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.
Jordan
Flashes
Godot’s Tree 2
Love Under Fire
Emergence
Footballer 2
Setting Up Camp
Anselm Kiefer
Phophatidylserine Receptor
Determined Woman (with Mary Somerville)
Swing the Baby
Late Advent
Moa Startled by the Sound of a Frog, near Rawiri Bay
Buddha
Almost a 6
Texas Devil
Fox
Excited
Fireworks
Jellyfish
Lung
Dancing with the Stars
Dromaius
Alison Preparing the Duck
Elegance
Cirque du Soleil
Cracking the Whip
Horizon
Sapling
Comet
Singing Bird 2
Landscape
Satellite
Marlin
Moonrise
Rabbit
James Lawrence Levine
Desert Shades
Leonard
By the Sea of Galilee, Israel (taken by Stefanie)
Grover
Eagle
Dancing Brolga
Stoat
Harbour Islands
Waterfall
Reflection
Incoming Storm
Mouse Outside the House
For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground
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
Hound
Marker
Drunk Conductor
Cocktail
Paris
Sunset
Dandelion, Stripped
Shrimp
The Nymph and the Brolga
Seahorse
Intersections
Flower of Scotland
Glide
Wandering Egret
Pelecanus
Shoes with Straps
Hummingbird
Pelvis
Graham’s Cross
Ostrich Running
Communion
Speech Bubble
The Grim Reaper
Cat Looking
Angel Fish
Satellite 18
Dementor
Knight
Reduviidae
Battlefield
Collision Course
Pod
The Place of the Skull
Sandhill Crane
Termite Rejoicing at the End of a Long Election Season
Leather Jacket
Summit
Herons
Emu Running
Balloon
Jumping Rat
Bilateral Amputee, Juggling
Godot’s Tree 1
Melbourne Cup, 1930
Signature
Salmon
Three Magi Following the Star
Eruption
Uprooted, after the big winds on Sunday 9 October, 2016
Sakuran
Angler
Stork
Robin
Witch Travel
Nebular System
Ned on a Horse, After Sidney
Running Moa
Cockroach
Colonial Ties
Dancing Ogórek
Adam Ant
Mountaineer
Scorpio
Some Roses are White
Summer Playground
Horseshoe Crab
Out of the Game
Ice-cream
Angel Rushing
Senator James Paterson
Santa’s Sack
Mortality on the Farm
Bull Terrier
Porthole
Invitation
Harry on his Nimbus 2000
Mouse Riding the Stringray
Heidegger
After Bruegel’s Blind Leading the Blind
Stretching
Night Cat
Wild Goose Blues
Garden Shrimp
Armed Soldier
Footballer
Bat and Quokka
All the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy
Angel Fish Parting Ways
Lily
Spill
Hosanna
Southern Alps
Terrier
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 …
jasongoroncy.com 