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.

Herons

Comet

Cat Looking

Waterfall

Some Roses are White

Godot’s Tree 1

Knight

Pelvis

Dash

Terrier

Shrimp

Intersections

Shoes with Straps

Footballer

Angel Rushing

After Bruegel’s Blind Leading the Blind

Swing the Baby

Setting Up Camp

Signature

Jordan

Melbourne Cup, 1930

Reduviidae

Love Under Fire

Almost a 6

Mountaineer

The Nymph and the Brolga

Natalie

Flower of Scotland

Summer Playground

Angel Fish Parting Ways

All the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy

Bull Terrier

Desert Shades

Stretching

Nebular System

The Grim Reaper

Mortality on the Farm

Mouse Riding the Stringray

Singing Bird 2

Sapling

Footballer 2

Landscape

Jellyfish

Determined Woman (with Mary Somerville)

Excited

Witch Travel

Reflection

Horizon

Robin

Glide

Speech Bubble

Banksy

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

Buddha

Satellite

Harbour Islands

Brachyura

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

Marlin

Summit

Hummingbird

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

Alison Preparing the Duck

Salmon

Eruption

Emergence

Three Magi Following the Star

Wild Goose Blues

Dromaius

Satellite 18

Drunk Conductor

Jumping Rat

Angel Fish

Heidegger

Sunset

Dancing with the Stars

Anselm Kiefer

Jabba

Seed

Harry on his Nimbus 2000

Collision Course

Cracking the Whip

Lily

Incoming Storm

Adam Ant

Fox

Sandhill Crane

Dancing Ogórek

Leather Jacket

Texas Devil

Moonrise

Lung

Santa’s Sack

Ned on a Horse, After Sidney

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

Balloon

Armed Soldier

Running Moa

Grover

Circus

Communion

Rabbit

Southern Alps

Cockroach

Out of the Game

Pod

Angler

Hound

Cocktail

Senator James Paterson

Colonial Ties

Ice-cream

Invitation

Fireball

Ostrich Running

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

Horseshoe Crab

Stoat

Elegance

Godot’s Tree 2

Leonard

James Lawrence Levine

Porthole

Bat and Quokka

Hosanna

Graham’s Cross

Paris

Sakuran

Dementor

Garden Shrimp

Pelecanus

Termite Rejoicing at the End of a Long Election Season

Eagle

Rabbit

Wandering Egret

Spill

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 …