The atypical surfing in mid air

Every year I flew to Torrey Pines beach (San Diego CA) in order to observe and shoot the Peregrine Falcons with young chicks attacking the Pelicans (or other birds) who happen to fly too close to their nest , mainly for protection ; It’ s a spectacular scene to witness but capturing the exact moment the PEFA hit the Pelican is no easy feat
On this afternoon in June 2026, I stationed on the beach and waited for the attacks to happen
Sure enough, the mother Falcon (dubbed to Dragon Lady) swooped down from the top of the cliff near her nest and shadowed a Pelican who ‘s naive enough to venture onto her nest territory
The PEFA caught on with the Pelican with ease due to her superior speed and grabbed onto the latter’s bill as if to scare her off
She steered the bill for a brief second but the Pelican knew exactly what the PEFA wanted from her and flew off in a hurry
(in some cases, the Pelican would fall to her death in her panic mode)
The attacks would continue on throughout the day as long as the Pelicans are still around and commit the cardinal but innocent sin