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