The Matanuska Valley is historically an agricultural area. There are still many hay fields with low-lying swales that temporarily fill with melt-water in the Spring. Likely places to spot flocks of geese, cranes or swans are along Trunk Road and south of Palmer near the Fairgrounds. Flocks of Sandhill Cranes can often be spotted throughout the summer in the Matanuska Valley, especially in the late evening. The Canada Geese tend to stay around a week or two then fly north.

April 23, 2000 Thaw ponds in many fields. Great flocks of Canada Geese over by the Fairgrounds south of Palmer. Fishhook Glenn golf course had about 70 Sandhill Cranes and a flock of Canada geese near the 6th hole. Some cranes leaped into the air, flapping their wings, performing a courtship ritual. These great migrating flocks are resting and waiting for it to warm and thaw further north so they can continue their migration.

April 22, 2002 - Large flocks of Canada geese spotted near the fair grounds south of Palmer.

April 28, 2002 - Snow Geese near the Palmer airport.

* Audio recordings made by Katie Eberhart in 1996.

This page updated January 13, 2011