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