Communities across the United States have participated in Audubon's Christmas Bird Count for over a century. Wherever your travels take you during the holidays, there's likely a Christmas Bird Count you can participate in. This holds true in Alaska's Mat-Su Valley. Conducted by the local Mat-Su Birders club, this annual event brings bird enthusiasts together to find as many birds as possible in a single day. Sound like your thing? If you happen to be in the Palmer or Wasilla area for Christmas, you can reach out to the Mat-Su Birders, join a birding team, and participate in one of the designated bird count areas for this event.

What's there to see in the winter? Plenty! The Mat-Su Valley is a year-round home for many birds from Black-capped Chickadees to Bald Eagles. Birders, in my opinion, also see more than most as far as other wildlife goes. Moose, fox, coyotes, ermine, muskrats, and porcupine are frequently seen during the Christmas Bird Count. I've been participating in this event for the past nine years, counting in an area that covers part of the Palmer Hay Flats. I've seen some fun things during this event over the years, but this year's count last weekend was a real treat!

Coincidentally, in 2024 I've been working to find as many Mat-Su Valley birds as I can in a single year. This involved timing my efforts with migration schedules, listening for calls in the middle of the night, searching through hundreds of mixed flocks with 1000's of birds in each, and visiting habitats that ranged from buggy lowland bogs to wind-scoured rocky peaks. I've put in over 500 birding hours this year, and traveled almost 900 miles inside the Valley (mostly cycling, paddling, and hiking).

My strategy was largely successful, but going into our fall/winter season I still needed to find a bird called the Great Gray Owl. Given their stealthy, nocturnal nature, owls are generally hard to find. In the Mat-Su Valley, Great Gray Owls are especially elusive. Truly ghost-like! My concentrated efforts to locate this bird over the past few months had been unsuccessful, until the day of the Christmas Bird Count. After making a thorough check for birds along the popular Wasilla Creek Boardwalk, I had almost returned to my car when I suddenly saw my owl perched near the trailhead as though it had been waiting for me. Those glowing eyes seemed to say, "I heard you were looking for me."

Finding this owl helped me reach a new personal record in my birding efforts, but finding it during the Christmas Bird Count makes this magical encounter all the more memorable. Whether your primary motivation is birds and wildlife, exploring scenic trails, or simply enjoying some clean Alaska air with good company, consider participating in this fun event next time you're in the Mat-Su Valley for the holidays! Whoooo knows what you might find?