The peregrine falcon is a unique representative of the falconiformes and the falcon family, which holds the speed record among all living creatures on the planet. In a dive flight, the peregrine falcon is capable of accelerating up to 322 km / h, in other words, in 1 second the bird flies 90 m. In horizontal flight, only the black swift flies faster than the peregrine falcon.
The peregrine falcon is a merciless predator and an excellent hunter. A man early noticed the mind and good learning ability of these birds, therefore, peregrine falcons were most often used in hunting, and the very concept of "falconry" is rooted in the 1st millennium BC. e. For the first time, the peregrine falcon, as a nominative species, was described in 1771 by the British ornithologist Tunstall, and in Russia until the middle of the 19th century, the peregrine falcon was called a falcon.
The closest relatives of the peregrine falcon are laggar, saker falcon, lanner and gyrfalcon. Due to a similar phenotype, they are often combined into one group, however, according to a number of characteristic features, the peregrine falcon is easy to recognize among other birds. Today, scientists distinguish about 19 subspecies of the peregrine falcon, which have minor external differences.
In the paws of a peregrine falcon, most likely, a bird is a guillemot. 
A female peregrine falcon, photo from Vladivostok. What does a peregrine falcon look like
Among other falcons, the peregrine falcon stands out for its rather large size: the size of an adult bird is 34 - 50 cm. The differences between the sexes are only in size: females are larger than males, their weight reaches 1.5 kg, while the weight of males does not exceed 440 - 750 g. bird wings are from 80 to 120 cm.
Like any active predator, the peregrine falcon has a strong build with a well-developed muscular chest and elongated pointed wings. The tail of the peregrine falcon is long, narrow, with a rounded tip. Its main weapons are strong fingers with deadly claws and a sickle-curved beak with a serrated hook on the upper half, designed to finish off and butcher the victim.
The upper body of adult birds is covered with slate-gray feathers with black tips. Depending on the range, the belly of birds is pale gray, pinkish or reddish in color with thin dark streaks extending from the belly to the sides and undertail. The chest of birds is decorated with teardrop-shaped mottles.
From the corners of the beak to the throat there is a section of black feathers, the so-called "whiskers", which contrast sharply with the white or reddish throat and are clearly visible in the peregrine falcon in the photo. The eyes of the bird are large, brown, surrounded by a patch of bare skin, as yellow as cere.
Distinguishing young from adult birds is quite simple: juveniles are less contrastingly colored, their legs are yellow and only become black as they grow older, and the wax has a gray-blue color.
Peregrine fledgling, photo from Vladivostok. 
Peregrine Falcon close-up. Range and lifestyle
Peregrine falcons easily adapt to many habitat conditions, so they can be found anywhere in the world, with the exception of Antarctica and New Zealand. Peregrine falcons live sedentary in most of their range, only populations of the Arctic belt make seasonal migrations far to the south.
The favorite habitats of peregrine falcons are always located in close proximity to water bodies: these are hard-to-reach mountain slopes, river cliffs, and moss swamps. Occasionally, birds settle within settlements, equipping nests on the roofs of stone skyscrapers. For example, residents of Atlanta can watch online a pair of predators living on the balcony of an office skyscraper.
In any case, peregrine falcons are very attached to the nesting territory and use it from generation to generation and do not change it even with a reduction in the food supply.
Peregrine Falcon in flight, top view. 
Peregrine Falcon after lunch. 
What does the peregrine falcon eat
The basis of the diet of peregrine falcons are small and medium-sized birds: sparrows, starlings, thrushes, pigeons, medium-sized waterfowl. Occasionally, predators prey on squirrels and hares, eat lizards, frogs and insects.
The peregrine falcon looks out for prey from a high point, sometimes it scares it from the ground. Having outlined the prey, the predator rapidly gains height, and then dives down almost at a right angle, folding its wings. With powerful paws, the peregrine falcon tangentially strikes with such force that the victim's head often flies off, and the body bursts along its entire length. The peregrine falcon carries and eats its prey on a hill, leaving its wings, legs and head intact.
Sapsan is interested in a photographer. 
Manual peregrine falcon, they are tamed for hunting. 
The peregrine falcon comes in to land in the nest. 
Peregrine falcon in flight. 
The peregrine falcon got a dove. 
The peregrine falcon sits on a rock. reproduction
Peregrine falcons form a pair for life and bring offspring once a year. The courtship process consists of intricate air pirouettes, joint cleaning of feathers and nibbling of claws.
Depending on the landscape, nests are located on ledges and in rock crevices, in hollows of trees, on marsh hummocks or under the eaves of stone buildings. The peregrine falcon's nest is easily recognizable by the lack of bedding and a pile of bones around.
Peregrine falcon in flight. 
Peregrine falcon brood in the nest. The clutch usually contains 3 red-brown eggs in a darker speck. Incubation lasts from 33 to 35 days, and the chicks that are born are distinguished by very large legs and dirty white downy plumage.
At the age of 35 - 45 days, the offspring begins to fly out of the nest, but remains in the care of their parents for several more weeks.
Today, due to the extremely small population of the peregrine falcon, it is under the protection of many states, and the bird trade is prohibited throughout the world.
So, the promised big story about a trip on a high-speed train "Sapsan" from St. Petersburg to Moscow.
The trip took place on December 19 on Saturday morning flight (No. 151), i.е. on the second day of full-scale operation of the composition. Departure from the Moscow railway station - 6:45 am; arrival at the Leningradsky railway station of the capital - 10:30. Travel time - 3 hours 45 minutes. There will be few "external" views here, it will mainly focus on the impressions of the trip and the analysis of the pros and cons.
"Sapsan" with burning tail lights at the Moscow railway station in St. Petersburg. 6:30 am
The ticket for Sapsan was purchased by me via the Internet about 12 days before departure, at a price of 2273 rubles; however, I decided not to use the electronic registration offered on the Russian Railways website (to board the train using a blank technology, only upon presentation of a passport), this time I decided not to use it, and one evening I drove to the Vitebsk railway station and received a ticket blank at the terminal. On the ticket, attention was immediately attracted by a large overprint in capital letters "NO SMOKING!". This really turned out to be the case: smoking is not allowed on the Sapsan, and when during the trip I talked to a security guard in the bistro car, he said that the train was stuffed with fire detectors everywhere, including toilets, and if even a small dose of smoke (including h. and tobacco) will receive an automatic signal to stop the train. So this is strictly monitored.
At first I wanted to go to the station by car and leave it in a paid parking lot for a day, but then I remembered that in the evening it was planned to go offline with friends in the capital, and in the morning I might arrive not quite in good shape, so I decided to take the metro for complete peace of mind.
The morning timeline looked like this:
5:25 left the house; 5:37 was on the final 5th line ("Komendantsky Prospekt"); 5:43 left on the subway train; At 6:14 I arrived at Pl. Vosstaniya and went up to the Moscow railway station. Didn't rush anywhere. Thus, I arrived as much as half an hour before departure, and I had time to walk along the entire train, examine it and take pictures. But in principle, it was possible to leave even 10 minutes later, the margin of time completely allowed.
This is what the tail of the train looks like from the dead end of the 4th track. While it looks rather unusual for us, we still have to get used to it.
Hermetically sealed doors.
View of the "Sapsan" from the side of the head of the train - I walked along the platform along the entire train. There were 2 people in the driver's cab; discussed something.
The train consists of 7 cars of class II and 2 cars of class I, as well as one bistro car. Their layout, in principle, is similar (rows of seats 2 + 2), only in the first class there are leather seats, the distances are slightly longer, hot meals are included in the ticket, sockets for each seat and wi-fi. However, the price is doubled.
OK; let's go inside, there are 15 minutes left before departure. The conductor looked at the ticket and passport and launched inside. By the way, there were reports in the press that the conductors were renamed “stewards” on this train, but on the internal broadcast during the journey (near the control compartment) I heard that they are still called conductors: "the conductor of car 3 to come here and there". Hand on heart, I think that there is no need to introduce extra Anglicism into railway terms, this is a rather stupid corporate undertaking. Is the word "guide" a bad word?
Transitions between cars are made by "accordions" without transitional doors. The temperature inside the train is the same everywhere, despite the frost outside; transparent doors to the passenger compartments of the cars themselves open automatically, by a photo sensor - so you can go through the entire train, from head to tail, without ever touching a single door.
We go into the passenger compartment of the 2nd class car. It is made in white and blue tones, with small light yellow and gray splashes. I must say that this is a very easy color combination for the eyes, so in this regard, I had a positive feeling. The light in the cabin is bright enough, even; each seat also has individual lighting from above, which is switched on by the passenger separately. Of the shortcomings, the following should be noted: during cruising, the light is not dimmed, but remains the same intensity. This is not very good, because from early morning, about half of the passengers half an hour after departure fall asleep in their chairs and you can turn off the light. And who needs more - because there is an ind.light! A large window (2 rows) can be covered with gray blinds from the sun.
There are two ways to undress: in the center of the car there is a wardrobe with hangers, clearly visible from almost all rows; and near the windows there are hangers where you can also hang a jacket. And at the top you see a stopcock. It is still in vestibules. There are luggage racks on top of the rows of seats, as well as a place at the very beginning of the passenger compartment for massive bags with wheels. Interestingly, about two-thirds of the passengers got on the train five to ten to fifteen minutes before departure. Probably the specifics of such a high-speed train.
Now let's look at the exit. Ahead is a transition to another car, its interior and a transitional "accordion" are a little visible. To the right of the wall are places for oversized luggage; at the top - LCD display, to the right - a translucent display with flight parameters (time, date, speed, temperature overboard). Stop valve on the left.
Armchairs. Here it is necessary to say this: the seats themselves are a little wider and the distance between the rows is a little more than between the rows of airplane "economy classes". Of course, you can spit on this, but in terms of comfort, the extra 10-15 cm of the width of these distances even play a role. In particular, I was able to get straight into my seat by the window without hunching over like I did in CZA economy class the last time I flew from Helsinki to Prague a couple of months ago. Well, more distance from a neighboring passenger is also good. Probably, these dimensions are closer to the aircraft business class - i.e. it is not entirely correct to compare the Sapsan with the economy class of an aircraft. It’s a sinful thing, I even thought that if airplanes had such seat dimensions for the economy price, then I would be a little more tolerant of cans of sprat-aviation ants.
Of the minuses, I should note that the Russian Railways chose, apparently, the cheapest synthetic version of the upholstery - in any case, this is noticeable to me. On the DB, the upholstery is clearly better.
Armchairs recline somehow very cunningly, "moving" down with a lodgment. It is difficult to explain the technique "on the fingers", it must be seen.
More about the shortcomings. Look carefully at what is in front of the chair. In the Austrian Rail Jet, for example, there is a large convenient “pocket” at the bottom where you can put newspapers, books, a small container of water-juice, some flat thing. Here, alas, this is not the case - a pristinely flat surface. The pocket is at the top, and it small. It's much less convenient! I also noticed the plastic "footrests". They look so flimsy that I immediately thought that a real Russian passenger would quickly break it. Some respectable business guy sat down, sucked on beer before a sweet nap on the trip, pressed harder - and damn this coaster. But the Austrians and Germans have a metal base, not plastic. I think it's not well thought out.
And one more important note. There are only two rubbish bins, at the ends of the car. But it would be possible to make small trash trays in the inter-seat distance, behind the lodgements (Austrians), or periodically in the inter-row space, where the direction of the seats changes (Germans). And it turns out that there is nowhere to put small garbage, and you have to get up all the time and go to throw it out.
There are two things in a small pocket - a booklet for passengers with maps of Moscow / St. Petersburg / transport, all sorts of telephones; and disposable headphones in a package for radio and video channels.
The control panel for radio-video channels is in the distance between seats; you just need to insert the plug into the socket of "your" side. However, in practice, this issue has not been thought out either: it is not clear to anyone that in the four choices of radio channels (even for the conductors so far), the video channel broadcasts synchronous sound with the upper LCD displays, but so far they are mainly playing videos with Sapsan, step by step explanations for buying electronic tickets on the Russian Railways website, and only in the middle of the way they broadcast some kind of film (honestly, I did not watch it). Yes, and two of the four radio channels are very wheezing. Get your gear up, guys. After all, by this parameter you will be evaluated.
The general interior of the car in motion; Now the LCD displays are working.
Completion of the composition. In my car (No. 7) it was about 30%, but in the neighboring, sixth car, it was about 75-80%. What this difference is, I don't even know. Maybe they sell tickets. But I think evening flights, especially on weekends, will be completely filled.
From good. The folding table is very durable and solid, here you can easily place heavy one and a half liter "grenades" with liquids, and much more. I liked it very much. And in general, it's just great that there are no these air restrictions on liquids, which really piss me off. Take with you juices, water, what you need, food, and I even took a sip from my flask of cognac a couple of times on the way. As for security and escort, the train is escorted by both cops with weapons and inconspicuous guards in civilian clothes (I noticed the latter twice - my eyes are trained). That is, if you suddenly want to specifically get drunk and show off, I think it will be very fraught. Yes, and the image of the train RZD is directly interested in observing.
It is also a plus that the position of the table does not change if the passenger in front changes the position of the chair.
However, the most colossal drawback, which will greatly affect the occupancy of the train on off-peak days and intervals, is the lack of individual sockets in the 2nd class. There are only two per car. I looked that after all in the 1st class it is implemented quite normally. So why not do it in the 2nd? I think such a measure would completely knock out the trump cards of fans of duralumin flying sprat cans. You sit and work on your laptop. Or charge your mobile. Or you play some kind of toy for yourself. Or you use a PDA. In vain, Russian Railways did not think this question through ...
On the other hand, there are reserves for competition and further improvement.
A little about the course of the train. Immediately, I note the pleasant - I really liked the smoothness of the ride. It moves wonderfully, smoothly slows down, does not pull. As well as the soundproofing of the cars - it is quite good. Quite quiet, only the car "sings" a little, barely audible. However, on curves at high speed, it presses sideways. This was noted by me at the beginning of the journey, near Tosno, and once in the middle of the journey. Then there were no such places.
A translucent monitor has been made above the aisle, where the current changeable information about the flight parameters is displayed - date, time, flight, wagon; outside temperature; speed. There are two of them, at the ends of the car. Information is exchanged in two languages: the first is English, the second is Russian. I thought that it would be more convenient to make the monitors permanent, not replaceable. For example, so that all the time, and not periodically, you can see the speed. After all, the location quite allows it.
Dual bio-toilets are located at the end of each car (here - on the left along the way, behind a transparent door).
Wash basin. It was not possible to remove the entire toilet, because You need a very wide angle.
The temperature outside during our flight changed all the time. If we left St. Petersburg at -12, then in Tosno it was already -15, in Lyuban -19, and beyond Chudovo - below -25. After Chudovo, the train picked up speed and at some point I saw such a combination of speed and temperature. Yes, this is real Russia, and not some Provence or Lower Saxony, where there is practically no such thing. I was curious - what about the sealing of the composition with such an extreme combination? I went out into the vestibule, went to the door, ran my hand over the joints. But there was no draft at all, and the temperature was almost the same as in the passenger compartment. So the seal is pretty good. Let's see how this case goes...
About the actual speed of movement. I want to say right away that the declared 250 km / h is pure marketing, such as "hard drive capacity". The composition of such a speed never reached. The maximum speed was on the section Chudovo - Bologoe and amounted to 223 km / h. However, on the other hand, the train stably kept cruising at 200 km/h for approximately 80% of its length - the real average speed of the Sapsan's predecessors was much lower, approximately 150-175 km/h. Bologoe train passed at 125 km/h, Tver - at 109 km/h, Chudovo - at 155 km/h. Then quickly and smoothly picked up speed again to its cruising 200.
After passing Chudovo, I decided to test the bistro car (No. 5) and drink local coffee. The car is divided into three parts - first the control compartment, then the racks and the bar; then the seating area.
- Good morning! How much is your coffee?
- 60 rubles.
- What about tea?
- So much the same.
Why is nothing written anywhere? There is a wine list, but where is the tea and coffee shop?
- (intimidated) Oh, sorry... not yet...
- Okay ... Pour me a coffee, young lady.
Pour, take. I put the camera on the stand. A bearded cop with a holster at the ready looks out from the control compartment, looks at me, then disappears back into the compartment. Here are two more conductors. We got talking.
- How do you girls worry, huh?
- Yeah ... this is only the second flight for us ... in general ...
- Tell me, can I order coffee right at my place?
- Well maybe (embarrassed, I don't know for sure)
- But as?
- (unsure) Maybe talk to your guide...
- Hm. Okay, I know.
As we talked, they seemed to gradually smile. But at my proposal to collectively photograph them as a keepsake, they were immediately embarrassed. Okay, I didn't insist.
The coffee is average - well, somewhere on the level of the "Perfect Cup". But it's not bad, it's quite normal. It would be foolish to demand the level of Viennese coffee houses, I understand that. But what I would like is porcelain mugs with the symbolism of the composition. And not these faceless international paper ones. And transparent single soulless spoons. The Dynamic Age Of Efficient Brand Managers...
Let's take a look at the seating area of the bistro car, behind the bar counters.
Before Tver it began to get light, and behind it - it was completely dawn. Here is the glow of the sunrise near Klin station.
Photo "out the window" at a speed of 200 km / h. Everything merges into a white stripe.
In the Kryukovo area, the Sapsan slows down to 170 km/h, and in the bright dawn winter sun, the camera already has time to focus.
And here is the Ostankino Needle. Here they also slowed down: we go 95 km / h.
A few pictures were taken by a comrade observer_8 who met me - for which many thanks to him. Therefore, I bring his pictures of the arrival of my flight number 151 in Moscow.
Board with the arrival of the flight.
Arrival of "Sapsan" at the Leningradsky railway station. A real blunder, bright sun and frost!
Sapsan carriages.
And this is my picture again: the head of the "Peregrine Falcon" at the dead end. My flight is over.
Here's another good post from a comrade af1461 , with whom we crossed on Saturday in the area near Bologoye at a total speed of about 420 km / h - he was going to St. Petersburg, and I was going to Moscow.
General results: the flight was very pleasant, soft and smooth. At 5:25 I left the house (and could have been later), arrived by metro to the train with a reserve of half an hour, at 10:30 I was in the center of Moscow. No check-ins, heaps of transfers to airports, inspections, checks, restrictions, intermediate stages. Your cognac on the way and St. Petersburg "Baikal" in the bag. In general, after the launch of Sapsan, the very idea of flying to the capital seems absurd to me - this voluntary masturbation will now be suitable mainly for inveterate aviation fans.
And of course, I'm glad that despite various problems, real high-speed communication in a stable mode "several times a day" is finally established. I am not inclined to permanent gloating, like some people, and I rejoice in success. I still remember the grandiose scam of the Yeltsin era "RAO VSM" and the colossal funds that went to no one knows where. And a grandiose pit at the Moscow railway station. Now - it worked.
It is clear that they (the railroad) can be criticized for cost overruns, and for kickbacks, drank, and for this, and for that, and for the fifth, and for the tenth. And here I dug up a lot of shortcomings. And more, probably. Let's look further to see if Russian Railways will not be very impudent with its tariff policy. However, I cannot but admit that the real work has been done. And I respect this fact. Not a concussion and a marketing fart, namely the real deal.
Now we need to improve what we started.
* * *
Well, for a snack, video.
Yesterday I drove a Sapsan 1300 kilometers from Moscow to St. Petersburg and back.
What can I say - it turned out to be one of the shortest, but also one of the most enjoyable trips of the year!
Siemens Velaro RUS train, specially designed for operation in Russia and named by us "Sapsan"
departed for its first commercial flight on the evening of December 17, 2009. Adopted development program
high-speed communication - this is the second attempt by the Ministry of Railways / Russian Railways to open more frequently than once a day
daily high-speed trains between the two capitals - the previous one ended in the late 1990s
failure for technical and economic reasons.
The train makes a very pleasant impression. Inside is clean and tidy, and the ride is very smooth,
which is facilitated by both the suspension design and the tightened track maintenance standards.
Cruising speed on the Khimki-Slavyanka section is 200 km/h, within St. Petersburg and Moscow – 140 km/h,
at Tver and Bologoe stations - 120 km/h, along Malaya Vishera, Klin and large bridges across the rivers - 140 km/h.
Between Bologoe and Malaya Vishera, on separate stages, the speed limit is 250 km/h,
which can actually be achieved while moving.
It consists of seven cars of the 2nd class, 2 cars of the 1st class (which differ in essence only in leather seats and the presence of sockets),
as well as a bar car. Morning and evening flights cover 646 km in 3 hours 45 minutes -
with at least a 10-minute reserve in case of delays. Daytime is on the way 4:15
and has stops in Tver, Vyshny Volochek, Bologoy and Okulovka.
In total, 8 trains were purchased, of which four serve flights (two on the move, one for maintenance and one in reserve).
The rest are intended for the opening of new routes, primarily to Nizhny Novgorod.
The possibility of ordering several more trains is being considered.
To their few passengers, the conductors offer a hot breakfast (from a trolley with the inscription "Aeroflot").
Stop valve "French sample".
As well as a server rack with the latest system, which is still in the testing phase - an electronic registration support system. As you know, from January it will be possible to go through electronic registration (in which you do not need to queue at the ticket office or at the machine for a ticket) for year-round fast trains. But unfortunately only from the initial station of their departure, even if the train goes from Moscow to Vladivostok. To solve this problem, this complex was developed, consisting of a server and a set of mobile terminals distributed to conductors. At large stations, the server communicates wirelessly with the Express system and receives the passenger's data. When boarding, it will be enough for him to show his passport to the conductor, who will check his data through the terminal, which is also wirelessly connected to the train server. No queues and paper tickets! In case of failures or loss of terminals, a regular printer is also provided for printing a list of passengers.
In the meantime, we arrived in St. Petersburg.
Due to the placement of the components for converting traction and auxiliary operational power in the undercarriage space and on the roof of the Sapsan train, the internal volumes throughout the entire length of the train are used exclusively for accommodating passengers and personnel of the Sapsan train.
Depending on the need, the driver can make the glass separating the driver's cab from the passenger compartment transparent or frosted.
The medium carriages of the Sapsan train have a total of 13 standard sanitary facilities. One universal toilet is designed for use by passengers with reduced mobility and is located close to their accommodation in the middle of the train.
In the middle car of the central part of the train, there are a bistro and a compartment for the head of the train. In the compartment of the head of the train there is a workplace for security workers. The bistro car is designed as a smoking car.
The air conditioning unit, located on the roof at the end of each car of the Sapsan train, is equipped with an outside air intake system, and an air exhaust device is located in the undercar space. Thanks to optimal air supply and distribution, the air conditioning system provides comfortable warmth in winter and coolness in summer. This is achieved due to the fact that as a result of switching air channels, cool air enters the car from the side of the ceiling and floor in summer, and heated air enters from the side walls of the car and the floor in winter.
The large side windows in the passenger compartment (measuring 1310mm x 660mm) are non-opening, safety insulated glass and fitted with sunblinds. There are hooks for clothes between the windows, and there are wardrobes for passengers' clothes in eight carriages. Shoe-shine machines are installed in three carriages.
The interior lighting is made indirect. This means that most of the rays are directed towards the walls. There is free space in the common passenger compartments of all cars, which can be used for large luggage. Luggage racks are located above the passenger compartment seats. All seats in the passenger compartment have adjustable backrests, folding tables, armrests and footrests. Removable head restraints and replaceable protective scarves are installed on the seat backs. Business class seats are leather upholstered, tourist class seats are cloth upholstered.
