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Thank you for subscribing to the <daily> San Luis Obispo County Rare Bird Alert. The report below shows observations of rare birds in San Luis Obispo County. View or unsubscribe to this alert at https://ebird.org/alert/summary?sid=SN36231 NOTE: all sightings are UNCONFIRMED unless indicated.
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Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) (1)
- Reported Jan 11, 2025 09:03 by Nick & Jane
- Estero Bluffs SP, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.9437799&<ll...>,-120.9437799 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S208911854 - Comments: "Alcid with grey upperside, white throat, white underside and two obvious white patches. White collar. Hundred yards distant from bluffs. Hanging out with three loons. Might be two. No photo."
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) (8)
- Reported Jan 11, 2025 09:04 by Kathleen Kent
- Oakview Village, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.660672&<ll...>,-120.660672 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S208882346 - Comments: "At least 8 CHSP foraging on the ground in an open meadow, near gray pines and oak trees, along with at least 8 LASP. Most of the CHSPs have fairly bright rufous crowns and prominent white supercilliums."
Sagebrush Sparrow (Artemisiospiza nevadensis) (3)
- Reported Jan 07, 2025 12:24 by Kevin Zimmer
- Carrizo Plains - Junction of Elkhorn Road and Simmler Road, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.840169&<ll...>,-119.840169 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S208800033 - Media: 20 Photos
- Comments: "All 3 were very pallid overall, and all 3 had fine dark streaking spanning the mantle (not just on the scapulars) and thinner, grayer and less conspicuous/continuous dark malar streaks than would be typical for canescens, although both the extent and contrast of the dorsal streaking and the malar streak varied in extent from one bird to the next. One of the individuals struck me as being a textbook example of nevadensis – very pale gray head, contrasting with pale brown back; obvious dusky streaking spanning across the mantle/center of the back, including the scapulars; and thin, broken, gray malar streaks that did not reach the bill. This individual will be labeled #1 in the photos that follow. Another of the birds had even bolder, blacker streaking across the entire mantle, but its malar streaks were darker and more intact, although still on the thin side and not extending clear to the bill, as I would expect on canescens (this individual will be labeled #2 in the photos that follow). Finally, the 3rd bird, which had the least amount of back streaking (and the streaking was browner, less boldly contrasting, although it still spanned the center of the back), also had the faintest of a barely visible malar streak on either side, so, although it at least approached the streakier extreme for canescens as regards the dorsal streaking, it also was the furthest from canescens on the malar streak character (Labeled #3 in the photos that follow.). One other thing that I noticed, which may or may not prove to be a field mark: all 3 birds looked to me to have relatively long primary projection. According to at least one published analysis of museum specimens, nevadensis is supposed to have a longer wing chord than canescens (I can't remember if wing chord length was diagnostic, or simply averaged higher.), which makes sense, given that nevadensis is more of a long distance migrant (at least over parts of its range) than are any of the populations of Bell’s Sparrows. While wing chord length isn’t going to translate into a field mark, primary projection just might. In looking closely at my photos of all 3 birds, it appears that 3 primary tips extend beyond the tip of the longest inner secondaries. I will need to examine a series of Bell's Sparrow photos (including canescens) to see how many primary tips are visible on their folded wings. Photos to follow."
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) (1)
- Reported Jan 11, 2025 13:58 by Virginia Langdon-Lassagne
- Cal Poly--Mt Bishop Road, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6777764&<ll...>,-120.6777764 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S208923204 - Media: 11 Photos
- Comments: "Adult male. Yellow head, obvious white wing patches on otherwise black bird, similar in size to the other blackbirds and starlings, flying away from us. Later refound at beef cattle corral. Photos."
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) (1)
- Reported Jan 11, 2025 13:58 by Barry Langdon-Lassagne
- Cal Poly--Mt Bishop Road, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6777764&<ll...>,-120.6777764 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S208923205 - Media: 11 Photos
- Comments: "Adult male. Yellow head, obvious white wing patches on otherwise black bird, similar in size to the other blackbirds and starlings, flying away from us. Later refound at beef cattle corral. Photos."
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) (2)
- Reported Jan 10, 2025 13:14 by logan kahle
- Cal Poly--Mt Bishop Road, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6777764&<ll...>,-120.6777764 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S208770996 - Comments: "Adult male and imm/fem with swarms of cowbirds. Male all yellow head, black body, black lores and hill. Imm had duller yellow head, brown on crown, brownish cast on body"
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