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