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.

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

Bull Terrier

Invitation

Angler

Elegance

Satellite

Battlefield

Robin

Banksy

Mouse Outside the House

Witch Travel

Colonial Ties

Intersections

Jumping Rat

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

Moonrise

Communion

Salmon

Cracking the Whip

Desert Shades

Determined Woman (with Mary Somerville)

Lung

Flashes

Seahorse

Fireworks

Stork

Southern Alps

Footballer

The Nymph and the Brolga

Termite Rejoicing at the End of a Long Election Season

Cockroach

James Lawrence Levine

Incoming Storm

Excited

Landscape

Dash

Herons

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

Senator James Paterson

Dementor

Leather Jacket

Dancing Brolga

All the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy

Heidegger

Running Moa

Adam Ant

Terrier

Grover

After Bruegel’s Blind Leading the Blind

Paris

Bat and Quokka

Ice-cream

Stoat

Balloon

Graham’s Cross

Reflection

Fireball

Bilateral Amputee, Juggling

Cat Looking

Godot’s Tree 2

Out of the Game

Sandhill Crane

Leonard

Almost a 6

Emergence

Eruption

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

Spill

Wandering Egret

Harbour Islands

Marker

Pelvis

The Place of the Skull

Seed

Comet

Knight

Scorpio

Angel Fish

Buddha

Swing the Baby

Pelecanus

Flower of Scotland

Love Under Fire

Mouse Riding the Stringray

Hosanna

Satellite 18

Rabbit

Garden Shrimp

Stretching

Circus

Mortality on the Farm

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

Footballer 2

Sakuran

Dandelion, Stripped

Alison Preparing the Duck

Dancing with the Stars

Ostrich Running

Ned on a Horse, After Sidney

Godot’s Tree 1

Three Magi Following the Star

Wild Goose Blues

Jabba

Rabbit

Setting Up Camp

Glide

Angel Rushing

Horseshoe Crab

Fox

Jordan

Summit

Pod

Sapling

Late Advent

Porthole

Mountaineer

Shoes with Straps

Waterfall

Hound

The Grim Reaper

Night Cat

Summer Playground

Brachyura

Hummingbird

Speech Bubble

Lily

Harry on his Nimbus 2000

Drunk Conductor

Shrimp

Armed Soldier

Jellyfish

Nebular System

Dancing Ogórek

Emu Running

Reduviidae

Signature

Cocktail

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 …