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.

Southern Alps

Desert Shades

Determined Woman (with Mary Somerville)

Swing the Baby

Termite Rejoicing at the End of a Long Election Season

Leonard

The Gathering of the Clans

Sunset

Leather Jacket

Hosanna

Thoroughbred

Terrier

Emergence

Mouse Riding the Stringray

Knight

Late Advent

Lily

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

Shoes with Straps

Pod

Towards the Ancient City

Ice-cream

Godot’s Tree 2

Garden Shrimp

Harry on his Nimbus 2000

Lung

Ostrich Running

Invitation

Brachyura

Cracking the Whip

Dancing with the Stars

Pelvis

Dancing Ogórek

Dash

The Arts Centre

Grover

Wandering Egret

Rabbit

Wild Goose Blues

Adam Ant

Banksy

Herons

Cocktail

Anselm Kiefer

Some Roses are White

Stork

Love Under Fire

Fireball

Senator James Paterson

After Bruegel’s Blind Leading the Blind

Ned on a Horse, After Sidney

Communion

Phophatidylserine Receptor

Marlin

Summit

Flashes

Dandelion, Stripped

Stoat

Texas Devil

Excited

Summer Playground

Turn my back on the devil

Dromaius

Jabba

Sapling

Sandhill Crane

Colonial Ties

Bilateral Amputee, Juggling

The Place of the Skull

Night Cat

Cirque du Soleil

The Sounds

Mouse Outside the House

Sakuran

Battlefield

Dementor

Fox

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

Spill

Comet

Nebular System

Almost a 6

Cockroach

Horseshoe Crab

Godot’s Tree 1

Fireworks

Web

Pelecanus

Emu Running

Singing Bird 2

Angler

Robin

Stretching

Hound

The Grim Reaper

Drunk Conductor

Harbour Islands

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

Setting Up Camp

Porthole

Three Magi Following the Star

Footballer

Santa’s Sack

Seahorse

Bat and Quokka

Rabbit

Hummingbird

Jumping Rat

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

Running Moa

Salmon

Bull Terrier

Reduviidae

Satellite

Glide

Intersections

Reflection

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 …