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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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Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 17, 2025 15:06 by Renee Reijo Pera
- Morro Bay Estuary (use more specific location(s) when possible), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8501072&<ll...>,-120.8501072 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S210257572 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Reported by the trip before us. We observed it with a group of Bufflehead south of Coleman Park. Small duck, slightly larger than nearby Buffelhead, small dark bill with large white patch around the eye and smudgy dark on the top of the head and neck. On water, darkish back and white along the flanks. In flight, belly was whitish. Top was dark in coloration."
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 17, 2025 12:53 by Elaine Ramos Doyle
- Morro Bay Harbor, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.857&<ll...>,-120.857 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S210332837 - Comments: "Small pale gray and blackish duck with dusky head and diamond-shaped patch of white surrounding the eye. Stocky, powerful dark bill. Swimming with the Bufflehead, roughly same size as them."
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 17, 2025 12:53 by Karl Weis
- Morro Bay Harbor, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.857&<ll...>,-120.857 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S210317069 - Comments: "Small pale gray and blackish duck with dusky head and diamond-shaped patch of white surrounding the eye. Stocky, powerful dark bill. Swimming with the Bufflehead, roughly same size as them."
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 19, 2025 14:40 by Amanda Preece
- Morro Bay harbor mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8658353&<ll...>,-120.8658353 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S210312647 - Comments: "Continuing bird on the sandspit side of the harbor across from the north T-Pier (Coast Guard dock). This small lone duck was backlit when in view and was primarily identified by its shape and size. It was a small duck that rode low in the water, was larger than the nearby Bufflehead and had a small short bill. The crown appeared somewhat flat. Someone may have gotten photos. No idea on the age or sex based on the view."
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 18, 2025 11:41 by Lisa Gattuso
- Morro Bay harbor mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8658353&<ll...>,-120.8658353 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S210304507 - Comments: "Continuing bird first reported on yesterday's afternoon bay cruise. Poorly seen because of lighting, but it was a small duck that rode low in the water with a rounded head and small bill. Sex not determined. Poor photo will be added to the checklist."
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 22, 2025 10:06 by Tom Edell
- South T-Pier (35.369, -120.856), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8559085&<ll...>,-120.8559085 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S210310787 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "continuing bird across the harbor from the North T-Pier (Coast Guard Pier). This was a small duck with a smallish bill that lacked the long pale scapulars (there does appear to be some gray in the scapulars) and any pink on the bill. It had a white head with a big black cheek patch and a partially dark crown. The back was dark and the underparts white except for the dark band across the upper chest. (Photos)"
Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 19, 2025 09:41 by Amanda Preece
- The Gully to Point Piedras Blancas and back, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-121.2284087&<ll...>,-121.2284087 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S210312650 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "briefly seen on the water and then flying away. This was a small shearwater that was very dark above and white below. The white below wrapped up onto the rear flanks, the undertail coverts were white, and the white underwing appeared unmarked other than outlined in black and with black in the primaries. A few poor photos were taken and at least one will be added to the checklist."
Least Bittern (Botaurus exilis) (1)
- Reported Jan 19, 2025 08:02 by Roger Wieck
- Laguna Lake, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6903817&<ll...>,-120.6903817 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S210250622 - Comments: "Leader saw the Bittern fly about 1.5 ft over the water across from one bullrush clump to another disappearing into the vegetation on the other side. It was a smaller (than green heron or night heron ) brownish bird with black primaries and reddish brown just in from the primaries. Also visible was the black on the crown of its head."
Least Bittern (Botaurus exilis) (1)
- Reported Jan 19, 2025 08:02 by Amy Nichols
- Laguna Lake, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6903817&<ll...>,-120.6903817 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S210257037 - Comments: "Leader saw the Bittern fly about 1.5 ft over the water across from one bullrush clump to another disappearing into the vegetation on the other side. It was a smaller (than green heron or night heron ) brownish bird with black primaries and reddish brown just in from the primaries. Also visible was the black on the crown of its head."
Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) (1)
- Reported Jan 22, 2025 09:19 by Nick & Jane
- Meadow Park--San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6606531&<ll...>,-120.6606531 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S210298668 - Comments: "My guess is the same female I spotted last October, or a similar female. Seen flying from this tree where I saw a female Red-naped last year: (35.2679489, -120.6638104). This tree has lots of sapsucker holes and is from where it flew over my head fairly low, eastward into a short tree where it clung to a trunk at about eye height and gave a profile view. At first while flying I assumed the resident Red-breasted, but the bird was too pale, didnt have a bright red breast, or bright red head. The bird’s chin, while I can’t say how much red, wasn’t bordered fully by any thick black lines. If there was red on top of its head, I couldn’t fully tell how much though I believe there was red. Went to take a photo and the bird flew east into a tree, or through mid-park trees (where there is a bench). I checked that tree (a downy and nuttalls were in it) and every tree to the bridge, and circled the western area twice. Couldn’t refind. Other field marks include possible red crown, separated from its nape by a black bar. Its cheek was part of a thick black bar that extended from the lower crown through the eye and then became a black bar. It had a yellowy-brownish supercilium bar bordered both above and below by black, and below the eyeline bar had a thick yellowy-brownish-and white bar that curved inward toward the chest. The bottom black bar that extended at a downward angle from the lower mandible was also blackish. It had a large, thick white wingbar surrounded by black, though its primaries had black-and-white mottling. Its underside was yellowy-and-white along with black-mottling. The back was black-and-yellowy brown mottled. No vocalizations or drumming. No photo."
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 19, 2025 08:02 by Amy Nichols
- Laguna Lake, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6903817&<ll...>,-120.6903817 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S210257037 - Comments: "We saw the greenish back, large bill, bright lemon yellow belly and forked tail. Additionally, we heard the bird make the “treeip” call several times when a Say’s Phoebe approached. Photos will be added to the checklist."
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 19, 2025 08:02 by Roger Wieck
- Laguna Lake, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6903817&<ll...>,-120.6903817 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S210250622 - Comments: "We saw the greenish back, large bill, bright lemon yellow belly and forked tail. Additionally, we heard the bird make the “treeip” call several times when a Say’s Phoebe approached. Photos will be added to the checklist."
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 17, 2025 08:30 by Barry Borne
- Laguna Lake, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6903817&<ll...>,-120.6903817 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S210286499 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Continuing by first dock (35.2646755, -120.6857133). Long bill, green back, dark mask. Light grey above, green turning into lemon yellow below. Seen well by all."
Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullockii) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 22, 2025 09:19 by Nick & Jane
- Meadow Park--San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6606531&<ll...>,-120.6606531 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S210298668 - Media: 5 Photos
- Comments: "Maybe first-year male. Likely a wintering neighborhood oriole that was seen near the Baltimore Oriole last fall. Was in southwest corner of the park approximately here: (35.2674655, -120.6626108). Large orange, white and black oriole. Weak black chin, eyeline and crown on otherwise orange head. White belly on orange underside. Black wings with messy white wingbars. Couldn’t see its back. No vocalizations. Photos. Didn’t see it again when I was circling west end of park for sapsucker."
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 22, 2025 09:19 by Nick & Jane
- Meadow Park--San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6606531&<ll...>,-120.6606531 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S210298668 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Continuing female since January 15 (https://ebird.org/checklist/S209431725). Yellowy-green head, green-and-black wings and tail. Double wingbars. The bottom wingbar was white while the top wingbar was greenish-yellow and white. Yellow-orange lower mandible and a more gunmetal grey upper bill. Greyish lores. Dark legs and feet. Couldn’t see its back. Was in tree adjacent to tree with Bullock’s Oriole. High in canopy. When I was leaving it was calling from creek trees apprx here: (35.2680415, -120.6637940). One photo."
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