“You didn’t come into this world. You came out of it, like a wave on the ocean.” ~ Alan Watts

As I showed in two previous posts, a pair of African fish eagles were aggressively territorial taking on a lone Goliath heron and solitary Great white pelican. The attacks were just intimidation and no one got injured.

I found it quite amazing that the Fish eagle would take on a large bird like a Great white pelican especially with its long beak and extended reach. The Fish eagles harassed herons, storks and pelicans alike.

“Do you have the patience to wait until the mud settles and the water is clear?” ~ Lao Tzu

A quiet moment for the lone Goliath heron the far side of the pan. This heron wisely decided to hunt close to fallen tree trunks which he could duck to avert a Fish eagle attack. Whilst I am sure the crocs do try to catch the herons, on this occasion a small croc was content to warm up in the morning sun on the fallen tree trunk.

There were plenty of Nile crocodiles in the pan and at times we got see a few basking in the morning sun on the far side of the pan. This was a good reminder to be alert and not get to close to the water’s edge.

Surprisingly, we saw a medium size croc try to bite into a terrapin but with little luck. Eventually, the croc dropped the terrapin into the water after trying numerous times to bite and try and crack its shell. The terrapin seemed none the worse for wear after its abuse.

We were joined one morning, while we were enjoying a cup of coffee and a muffin, by this juvenile Kittlitz’s plover which was hunting for insects at the water’s edge.

The adult Kittlitz’s plover in breeding colours has a more distinctive plumage with a peach coloured breast black band across its forehead down behind its eyes onto its nape.

We saw numerous Three-banded plovers dashing along the water’s edge hunting for small insects. Its two black bands across its breast are diagnostic as are its red eye rings and red beak with a black tip. It was a little more difficult to get good reflections of these small plovers.

A Blacksmith lapwing was also very busy looking for food. This species will feed on a wide variety of small aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, including insects (beetles, ants, larvae), worms, molluscs, and crustaceans.

“Water is the mirror of nature.” ~ Francis of Assisi

The main reason for this post was to show familiar waders in unfamiliar light and colour created by the light reflected off the fever trees.

Although the reflections do create an element of distraction, the colours and in the patterns in the water were fascinating. This Grey heron stood motionless in the shallow water of the pan for quite a while. It must have seen a fish and waited for it to swim within striking range.

The crocs showed no appetite for the herons in the pan. At this point the croc was in very shallow water so could not submerge for a stealthy attack. The only time I have seen crocodiles try to catch water birds was in the Salamat river in Zakouma National Park in Chad.

There was plenty of food in the pan for everyone which is why there were colonies of breeding herons and storks in the fever trees in the pan. The pink tinge in the Yellow-billed stork’s secondaries indicated that it was in full breeding plumage.

“No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.” ~ Taoist Proverb

A small flock of African spoonbills flew in to scour the pan for food. They frantically swept their unusual spoonbills through the water trying to catch edibles such as small fish, crustaceans (like shrimp), mollusks, aquatic insects, larvae, and frogs.

“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” ~ Khalil Gibran

The inside of the spoon-shaped bill is packed with nerve endings and vibration-sensitive receptors, often referred to as papillae. Instead of relying on sight, spoonbills locate prey by touch. They sweep their partially opened bills from side to side through shallow water and mud to detect movement. When a Spoonbill feels a creature—such as a small fish, crustacean, or insect—touch its bill, the beak snaps shut in milliseconds. This extreme sensitivity allows them to feed effectively in murky, dark, or deep, muddy water where visibility is low.

One of the pair of African fish eagles that seemed to delight in harassing waders in the shallows of the pan. The Fish eagle’s tactics did not deter the waders, the latter just moved to another area of the pan.

Another example of a familiar wader in unfamiliar light. A Little egret foraging in the shallows of the pan bathed in a kaleidoscope of soft reflected colours.

A silhouette of a Little egret foraging in the golden morning light reflected on the water’s surface.

Same subject with a different angle and different light.

The colours reflected on the water’s surface of the pan changed the familiar into a magical wonderland of colour.

“Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.” ~ William Wordsworth

This post was designed to show similar wader birds in unusual early morning reflected light. Such is the magical time based quality of photography. The quality of light, the low angle and reflections are ever changing. The stillness of the water enhanced the quality of the reflections and the vivid colours of the fever trees in the background illuminated the reflections.

“We carry inside us the wonders we seek outside us.” ~ Rumi

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike