The Falconer

(19 photos) I walked along the trail at Point Vicente Lighthouse on Palos Verdes Peninsula this past Sunday. The breathtaking view was enough to keep my eyes focused on the ocean, but turning, I noticed something up ahead on the trail. Getting closer, I realized a man had a large bird on his arm. Closer still, it was clear the bird was a beautiful falcon. The man was chatting in Spanish and didn’t mind in the least that I started taking his picture. What a sport! The Falconer’s young son approached, also wearing a special leather glove. The Falconer told me his bird is a year old and still in training. It was fascinating watching as he put a little leather cap over the bird’s eyes, walked over to a field, took off the cap, and let the bird go. It flew off, landed some distance away in a tree, the Falconer called out, whistled, and the bird returned to his hand. What a treat that was to watch!! I included lots of pictures in this gallery to give you as much of the experience as possible. 🙂 ~SueBee