Anchorage
Inside&
Out
Why is Alaska’s biggest city a great wildlife nursery? The answer is simple: more people and urban sprawl means less bears, wolves and other wildlife predators. Anchorage’s extensive suburban sprawl intermixed with ample lakes and woodlands provides a safe haven to raise baby wildlife, while bordered by the untamed, Alaskan wilderness. Lucky for the human visitors, spring and early summer is the best time to view these wildlife families.
The Anchorage Effect
More City + Less Bears = Lots of Moose
Brown Bears, the ultimate Alaska predator, are carnivores at heart, but salmon isn’t available on the menu until June, making bears wander into the edge of Anchorage’s suburbia on the hunt for moose calves. Lucky for the moose, the concrete jungle provides a fair bit of deterrence, as brown bears generally prefer wide open mountain terrain and tend to avoid people. Some bears will still enter the city, largely going undetected, traveling in the twilight. Similarly, wolves rarely venture very far into the city, making Anchorage quite favorable for moose.
Black Bears are generally forest creatures, yet they have adapted to Anchorage’s urban setting with little to no problems other than getting into ill-managed trash. Being more omnivorous, black bears are content snacking on dandelions, but would still relish a hearty meal of moose calf when the opportunity arises. Lucky for moose, people and our outdoor activities also deter black bears, especially in densely populated neighborhoods. For a safe chance to actually see black bears, cruise around Kincaid Park or Arctic Valley Road in the early morning or late evening.
An estimated over 300 moose live in the Anchorage bowl year-round, enjoying feasts of tulips and other appetizing plants adorning streets and yards in spring. Moose calving usually begins in mid-May and most commonly is seen in Anchorage’s parks, greenbelts and suburban backyards. It’s not so much a matter of preference, but more likely due to a history of successfully rearing young there in the past. This makes for truly amazing urban viewing and photography opportunities. An important reminder momma moose are very protective and rightly so, thus people and their dogs need to maintain their distance. While seventy-five feet is a general rule-of-thumb for a minimum distance from all moose, some first-time moose moms may require a larger safety buffer to feel at ease.
Anchorage hosts numerous bald eagle nests, but most are high in trees dense with leaves and difficult to view. Eagles are our top avian (bird) predator. Lucky for the nesting eagles, Anchorage has an active fish stocking program providing plenty of salmon and trout, providing plenty of food for their own young. This also helps distract eagles from snacking on the other waterbird hatchlings, from loons to ducks. The Potter Marsh Boardwalk and all along the coast of Cook Inlet provides the best viewing of eagles in the summer. In May, it is especially fun to watch the bald eagles and beluga whales feast on the schools of hooligan, competing with the dip-netters along the Seward Highway and Turnagain Arm.
Along Turnagain Arm on the Seward Highway, there are excellent opportunities to see Dall Sheep ewes with their young lambs. The lower alpine meadows are covered in wildflowers, providing excellent food for these sheep families in late May-July. This two-lane, scenic highway is incredibly beautiful but also has steady traffic. It’s better to pull over and stop in one of the many scenic pull-outs. Grab your binoculars or zoom in with your cell phone or camera to get a closer look.
Trumpeter swans have made a tremendous comeback in numbers in the past decade. Nests and broods are now easily sighted going south along the Seward Highway. One nest is located just south of the Potter Marsh Boardwalk, but best viewed from the pull-outs along the highway. A drive to toward Girdwood and beyond will provide looks at several other roadside swan nests.
Loons – Common, Pacific, and Red-throated
Anchorage’s wetlands provide a great place to view nesting common and pacific loons. Popular spots include Conner’s Bog, and Jewel, Taku Campbell, Cheney, Mirror and Goose lakes. A lone red-throated loon commonly spends the summer at Lake Hood. He’s nicknamed “Romeo,” but has yet to secure his Juliet. Red-necked Grebes and their comical-looking hatchlings are best seen at Cheney Lake.
Alaska is breeding grounds for over 75% of North America’s ducks and geese, with Anchorage harboring its share of waterfowl families. Canada Goose goslings are easily sighted anywhere there’s a nice piece of unclaimed grass, such as at the Cuddy Family Midtown Park. Also common are duckling broods of mallards, teal, wigeon, pintails, scaup, and ring-necked ducks, to name a few. The best viewing spots include the Potter Marsh Boardwalk, the winding trails around Westchester Lagoon, and Lake Hood.
A friendly reminder: don’t forget that Alaskan wildlife are still “wild animals” just trying to protect and raise their young. They deserve our respect and rightful space.
