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.

Ostrich Running

Summer Playground

Night Cat

Senator James Paterson

Garden Shrimp

Dromaius

Running Moa

Almost a 6

The Grim Reaper

Fox

Dash

Incoming Storm

Sakuran

Herons

Marker

Towards the Ancient City

Comet

Ned on a Horse, After Sidney

Marlin

Invitation

Web

Elegance

Dandelion, Stripped

Buddha

Moonrise

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

Nebular System

Jellyfish

Witch Travel

Setting Up Camp

Stretching

Colonial Ties

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

Rabbit

Hound

Dancing with the Stars

Landscape

Natalie

Hummingbird

Summit

Emergence

Love Under Fire

Angel Fish

Cracking the Whip

Cockroach

Mouse Riding the Stringray

Excited

Out of the Game

Satellite

Robin

Grover

Cocktail

Jabba

Adam Ant

Pelvis

Salmon

Knight

Anselm Kiefer

Bilateral Amputee, Juggling

Stoat

Armed Soldier

Harbour Islands

Shrimp

The Nymph and the Brolga

Desert Shades

The Sounds

Mortality on the Farm

Brachyura

Battlefield

Stork

Leonard

Cat Looking

The Gathering of the Clans

Angler

Eagle

Bat and Quokka

Harry on his Nimbus 2000

Turn my back on the devil

Porthole

Late Advent

The Arts Centre

Mouse Outside the House

Pod

Southern Alps

Graham’s Cross

Waterfall

Jumping Rat

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

Spill

Mountaineer

Dancing Brolga

Some Roses are White

Signature

Godot’s Tree 2

Circus

Sandhill Crane

The Beach

Sapling

Collision Course

Eruption

Sunset

Angel Rushing

Singing Bird 2

Three Magi Following the Star

Thoroughbred

Seed

Phophatidylserine Receptor

Pelecanus

Ice-cream

Drunk Conductor

Santa’s Sack

Dementor

Paris

Horseshoe Crab

The Place of the Skull

Lily

Footballer 2

Alison Preparing the Duck

Reflection

Swing the Baby

Shoes with Straps

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

Intersections

Emu Running

Jordan

Speech Bubble

Balloon

Heidegger

Determined Woman (with Mary Somerville)

Termite Rejoicing at the End of a Long Election Season

Leather Jacket

Reduviidae

Angel Fish Parting Ways

Footballer

Wandering Egret

Satellite 18

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 …