Only one bird in this book is not alive in its photograph. Can you find it? 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