I spotted one lone Whooping Crane on August 30 just east of Highway #2. It was in a pond about 300 yards from Highway #2, going north of Red Deer approaching a north-east jaunt in the highway near that College across from the old Juniper Lodge. With 50 yrs. of birdwatching in Alberta, it was the first time I actually saw a Whooping Crane….which seemed quite far west of it's flyway.
I spotted one lone Whooping Crane on August 30 just east of Highway #2. It was in a pond about 300 yards from Highway #2, going north of Red Deer approaching a north-east jaunt in the highway near that College across from the old Juniper Lodge. With 50 yrs. of birdwatching in Alberta, it was the first time I actually saw a Whooping Crane….which seemed quite far west of it's flyway.
Hi Greg,
I read your report of the a suspected Whooping Crane north of Red Deer on August 30. My feeling based on the information provided is that the bird would more likely be a Great Egret which is all white and about the same size as a Great Blue Heron. The time of year is wrong as Whooping Cranes would be mainly migrating in mid-Sept. Also the fact that it was standing in a pond also sounds out of character for this species as they spend most of their time in the open grain fields. At 300 yards unless one had good binoculars or a spotting scope it would be easy to assume it is Whooping Crane. Great Egrets are seen off and on throughout Alberta from Edmonton south including nesting at Big Lake on the edge of St. Albert several years back, seen in the Red Deer area infrequently, Hastings L. south-east of the city every couple years where they spend the summer. My judgement may be wrong as well, however Great Egret seems a more likely identification for your bird. Whooping Cranes generally migrate through the eastern part of the province & into Sask. on their flight south from Wood Buffalo Park.
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