A Virtual Tour of the Kodak Office Neighborhood
Here’s a description of the Kodak Office complex and the RGE BeeBee station that will help orient you while you’re reading the many fine fledge watch reports being submitted by our dedicated cadre of volunteer fledge watchers. You can also find the link in the Pages list at the right side of the Imprints screen. As the fledglings move out into the gorge we’ll update the page with other points of interest.
-Jess
June 27th, 2007 at 12:44 AM
thank you. i appreciate the effort and the thoroughness.
June 27th, 2007 at 6:20 AM
I can’t say enough thank you’s to those giving such vivid, descriptive accounts of our little fledgings. The addition of pictures is fantastic. Having the area detailed for us makes it so much fun to track their escapades.
Sad news on one account, the green banded male in Harrisburg didn’t make it, indications are that he flew into a pedestrian bridge. Let’s be extra thankful our girls seem to be mastering the skill.
Thank you all, again and keep up the great work.
June 27th, 2007 at 8:24 AM
Thanks so much for the “guided tour”. After reading some of the watcher’s accounts of how one of the fledglings may have fallen down the stack, and that the stack’s base was underground, I was going to post a question asking how the birds got back up to street level. Now I know!
So here is another question instead – since the stacks are no longer used, would it be possible to cover the tops, so that falling in would not be an issue?
June 27th, 2007 at 9:02 AM
Jess – Has anyone ever thought to “screen” off the top of the smokestacks since they are no longer in use? Screening off roof apertures is common here in Phoenix due to the abundance of wildlife and unfortunately, insect-life, that can find its way into your home otherwise.
June 27th, 2007 at 9:04 AM
Hi Jess,
Thanks so much for the pinpoints of the Kodak Tower and other buildings. I have topview image from Google Earth of the area with more pinpoints. I am happy to send you a copy of image for you to post along with your guided tour. 🙂
June 27th, 2007 at 9:36 AM
Marianna, I had the same question. It doesn’t make sense to leave the stacks uncovered as they pose a threat to the curious falcons. Even if they were covered with steel grates in case they need to have air for some reason, it would still protect the falcons somewhat.
Diane, that is sad news about the Harrisburg male. These falcons are so beautiful and it’s amazing that the Rochester program has been so successful.
The virtual tour of the Kodak building and surrounding area were very helpful to those of us who watch from afar. Thanks so much for posting it.
June 27th, 2007 at 10:14 AM
re: Covering the smokestacks – this idea has been floated many times over the years, and rejected for a number of good reasons. The first is cost– it would be very expensive to install any kind of covering over the top of the stacks, requiring the use of tall cranes at a minimum and lots of workers who would be undertaking an inherently dangerous task. Also, there is wildlife that lives inside the smokestacks– principally bats and chimney swifts, so blocking off the tops of the stacks would have a negative impact on them.
The fact is that the holes in the bottom of the stacks have been 100% successful in allowing fledglings to escape, and they didn’t require a huge expenditure of funds or resources to create. It is a win-win situation and we are grateful to the Rochester Gas and Electric company for being so responsive to the needs of our falcon residents.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:01 PM
The description of the Kodak tower and complex was very helpful for those of us who are not familiar with the area. A few years ago, I remember seeing on this website (or related one) a panorama of the gorge including the bridge and High Falls. That also was a wonderful image. Thanks for posting.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:43 PM
First, thanks for the virtual tour. I was talking with a retired architect friend of mine this afternoon about the Kodak Office Complex to try and figure out the very thing described in the “tour.” Secondly, this same friend speculated about screening off the top of the towers, and now I can let him know the rest of the story, as the saying goes. Thanks Jesse for writing a very readable description. I pulled out my city map to follow along. ; )
June 27th, 2007 at 4:16 PM
Thanks for the virtual tour, and thanks to Lou for his descriptors on the KO building picture.
Er, are the Kodak office building and the Bee Bee stacks in downtown Rochester, or are they out at Kodak Park?
June 27th, 2007 at 6:32 PM
Jess, thanks for the great description. I having been racking my brain trying to figure out where the “lilies” where located.
June 28th, 2007 at 1:49 AM
A bit off topic: since Mariah and Kaver occasionally come back to the scrape for a bit of pair bonding, would it be possible to have the main camera unstuck?
June 29th, 2007 at 2:30 PM
what were the names of the baby falcons?