Main character: Peregrine Falcon of the tundrius subspecies. Small male, only 2/3 the size of an immature female he had chased briefly earlier in the day. Built for speed, the fastest animal on earth, bony ridge over the eye for protection and sun shade, shaded area under eye to combat reflected light, notch in bill to facilitate a quick kill by severing the spinal cord of its prey, a bony tubercle in the nostril opening that prevents a partial vacuum from forming in a high-speed dive which would hinder breathing. This photo is of a bird I rescued from the pits after it failed to pull out of a turn and landed in the gunk.