---------------------------------------------
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.
eBird encourages safe, responsible birding. Some reports may be from private property. Respect access restrictions and follow the rules wherever you bird. For more information, visit the eBird and Merlin Community Guidelines: https://ebird.org/community-guidelines. Stay connected to the global birding community with eBird Updates: https://mailchi.mp/cornell/ebird-updates-sign-up-page.
Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 31, 2025 06:43 by Ben Kolstad
- Atascadero Lake, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6667256&<ll...>,-120.6667256 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270634149 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Medium size sandpiper with greenish legs, bold white eye ring leading into a large whitish stripe going forward from the eye. No shoulder check like spotty (there were several SPSA around the lake). Did not tail pump, either. Raised both wings high at times while foraging. Surely the same bird found yesterday by Gabriel Rudy."
Neotropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum) (1)
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 13:20 by Pair of Wing-Nuts
- 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/S270586935 - Comments: "Continuing juvenile bird (Kevin Zimmer 8.22.25) was much smaller than nearby Double-crested Cormorants and was dark brown above with dark supraloral region, shorter, narrow, pale bill with sharply angled (at rear) orange/yellow gular patch with faint white border. Photo to follow."
Neotropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum) (1)
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 13:20 by Theodor Geisel
- 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/S270768111 - Comments: "Continuing juvenile bird (Kevin Zimmer 8.22.25) was much smaller than nearby Double-crested Cormorants and was dark brown above with dark supraloral region, shorter, narrow, pale bill with sharply angled (at rear) orange/yellow gular patch with faint white border. Photo to follow."
Neotropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum) (1)
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 13:20 by Jeff Miller
- 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/S270760153 - Comments: "Continuing juvenile bird (Kevin Zimmer 8.22.25) was much smaller than nearby Double-crested Cormorants and was dark brown above with dark supraloral region, shorter, narrow, pale bill with sharply angled (at rear) orange/yellow gular patch with faint white border. Photo to follow."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1)
- Reported Aug 31, 2025 16:35 by randall lyon
- Morro Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8624411&<ll...>,-120.8624411 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270754444 - Comments: "In the water and flying upstream of the bicycle bridge over morro creek east of morro strand beach. There were western gulls on the mud flat and a nearby great egret and snowy regret to compare it to. It had the greenish legs, beak variations and eyes described by others. Confirmed by two other birders present."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 31, 2025 07:34 by Jay Carroll
- Morro Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8624411&<ll...>,-120.8624411 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270683108 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing juvenile reported here yesterday morning; slightly smaller than nearby Snowy Egrets, and exhibiting uniformly greenish-yellow legs and feet, a darkish terminus on the bill, and dusky tips to the outer primaries."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 31, 2025 06:58 by Herb Elliott
- Morro Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8624411&<ll...>,-120.8624411 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270718485 - Media: 16 Photos
- Comments: "…small white heron with dull greenish legs, greenish lores, dual colored bill; small dark gray tips on outer primaries.
… continuing this morning, found yesterday by Liam H."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 17:06 by Terri May
- Morro Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8624411&<ll...>,-120.8624411 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270616689 - Media: 5 Photos
- Comments: "Observed actively foraging in the creek. It was about the same size as the Snowy, but had pale green legs and feet. Overall its bill was a pale dullish grayish-black. It had yellow eyes. It was aggressively chased by Snowy Egrets."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 14:40 by Terri Osborn
- Morro Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8624411&<ll...>,-120.8624411 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270766379 - Media: 7 Photos
- Comments: "First seen perched in a Monterey cypress tree up the creek but eventually flew down into the creek to forage with nearby Snowy Egrets. The heron was similar in size to the Snowy Egrets, all white except for dusky edging on wingtips (visible in flight and when it fluffed its feathers), yellow eyes, bi-colored bill, blue gray at the base and black at the tip, blue gray lores, and long yellowish-green legs. It foraged in the creek, walking slowly back and forth and caught several small fish. The juvenile Little Blue Heron was found by Liam H. earlier today."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1)
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 12:45 by Roger Hammer
- Morro Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8624411&<ll...>,-120.8624411 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270780396 - Comments: "Tom E pointed out the bird to me as soon as I stepped onto the bridge from my car. White heron with a 2-toned bill and green legs, slightly smaller and leaner than the SNEGs that were hassling it as it tried to feed."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 12:12 by Jeff Miller
- Morro Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8624411&<ll...>,-120.8624411 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270695841 - Media: 5 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing bird from earlier today (Liam H.) was slender and smaller than nearby Snowy Egrets, with all white body, pale gray lores, bright, bold yellowish iris, two tone bill that was pinkish/blue at base and black at tip and pale green legs and feet. Observed feeding up-creek from creek mouth pedestrian bridge."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 12:12 by Pair of Wing-Nuts
- Morro Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8624411&<ll...>,-120.8624411 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270571332 - Media: 5 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing bird from earlier today (Liam H.) was slender and smaller than nearby Snowy Egrets, with all white body, pale gray lores, bright, bold yellowish iris, two tone bill that was pinkish/blue at base and black at tip and pale green legs and feet. Observed feeding up-creek from creek mouth pedestrian bridge."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 12:12 by Theodor Geisel
- Morro Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8624411&<ll...>,-120.8624411 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270594769 - Media: 5 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing bird from earlier today (Liam H.) was slender and smaller than nearby Snowy Egrets, with all white body, pale gray lores, bright, bold yellowish iris, two tone bill that was pinkish/blue at base and black at tip and pale green legs and feet. Observed feeding up-creek from creek mouth pedestrian bridge."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 12:04 by Jeanne Miller
- Morro Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8624411&<ll...>,-120.8624411 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270708951 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Juvenile. Small white heron with very noticeable green legs. Bill black at distal third, rest gray. Seemingly smaller and less bulky than nearby Snowy Egrets.
Found earlier this morning, then flew and reappeared an hour or so later. I saw it among several other local birders. Photos later."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1)
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 10:45 by Petra Clayton
- Morro Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8624411&<ll...>,-120.8624411 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270464157 - Media: 20 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing juvenile from earlier this morning at this location (Liam H.)
After it was first seen the bird was absent for a while before returning to the creek.
(Only other prior eBird report of this species at this eBird hotspot: 8/26/2005, Tom Edell). (Most recent SLO County eBird report: 11/12/2019, Pismo Creek Mouth)
Overall white and from a distance it looked similar to nearby Snowy Egrets, albeit a bit smaller. However, it was a lot smaller than a nearby Great Egret.
Distinguishing features:
- Legs and feet: Same greenish-yellow color on both, legs and feet, unlike Snowy Egret's black legs (or greenish legs on immature Snowy Egret) and yellow feet (both adult and immature Snowy Egret).
- Bill: Multi-tone, as seen in our photos: Bluish-gray base on the upper mandible, pinkish on the lower mandible, dark blue-gray on the distal third, unlike Snowy Egret's black upper mandible with a yellow base, and yellowish lower mandible.
- Lores: Greenish, unlike Snowy Egret's orange lores.
- Eyes: Pale-yellow iris, unlike Snowy Egret's brighter yellow iris.
- Wing tips: Not noticed in the field, but the gray primary wing tips are evident in photos/video showing the bird's back side and when it stretches its wings.
Feeding in the creek, about 50 feet east of the pedestrian bridge with Snowy Egrets, one Great Egret and a Spotted Sandpiper. Moving around more actively than the other egrets, wading in the water mid-creek and in the reeds at the northern bank and walking on the mud flats, where the leg-feet color match could be seen clearly. It was catching only some very small fish while we observed.
Click on the image below for a YouTube video, which includes Snowy Egrets and a Great Egret:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eEDISJXnzZU?si=QwIHrZM9xQcf4NP_" frameborder="0"></iframe>"
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 08:43 by Jeff Miller
- Morro Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8624411&<ll...>,-120.8624411 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270695897 - Media: 9 Photos
- Comments: "Liam H. was first to pull a different bird from a busy Snowy Egret flock and suggest Little Blue Heron. Juvenile bird was all white, slender and noticeably smaller than nearby Snowy Egrets. The smaller head showed grayish lores and bright yellow iris bordered the dark pupil. The shorter (when compared to Snowy Egret), two-tone bill was pinkish/blue the first 2/3 of the bill length and black the final 1/3 to the bill tip. The legs and feet were a pale green which contrasted markedly with black and yellow legs and feet the Snowy Egrets. The bird was observed actively feeding mainly along north creek bank, sometimes loosely associating with the Snowy Egret flock and foraging alone at other times. During several short flights up and down the creek, darker tips to the primaries were seen. A Cooper's Hawk eventually flew in and drove all of the birds from the creek east of the footbridge. However, most of the birds, including the Little Blue Heron would return later."
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 10:10 by Theodor Geisel
- 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/S270569514 - Comments: "Continuing juvenile bird with pale pinkish-red head, neck and breast and chalky blue back. Observed about .6 miles SW of Sea Otter Pier (not USGS Pier) on opposite shore associating with other egrets. We would relocate to areas near Tideland Park to get better looks."
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 10:10 by Jeff Miller
- 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/S270695872 - Comments: "Continuing juvenile bird with pale pinkish-red head, neck and breast and chalky blue back. Observed about .6 miles SW of Sea Otter Pier (not USGS Pier) on opposite shore associating with other egrets. We would relocate to areas near Tidelands Park to get better looks."
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 10:09 by Pair of Wing-Nuts
- 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/S270592959 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Continuing bird was chalky blue above with pinkish-red head and neck, grayish-red breast and dark legs. Observed on beach opposite north end of Tidelands Park."
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 10:09 by Theodor Geisel
- 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/S270598029 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Continuing bird was chalky blue above with pinkish-red head and neck, grayish-red breast and dark legs. Observed on beach opposite north end of Tidelands Park."
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 10:09 by Jeff Miller
- 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/S270695814 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Continuing bird was chalky blue above with pinkish-red head and neck, grayish-red breast and dark legs. Observed on beach opposite north end of Tidelands Park."
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 31, 2025 09:20 by Kaaren Perry
- Morro Bay yard, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.844846&<ll...>,-120.844846 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270690823 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Moving through with OCWA. Attracted by bird bath. Bright greenish -yellow upper parts, pale yellow underparts, eye line, white eyebrow, sharply pointed bill white undertail, short tail. Last reported at this location August 16."
eBird Alerts provide recent reports of regionally or seasonally rare species (Rarities Alerts) or species you have not yet observed (Needs Alerts) in your region of interest; both Accepted and Unreviewed observations are included. Some reports may be from private property or inaccessible to the general public. It is the responsibility of every eBirder to be aware of and respectful of access restrictions. For more information, see our Terms of Use: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/terms-of-use/
