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.

Love Under Fire

Phophatidylserine Receptor

Satellite

Footballer

Glide

Jellyfish

Eruption

Balloon

Setting Up Camp

Godot’s Tree 2

Dancing Brolga

Angel Rushing

Cocktail

Scorpio

The Gathering of the Clans

Marlin

Jumping Rat

Armed Soldier

Swing the Baby

Mouse Outside the House

Salmon

Angler

Bat and Quokka

Moonrise

Horizon

Godot’s Tree 1

Stoat

Mouse Riding the Stringray

The Beach

Alison Preparing the Duck

Dementor

Paris

Fireworks

Adam Ant

Bilateral Amputee, Juggling

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

Reduviidae

Sandhill Crane

Towards the Ancient City

Almost a 6

Jordan

Invitation

Emu Running

Termite Rejoicing at the End of a Long Election Season

Stork

Seed

Southern Alps

Robin

Bull Terrier

Out of the Game

Herons

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

Witch Travel

Elegance

Waterfall

Dromaius

Horseshoe Crab

Seahorse

Collision Course

Graham’s Cross

Excited

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

The Grim Reaper

Angel Fish

Lung

Harry on his Nimbus 2000

Rabbit

Thoroughbred

Senator James Paterson

Cat Looking

Hosanna

Cracking the Whip

The Nymph and the Brolga

Incoming Storm

Garden Shrimp

Footballer 2

Sunset

Sakuran

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

Anselm Kiefer

Porthole

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 …