Valley’s 33rd Christmas Bird Count releases preliminary results

MAT-SU The 33rd annual Matanuska Valley Christmas Bird Count was Dec. 16. During the CBC, field teams and feeder counters at home count all the birds they see within the Matanuska Valley count circle, a 15-mile circle around the Four Corners area.

Temperatures to -10 degrees in several parts of the count area suppressed bird activity and heavy snow on trees made it difficult to find those birds that were out and about.

Heavy snow also prevented Ralph Hulbert, the longest participating member, from taking part this year, only the second time since 1979 that he’s missed a count.

Despite the cold, the group recorded another successful count and finished the day with a delicious potluck at Nancy Moore’s home.

A Christmas Bird Count also is planned in the Susitna Valley Dec. 29.

Count totals for this year’s Valley count are:

• Mallard 904

• Swan species 1

• Ruffed grouse 8

• Bald eagle 94 total (adult 64 and immature 30. This is a new high. The previous high was 71. Most of the eagles were counted at the Palmer landfill)

• Sharp-shinned hawk 2

• Rock pigeon 32

• Downy woodpecker 30

• Hairy woodpecker 21

• Northern shrike 5

• Gray jay 11

• Black-billed magpie 186

• Common raven 492

• Black-capped chickadee 531 (including two with deformed beaks)

• Boreal chickadee 5

• Red-breasted nuthatch 45

• Brown creeper 1

• American dipper 6

• American robin 2

• European starling 209

• Bohemian waxwing 1,409

• White-crowned sparrow 5

• Dark-eyed junco 35

• Gray-crowned rosy-finch 8 (new count day species found at a home feeder in the Butte. All previous Matanuska Valley observations for this species also have been in the Butte)

• Pine grosbeak 94

• Common redpoll 346

• Pine siskin 1

Total species on count day 26. The record number of species counted is 35, and total birds counted was 4,482. Volunteers participate in counts in all 50 states, in all Canadian provinces, several Central and South American countries, and several Pacific and Caribbean islands. Last year, 38 counts were held across Alaska. For more information, visit matsubirders.org.

Bob Winckler is the Matanuska Valley Christmas Bird Count compiler.