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