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Black bears frolic near the JBER-Richardson gate along the Glenn Highway on Thursday evening, May 2, 2024. (Bill Roth / ADN)
Terns, swans and geese are returning to Alaska to nest for the summer. Bears are out of hibernation. Moose and sheep finally have greens to munch on.
Nearly everywhere you look in the natural world this time of year, you’ll see productivity and busyness.
Here are a few photos of some of the creatures in Southcentral Alaska doing their spring things.
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An Arctic tern comes in for a landing at Potter Marsh in south Anchorage on Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Bob Hallinen Photo)
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A muskrat munches close to shore as the ice continues to melt at Westchester Lagoon on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Bill Roth / ADN)
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A herd of four moose graze in the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge on Monday, April 29, 2024. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
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A sandhill crane beats its wings in a small pond at Potter Marsh in south Anchorage on Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Bob Hallinen Photo)
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A snowshoe hare rests in a wooded patch of Midtown Anchorage on May 3, 2024. (Marc Lester / ADN)
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A bumble bee harvests nectar and pollen from willow catkins near the mouth of Ship Creek on Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Bill Roth / ADN)
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A muskrat swims close to shore as the ice continues to melt at Westchester Lagoon on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Bill Roth / ADN)
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A trumpeter swan swims through Potter Marsh on Thursday, May 2, 2024 in Anchorage. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
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Dall sheep look down from the rocky cliffs at Mile 106 of the Seward High along Turnagain Arm on Sunday, April 7, 2024. (Bill Roth / ADN)
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A spruce grouse perches on a branch over the Turnagain Arm Trail in Chugach State Park on April 30, 2024. (Marc Lester / ADN)
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Geese feed on the mudflats near the mouth of Ship Creek during their migration north on Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Bill Roth / ADN)