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.

Almost a 6

Senator James Paterson

Setting Up Camp

Banksy

Terrier

Desert Shades

Shoes with Straps

Balloon

Porthole

Elegance

Battlefield

Southern Alps

Lung

Shrimp

Dancing Ogórek

Out of the Game

Adam Ant

Stretching

Late Advent

Dromaius

After Bruegel’s Blind Leading the Blind

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

Speech Bubble

Cracking the Whip

Intersections

Stoat

Flashes

Lily

Summit

Grover

Cocktail

Godot’s Tree 2

Buddha

Rabbit

Web

Angel Fish Parting Ways

Horseshoe Crab

Circus

Graham’s Cross

Towards the Ancient City

Night Cat

Witch Travel

Emu Running

Alison Preparing the Duck

Collision Course

Summer Playground

Emergence

Moonrise

Pelecanus

Dancing Brolga

Love Under Fire

Waterfall

The Beach

Signature

Pod

Swing the Baby

Godot’s Tree 1

Stork

Landscape

The Grim Reaper

Angel Rushing

Singing Bird 2

Dash

All the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy

Mouse Riding the Stringray

Armed Soldier

Incoming Storm

Dandelion, Stripped

Comet

Natalie

Sapling

Melbourne Cup, 1930

Robin

Fox

Horizon

Reflection

Spill

Communion

Hummingbird

Bull Terrier

Sunset

Dementor

Leather Jacket

Glide

Excited

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

Phophatidylserine Receptor

James Lawrence Levine

Dancing with the Stars

Satellite

Mountaineer

The Sounds

Footballer 2

Jabba

Drunk Conductor

Ned on a Horse, After Sidney

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

The Place of the Skull

Wild Goose Blues

Determined Woman (with Mary Somerville)

Satellite 18

Herons

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

Eruption

Seahorse

Texas Devil

Leonard

Mortality on the Farm

Jordan

The Gathering of the Clans

Cirque du Soleil

Flower of Scotland

Harry on his Nimbus 2000

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 …