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.

Running Moa

Swing the Baby

Mouse Outside the House

Landscape

Dancing with the Stars

Out of the Game

Ned on a Horse, After Sidney

Armed Soldier

Cracking the Whip

Sunset

Wandering Egret

Godot’s Tree 1

Cocktail

Harry on his Nimbus 2000

Graham’s Cross

Sandhill Crane

Satellite

Robin

Senator James Paterson

Phophatidylserine Receptor

Collision Course

Santa’s Sack

Garden Shrimp

Sakuran

Thoroughbred

Glide

Turn my back on the devil

Adam Ant

Terrier

Web

Banksy

Alison Preparing the Duck

Scorpio

Comet

All the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy

Mortality on the Farm

Heidegger

Dementor

Angel Rushing

Bilateral Amputee, Juggling

Angel Fish

Brachyura

Lily

Fireball

Jellyfish

Waterfall

Pelvis

Nebular System

Speech Bubble

Balloon

Cirque du Soleil

Paris

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

Jumping Rat

Satellite 18

The Grim Reaper

Colonial Ties

Late Advent

Some Roses are White

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

Angler

Grover

Harbour Islands

Stoat

Dromaius

Texas Devil

Drunk Conductor

Invitation

Desert Shades

Emu Running

Horizon

Natalie

Lung

Setting Up Camp

Bull Terrier

Leather Jacket

Singing Bird 2

Shrimp

Termite Rejoicing at the End of a Long Election Season

James Lawrence Levine

The Place of the Skull

Incoming Storm

The Gathering of the Clans

The Nymph and the Brolga

Reduviidae

Excited

Ostrich Running

Leonard

Flower of Scotland

Towards the Ancient City

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

Hummingbird

Rabbit

Circus

Reflection

Knight

Dancing Ogórek

Dancing Brolga

The Beach

Hound

Summer Playground

Dandelion, Stripped

Melbourne Cup, 1930

Footballer 2

Eagle

Angel Fish Parting Ways

Horseshoe Crab

Almost a 6

Ice-cream

Rabbit

Moonrise

Flashes

Jabba

Seed

Buddha

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

Sapling

Godot’s Tree 2

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 …