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.

Rabbit

Hosanna

Three Magi Following the Star

Footballer

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

Dancing Brolga

Dandelion, Stripped

Anselm Kiefer

Shrimp

Wild Goose Blues

Herons

Some Roses are White

Harbour Islands

After Bruegel’s Blind Leading the Blind

Grover

Bilateral Amputee, Juggling

Love Under Fire

Cracking the Whip

Dancing with the Stars

Garden Shrimp

Alison Preparing the Duck

Singing Bird 2

Glide

Phophatidylserine Receptor

Hound

Shoes with Straps

Sunset

Excited

Mountaineer

Determined Woman (with Mary Somerville)

Hummingbird

Late Advent

Marker

Brachyura

Waterfall

Reflection

The Beach

Swing the Baby

Dromaius

Seed

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground

Emu Running

Harry on his Nimbus 2000

Stork

Angel Rushing

Stretching

Sapling

Landscape

Melbourne Cup, 1930

Lung

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

Turn my back on the devil

Salmon

All the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy

Santa’s Sack

Spill

Drunk Conductor

Eagle

Pod

Paris

Seahorse

Towards the Ancient City

Almost a 6

The Grim Reaper

Natalie

Summer Playground

Summit

Lily

Porthole

Footballer 2

Knight

Jumping Rat

Adam Ant

Bat and Quokka

Scorpio

Rabbit

The Gathering of the Clans

Mouse Outside the House

Invitation

Flashes

Ice-cream

Collision Course

Heidegger

Communion

Pelecanus

Web

Ned on a Horse, After Sidney

The Arts Centre

Dementor

Senator James Paterson

Angel Fish Parting Ways

Setting Up Camp

Satellite 18

Moa Startled by the Sound of a Frog, near Rawiri Bay

Angler

Armed Soldier

The Place of the Skull

Out of the Game

Battlefield

Fireworks

Angel Fish

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

Jabba

Cirque du Soleil

Jordan

Cat Looking

Stoat

Wandering Egret

Mouse Riding the Stringray

Godot’s Tree 2

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 …