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ESC!Webs Site of the Week Week of June 25, 2000 KODAK: Peregrine Falcon Birdcam 2000 Main Web Site: http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/features/birdcam2000/index.shtml I've reviewed a web cam site before. I think this one stands out, though, because it's not the usual "stare at the girl (or guy)" type of cam. The History Kodak was approached back in 1994 by Dennis Money, the founder of the Rochester Peregrine Falcon Project, about placing a nesting box atop the Kodak Tower. Kodak agreed and three years later, the first mating pair of Falcons appeared. They had a small brood of three falcons and appeared again in 1999 for a second season in the nesting box. The two mating falcons were named Mariah and Cabot-Sirocco and the pair returned once again in 2000. Birdcam 2000 Unfortunately, I picked the wrong week to review the site because it was just this week that the camera was taken down for the season! The good news is that there are a series of great shots showing the progress of the falcons since they were just a little clutch of eggs. What I find the most amazing in reviewing the pictures is how quickly the birds went from small, white fluff balls to swooping, flying pros! So, even though we cannot see live shots of the falcons, it is still great to see the past pictures and the comments to go along with them. All The Rest The rest of the site details the history of the project, the falcon family tree (very cool), image galleries from 1998, 1999 and this year as well as some more "technical" information about Peregrine Falcons and their habits. In addition to all of that, there are desktop images and photos you can download for your computer. One especially heartwarming section of the site tells the story of Maxine, one of the former nest dwellers, who found herself in a bad situation recently. Without going into the details -- that's why you're going to the site -- rest assured the story of Maxine has a happy conclusion and is, indeed, still playing out. Obviously Kodak has a lot to gain from hosting a site like this. Not only does it tout their product line, but it gives them a ton of free publicity too. I find the site to be very educational and, despite the commercial overtones, would not hesitate to let my daughter visit the site to learn about this amazing and endangered bird. Often large companies like Kodak can be seen as uncaring and impersonal. Hosting a site like the Peregrine Falcon Birdcam shows that the big guys have a heart too. Hmm, maybe Microsoft needs a Birdcam...
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