The world is a mask that hides the real world.
Thatâs what everybody suspects, though the world we see wonât let us dwell on it long.
The world has ways - more masks - of getting our attention.
The suspicion sneaks in now and again, between the cracks of everyday existenceâ¦the bird song dips, rises, dips, trails off into blue sky silence before the note that would reveal the shape of a melody that, somehow, would tie everything together, on the verge of unmasking the hidden armature that frames this sky, this tree, this bird, this quivering green leaf, jewels in a crown.â¦
As the song dies, the secret withdraws.
The tree is a mask.
The sky is a mask.
The quivering green leaf is a mask.
The song is a mask.
The singing bird is a mask.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
once flying high, 8/T now grounded
Broken wing grounds D.M.'s queen falcon,by Perry Beeman, DesMoines Register, 27 July 2005
Des Moines' ruling queen falcon is in Cedar Rapids recovering from a broken wing, and may be replaced in the downtown Des Moines pecking order.
No one knows how the bird was injured.
A year ago, the peregrine falcon, known only as 8/T, ran another falcon out of town, taking over the nest and pairing with the male falcon, or tiercel, to eventually produce seven young.
Pat Schlarbaum of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said 8/T's injury may have resulted from the same kind of territorial fight that sent her predecessor packing.
Joe Jordan of Des Moines first noticed the bird when he was leaving work at Terrus Real Estate Group near 10th and High streets late Friday afternoon. The falcon lay motionless in the shade with her beak open, a sign of severe stress.
He called his wife, Amanda, who called a family friend, Osceola wildlife rehabilitator Beth Brown, who called the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. State biologists contacted Dr. Dennis Riordan, a local veterinarian, who took over the case.
Amanda Jordan said she and her husband didn't want to leave the bird in a heavily traveled area and 100-degree heat.
Riordan confirmed with X-rays that the female falcon had a compound fracture in her right wing.
Dr. Eric Burrough of the Macbride Raptor Project at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids wrapped and treated the wing, said project director Jodeane Cancilla. The bird is expected to survive, but probably will not be able to fly, Cancilla said.
Schlarbaum said a new falcon likely will move into downtown Des Moines to replace 8/T in the nest.
Anyone who witnessed the bird's injury should call (515) 432-2823.
8/T in better days [Register photo]
