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