Lake returning to the Mamoré River

This photo was taken on the banks of the Mamoré, looking across at an oxbow lake as it empties back into the river. We had come to the edge of the big river as part of our survey and reconnaissance around Santa Ana in 2007. When a lake like this one breaks through the bank and pours back into the river, a huge number of fish comes along for the ride, and this fact is not lost on the birds that congregate over the breach, feasting on the fish. The lake is connected to the river for much of the year in the wet season (perhaps December to May), and then is isolated during the dry season (perhaps June to November). These kinds of seasonal changes are obviously important to plants, animals and people today, and they were likely important in the pre-Columbian past as well. This photo was taken on June 14, 2007, with a Canon PowerShot A640.