In the coming weeks, we will be looking back at a great Monochrome Monday Blog series and look forward to exciting new ideas going forward. We hope you enjoy this week’s selection of our favourite bird images in monochrome...

“A wake of vultures gathers at a carcass.”

“Open invitation.”

“Having travelled thousands of kilometers to reach our lands in the summer months, this Steppe Eagle sits perched while scanning the veld for prey.”

“A characteristic bird in the bushveld keeping an ever-watchful eye out for any danger and should there be any present, you can hear them shouting, “Go Away, Go Away!” A close subject and a wide aperture helps get that sought after ‘bokeh’.”

“My favourite owl, the Verraux’s Eagle-Owl. It really is an exceptional bird and the largest owl in the region.”

“A White-backed Vulture sun-bathing.”

“A fanciful display... this Black-bellied Bustard stands proudly while performing his advertisement calls for any females nearby.”

“This was just a clean image in very good light with some cloud background and the colour version looks stunning, but rendering the image in a sepia tone just added a whole new dimension to the photograph.”

“A tender moment, as the chick of a Crested Francolin seeks shelter under its parent’s breast.”

“The Southern Ground Hornbill is an almost prehistoric looking bird, large in size and powerfully built.”

“A peculiar sight in the Lowveld, but a regular feature on our safaris lately, this female ostrich gets up close and personal with the occupants of our vehicle.”

“One of my favourite birds. The Martial Eagle. Even though this one has not reached the stage with adult plumage, it still looks quite menacing.”

“A White-backed Vulture takes off after having finished feeding on the remains of a kill.”

“A Grey Heron moves with patient elegance in the still waters of a pan to increase its chances of successful capture.”

“A committed partner ensuring his female and young are well cared for. The monogamous pair bonds of many bird species can be exemplary.”

“A stunning example of evolution in order to minimize competition for resources.”

“A summer migrant to this part of the world, a Wahlberg’s Eagle, sits perched against a harsh sky.”

“Paparazzi photographing me sunbathing.”

“Brown-Hooded Kingfishers are among the most common of the resident kingfishers and can often be seen searching for food from a perch. I pursued a slight high-key approach due to the prevailing weather conditions and I really liked the result.”

“Tawny Eagles are among the largest within our region and have been less than common during the winter period, but are now becoming quite prominent especially with the amount of kills the predators have been making.”

“Beauty within the confusion as vultures take to flight.”

“Beauty and perfection. The striking Bateleur Eagle in flight.”