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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
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