25 May 2022

When it comes to protecting their young, peregrine falcons are practically fearless. They attack threats much larger than themselves no matter what they are.

In 2014 Steve Shinn shared photos of a mother peregrine near Los Angeles attacking radio-controlled gliders that came too close to her nest in Take That, You Pesky Airplane!

I was reminded of that incident when I saw photos in the Daily Mail of a peregrine at Torrey Pines Beach near San Diego where photographer Phoo Chan captured eight stunning shots of a peregrine attacking and riding the back of a brown pelican.

This tantalizing thumbnail gives you a hint of what you’ll see at the Daily Mail’s World’s fastest bird hitches cheeky mid-air ride on the back of a hapless pelican.

(photo at top by Steve Shinn, thumbnail of pelican directs you to photos in the Daily Mail)