Return of The Falcon

Peregrine - "the wanderer" - has returned to Yosemite. Master of the air in grace, agility, and speed, the peregrine falcon has been described as the perfect flying machine. Its spectacular aerial displays and power-dives at prey, at times exceeding 200 miles per hour, have made it a favorite with falconers for centuries. The falcon disappeared from Yosemite in the 1940s. When pesticides became widely used in the 1950s and 60s, the worldwide population of peregrines, one of the most widespread birds on earth, plummeted drastically. Once found from coast to coast in North America, it was soon brought nearly to extinction. DDT, a pesticide that accumulates in the food chain, eventually reaches the peregrine and results in the female laying eggs with thinner and thinner shells, reducing the young's chances of survival to nearly nothing. Despite being banned in the United States in 1972, DDT took many years to dissipate from the environment. After an absence of nearly forty years, the peregrine falcon is again nesting atop Yosemite's steep-sided cliffs and canyons. Augmentation of their nests by humans helped them return in numbers but we must work to preserve an environment where these magnificent birds can fly again free from the adverse impact of man. "In this painting, I have attempted to convey the immense space of Yosemite Valley with Half Dome bathed in the fleeting, golden light of sunset. A peregrine falcon, waiting for prey to fly within range of his extraordinarily keen eyesight, is perched on steep cliffs, ready to launch into the air." Yosemite welcomes the "Return of the Falcon."