Deborah Ross comes to visit

We recently had a wonderful visit from artist and long-time friend of UNBP – Deborah Ross. Previously a dancer who traveled the world in search of adventure and intimate wildlife encounters, she first came here in the 80s and began painting our baboons. Deborah is a talented artist, but takes the impact of her art very seriously. Most of her art is aimed at increasing awareness about the world’s threatened wildlife and forests.  

In her busy years at UNBP Deborah illustrated Shirley’s book (Almost Human), provided the artwork for the UNBP website (www.baboonsrus.com ), and she founded the painting club in 2008. This trip she spent every possible day with the baboons taking photos and painting them when they stopped moving for social time. 

Here are some of her paintings from her time with us: 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a great visit hearing about all of Deborah's adventures with wildlife, conservation, and painting clubs around Africa. This trip she even started a new painting club in the South Rift. She's now back at her paying job, teaching art in NY.

Follow this link if you’d like to learn more about Deborah or her art:

http://www.deborahrossarts.com

Birds of Kenya

It's been a while since I've posted some bird pictures, so here are a few beautiful birds from around Kenya! All photos by Clay Wilton.

 Grey-headed kingfisher along a river in the South Rift

Little bee-eater in the South Rift 

 Little bee-eater in the South Rift

 Fork-tailed drongo in the South Rift

 Thousands of greater and lesser flamingos in Lake Magadi, South Rift

 Lesser flamingos flying over Lake Magadi

 Red-cheeked cordon-bleu at baboon camp

 Speke's weaver at baboon camp

 Vulturine guineafowl at baboon camp

 Backlit yellow-necked spurfowl at sunset foraging around baboon camp

 Superb starling at baboon camp

 Scarlet-chested sunbird (?) feeding on Jacaranda flowers at baboon camp

 White-bellied go-away bird feeding on Jacaranda flowers at baboon camp

 African hoopoe foraging at baboon camp

 Pair of ring-necked doves at baboon camp

 Red-billed hornbill foraging near the baboons

 A well camouflaged Heuglin's coarser while out walking with the baboons

 Rufous-crowned roller in Laikipia

 A pair (one hiding) of red-and-yellow barbet in Laikipia

 Spur-winged lapwing in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve

 A flock of white-face whistling ducks landing in the Maasai Mara

African wattled lapwing in the Maasai Mara 

Lappet-faced vulture flying to a wildebeest recently killed by a lion in the Maasai Mara 

 Martial eagle feeding on a baby impala in the Maasai Mara 

 A beautiful grey-crowned crane in the Maasai Mara 

The bizarre looking saddle-billed stork in the Maasai Mara  

 A beautiful lilac-breasted roller in the Maasai Mara 

 A beautiful lilac-breasted roller in the Maasai Mara

 Cattle egret surfing on the back of a Cape buffalo in the Maasai Mara

 A shy yellow-billed oxpecker peering out from behind a Cape buffalo in the Maasai Mara

 African fish eagle along a stream bank in the Maasai Mara

 A tiny pygmy kingfisher fishing along the Mara river in front of our camp in the Maasai Mara

Crowned hornbill hanging out at the Trout Tree Restaurant in Nanyuki