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