In Praise of An Augury of Birds

In An Augury of Birds, Scott Owens assumes the role of the augur, taking the auspices, examining bird behavior with great deliberation and mindfulness. The task is not merely to observe but to insist we, too, become “a part of the flock,” we, too, engage in the nest building he contemplates, “the careful placement of each leaf, / each lost piece of string.” The task is to remind us of their presence, put birds—often overlooked in our day-to-day lives—squarely in the foreground, to spiritually connect us to these predecessors, these dinosaurs, to keep the “two worlds // we imagine apart, together.”

— John Hoppenthaler,Author of Night Wing over Metropolitan Area

Robert Lynd is quoted as saying, “In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.” If each of us may create silence, within and around us, birds will complete it with wing whirr and song. As do the poems and photographs in An Augury of Birds. Scott Owens and Clayton Joe Young reward our held breath and contemplative approach to make these feathered creatures our companions – individual, distinctive, ripe with purpose. And Augury is entirely apt. Wasn’t Rachel Carson’s prophecy of a silent spring the spark that ignited our current fire of conservation and environmentalism? Noticing birds is a gateway to noticing the universe. Lift the latch, enter these pages, become part of these lives – If you close your eyes / you can hear the cosmos opening.

— Bill Griffin, naturalist and author of How We All Fly

About the Author

Scott Owens has been a bird watcher for 42 years. He is the author of 21 collections of poetry and recipient of awards from the Academy of American Poets, the Pushcart Prize Anthology, the Next Generation/Indie Lit Awards, the NC Writers Network, the NC Poetry Society, and the Poetry Society of SC. His poems have been featured on The Writer’s Almanac 8 times, and his articles about writing poetry have been used in Poet’s Market 4 times. He has twice been nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award and to be NC Poet Laureate.

About the Photographer

Clayton Joe Young is the author of 12 books and is an award-winning photographer with a background in photojournalism. Young’s work has been exhibited throughout the United States in solo and juried exhibitions. In 2014, Young earned the Certified Professional Photographers (CPP) designation from Professional Photographers of America. In May of 2015, Young earned a MFA in Photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design.Young is the Director and Senior Professor for the Photographic Technology Program at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, NC. Through backpacking, kayaking, and hiking, Young enjoys capturing the beauty of the outdoors with his wife and family. To see more of his work, visit: www.joeyoungphoto.com

Pine Warbler 4

American Robin 8

Brown Pelican 11

Immature Blue Grosbeak 12

Eastern Towhee 14

Eastern Starling 19

Kestrel 21

Chickadee 22

Great Blue Heron 25

Black Vulture 26

White-throated Sparrow 28

Dark-eyed Junco 30

Northern Mockingbird 32

Brown Pelicans 34

Downy Woodpecker 36

Red-winged Blackbird 41

Brown-headed Cowbird 43

White-breasted Nuthatch 45

Double-crested Cormorant 46

Tufted Titmouse 48

Trees 50

Great Egret 52

Blue Jay 54

Great Blue Heron 57

Eastern Towhee 59

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 61

Eastern Meadowlark 62

Starlings 65

Blackbirds 66

Northern Cardinal 68

Eastern Mockingbird 70

Belted Kingfisher 73

Gull 75

Cooper Hawk 77

Barn Swallow 80

Brown Thrasher 82

Eastern Phoebe 84

Peregrine Falcon 86

White Ibis 88

Dunlin 91

Osprey 92

Eurasian eagle-owl 94

Rufous Hummingbird 96

American Crow 98

Eastern Bluebird 100

Bald Eagle 103

Gray Catbird 104

American Goldfinch 106

Mallard 109

Black Swan 110

Barred Owl 113

Laughing Kookaburra 115

Red-tailed Hawk 117

Red-shouldered Hawk 119

Carolina Wren 121

Red-bellied Woodpecker 123

Loggerhead Shrike 124

Black Vulture 127