Fall is a great time to take a walk along Paseo Del Mar as the clear skies at this time of year often produce some of our best sunsets.  In early December on a cool, breezy afternoon I took my neighbor’s two dogs out for walk from the South Shores section of Paseo Del Mar to the Pt Fermin Lighthouse and back. As we approached the first stretch of Pt Fermin Park we stopped to watch a few guys flying their radio controlled gliders.  At first there was just a single flying wing type of glider swooping along the cliff until one of the other gentlemen picked up his replica World War II P-51 Mustang and threw it into the air.  It’s always amazing when standing nearby to watch how fast they’re able to get these gliders going. 

     For a moment, I looked down to untangle the dogs from their leashes when I heard a crashing sound from above.  Thinking the two gliders had inadvertently run into one another and expecting at least one to come falling from the sky, I was surprised at what I saw next.  Looking up, the P-51 Mustang was flying out toward the ocean but instead of having crashed into the other glider it had a good sized bird on top of it!  The gentleman controlling the glider who was standing a few feet away exclaimed “I gotta get this plane back on the ground or that falcon is going to destroy it!”  As the bird pulled away from the plane, a piece of the nose cone fell back to the ground and luckily for the owner, on the park side of the cliff.  The P-51 banked hard left and then hard right only to have this tough looking bird in hot pursuit.  After having successfully landed, an inspection further revealed scratch marks along the top front of the fuselage left by the birds talons.

      Well it turns out we have a breeding pair of Peregrine falcons that live on one of the ledges along the cliff just below where the gliders are launched and they apparently don’t like certain types of gliders cruising in the area.  The nose cone of the P-51 was painted yellow and perhaps the bird felt it looked like the beak of another bird and took offense.  Having never seen a peregrine falcon before, I could not help but be impressed at its command of the sky.  Although not quite as large as say a red tailed hawk, it had a kind huskiness to it I would describe somehow as being pit-bull like.  Its wings were very swept back—like that of a jet fighter and it zoomed around quite fast—no wonder the P-51 didn’t have much of a chance! 

     A little research later would reveal the peregrine falcon to be the fastest animal on earth achieving approximately 200 mph in a dive.  They primarily eat other mid-sized birds and perhaps with a little luck they’ll work on our pigeon population—maybe even taking a crack at a peacock or two.  So if you’re looking for a good excuse to get some exercise then go take a walk on Paseo Del Mar and if by Pt Fermin Park you might catch the antics of these impressive birds.

-- Richard Welsh, SSHOA Vice-President