University of Alaska Anchorage student Julie Polasik peers over the Kenai flats through a birding scope during the 24-Hour Midnight Sun Big Sit on Saturday, May 19. Dozens of volunteer bird watchers turned out to the Kenai Wildlife Viewing Platform for the sit, which aimed to tally the dozens of species of birds coming and going from the estuary. Data gathered by bird watchers will be posted to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology eBird website, which collects data on bird species around the world. Organized by the Keen Eye Bird Club, the event was part of the Kenai Birding Festival, which took place over the weekend and offered guided hikes, float trips, trail walks, workshops and educational talks. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)