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.

Senator James Paterson

Angel Fish

Seed

Swing the Baby

Fireball

Three Magi Following the Star

Texas Devil

Summer Playground

Singing Bird 2

Brachyura

Satellite

Bull Terrier

Pod

The Place of the Skull

Flashes

Knight

Pelvis

Cocktail

Cracking the Whip

Harry on his Nimbus 2000

Dancing Ogórek

The Nymph and the Brolga

Paris

Melbourne Cup, 1930

Reflection

Alison Preparing the Duck

Heidegger

Banksy

Fireworks

Robin

Sakuran

Shoes with Straps

Reduviidae

Mouse Riding the Stringray

Moonrise

Intersections

Flower of Scotland

Cockroach

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

Out of the Game

Circus

Angel Fish Parting Ways

Comet

Buddha

Emu Running

Natalie

Spill

Angel Rushing

Herons

Dandelion, Stripped

Stoat

Footballer 2

Leonard

Cat Looking

All the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy

Night Cat

Witch Travel

Excited

Marker

Sunset

Late Advent

Jumping Rat

Summit

Leather Jacket

Fox

Bilateral Amputee, Juggling

Shrimp

Mortality on the Farm

Stork

Desert Shades

Drunk Conductor

Speech Bubble

Running Moa

Colonial Ties

Sandhill Crane

Mountaineer

Garden Shrimp

Signature

Horseshoe Crab

Anselm Kiefer

Angler

Horizon

Rabbit

Graham’s Cross

Jabba

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 …