I have always been fascinated by poo – the processes of its becoming, its powers to encourage life, and the endless jokes about the subject told by four-year-old boys, and by those boys who have not left their childhoods entirely behind. Over the years, I’ve also enjoyed reading about poo. Some of my favourite books have been Nicola Davies’ Poop: A Natural History of the Unmentionable, Josh Richman & Anish Sheth’s What’s Your Poo Telling You?, Susan Goodman’s Truth about Poop, and Jeannette Rowe’s Whose Poo? (There are more titles here for those wanting to follow up this line of research). Then, sometime in 2016, I noticed that a friend of mine started posting the occasional photo of bird poo on her Facebook feed. I was immediately struck by them. They spoke to me of simplicity, of randomness, of good humour, and of temporality. They highlighted again for me the enormous disparity between my own environmental footprint and that of other creatures. They also invited me to better notice a part of my everyday landscape, especially things like footpaths, objects that are otherwise quite uninteresting. Captured, I started doing the same – taking photos of bird poo. For a few weeks or so, it became something of an obsession, one that resulted in missed trains and lateness to meetings, interesting discussions with curious onlookers wondering what the Methuselah I was doing with my phone so close to the ground, and much amusement with children. It’s been fun. While beauty may well be in the eye of the beholder, joy should be shared. So, below are some of the images I’ve captured, shared in the hope that others may enjoy them too, or at least get a good giggle out of one or two of them.
Pod
Emergence
Santa’s Sack
Grover
Out of the Game
Jellyfish
Anselm Kiefer
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed
Fox
Wandering Egret
Uprooted, after the big winds on Sunday 9 October, 2016
Ned on a Horse, After Sidney
Desert Shades
Stoat
Swing the Baby
Three Magi Following the Star
All the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy
Brachyura
Waterfall
Some Roses are White
Fireworks
Seed
Late Advent
Fireball
The Grim Reaper
Flower of Scotland
Eruption
Satellite 18
Hound
Ostrich Running
Sakuran
Angel Fish Parting Ways
Dancing with the Stars
Dandelion, Stripped
Melbourne Cup, 1930
Almost a 6
Dementor
Senator James Paterson
Battlefield
Leonard
Signature
Marker
Godot’s Tree 1
Scorpio
Ice-cream
Robin
Angel Fish
Speech Bubble
Jumping Rat
Bat and Quokka
Sandhill Crane
Natalie
Stretching
Cat Looking
Horseshoe Crab
Texas Devil
Wild Goose Blues
Cocktail
Footballer
Porthole
Harry on his Nimbus 2000
Hosanna
Harbour Islands
Seahorse
Dash
Godot’s Tree 2
Nebular System
Determined Woman (with Mary Somerville)
Communion
For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground
Love Under Fire
Mountaineer
Witch Travel
Circus
Southern Alps
Marlin
Jordan
Moa Startled by the Sound of a Frog, near Rawiri Bay
Comet
Lung
Salmon
After Bruegel’s Blind Leading the Blind
Terrier
Summer Playground
Bull Terrier
Stork
Dancing Ogórek
Cirque du Soleil
Armed Soldier
Rabbit
Eagle
Knight
Cracking the Whip
Cockroach
Mouse Riding the Stringray
Flashes
The Nymph and the Brolga
Paris
Leather Jacket
By the Sea of Galilee, Israel (taken by Stefanie)
Graham’s Cross
Excited
Colonial Ties
Pelecanus
Satellite
Intersections
Emu Running
Summit
Incoming Storm
Termite Rejoicing at the End of a Long Election Season
Singing Bird 2
Mouse Outside the House
Drunk Conductor
Elegance
Sunset
Night Cat
Shrimp
Footballer 2
Pelvis
Buddha
Mortality on the Farm
The Place of the Skull
Moonrise
Running Moa
Rabbit
Herons
Angel Rushing
Lily
Phophatidylserine Receptor
Dromaius
Dancing Brolga
Heidegger
James Lawrence Levine
Shoes with Straps
Setting Up Camp
I will build a great wall – and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me – and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall …
Spill
Alison Preparing the Duck
Sapling
Collision Course
Invitation
Garden Shrimp
Hummingbird
Bilateral Amputee, Juggling
Landscape
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