Faex Avium |

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.

Banksy

Phophatidylserine Receptor

Brachyura

Circus

After Bruegel’s Blind Leading the Blind

James Lawrence Levine

Garden Shrimp

Summer Playground

Pod

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

Mouse Outside the House

Jordan

The Grim Reaper

Out of the Game

Spill

Running Moa

Signature

Salmon

Almost a 6

Dementor

Robin

Sunset

Horseshoe Crab

Porthole

Melbourne Cup, 1930

Dromaius

Dandelion, Stripped

Senator James Paterson

Balloon

Harbour Islands

Speech Bubble

Knight

Sakuran

Dash

Stoat

Marker

Angel Rushing

Ostrich Running

Eruption

Drunk Conductor

Cat Looking

Colonial Ties

Cirque du Soleil

Scorpio

Harry on his Nimbus 2000

Marlin

Hosanna

Moonrise

Wandering Egret

Fox

Southern Alps

Sapling

Cockroach

Bat and Quokka

Love Under Fire

Footballer

Late Advent

By the Sea of Galilee, Israel (taken by Stefanie)

Landscape

Satellite

Excited

Heidegger

Emu Running

Seahorse

Ice-cream

The Nymph and the Brolga

Reduviidae

All the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy

Pelecanus

Witch Travel

Termite Rejoicing at the End of a Long Election Season

Eagle

Herons

Horizon

Seed

Intersections

Jabba

Swing the Baby

Angel Fish

Jumping Rat

Footballer 2

Uprooted, after the big winds on Sunday 9 October, 2016

Comet

Stork

Mortality on the Farm

Determined Woman (with Mary Somerville)

Shrimp

Bull Terrier

Dancing with the Stars

Collision Course

Stretching

Shoes with Straps

Jellyfish

Hummingbird

Wild Goose Blues

Alison Preparing the Duck

Night Cat

Lung

Elegance

Pelvis

Graham’s Cross

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 …