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

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

Collision Course

Dancing Brolga

Night Cat

Running Moa

The Place of the Skull

Shoes with Straps

Armed Soldier

Flower of Scotland

Footballer 2

Jumping Rat

Natalie

Circus

Dancing with the Stars

Mortality on the Farm

Salmon

Cockroach

Sandhill Crane

Southern Alps

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

Mouse Outside the House

Buddha

Invitation

Determined Woman (with Mary Somerville)

Jabba

Dementor

The Arts Centre

Landscape

Terrier

Horseshoe Crab

Footballer

Angler

The Beach

Eruption

Some Roses are White

Reduviidae

Dancing Ogórek

Three Magi Following the Star

Dash

Graham’s Cross

Godot’s Tree 1

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

Eagle

Speech Bubble

Intersections

Leather Jacket

Shrimp

Signature

Cracking the Whip

Cat Looking

Fox

The Nymph and the Brolga

Wild Goose Blues

Flashes

Witch Travel

Sapling

Hosanna

Angel Fish

Ice-cream

Fireworks

Emu Running

Knight

Glide

Thoroughbred

Nebular System

Leonard

Paris

Scorpio

Pelecanus

Texas Devil

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 …