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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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Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus) (1)
- Reported Sep 30, 2025 17:30 by Reef Comer
- San Simeon SP, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-121.1235286&<ll...>,-121.1235286 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S276592954 - Media: 6 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing from earlier this morning. Found in mixed flock between campsites 65 and 66. Stout vireo with obvious white supercillium, dark eyeline, bright lemon yellow throat and breast, and greenish back. Despite bad lighting, Lou was able to get some pics. Only my second sighting ever of this species!"
Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus) (1)
- Reported Sep 30, 2025 09:55 by Kevin Zimmer
- San Simeon SP, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-121.1235286&<ll...>,-121.1235286 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S276593666 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Details and poor photos to follow. I found this bird shortly after arriving at the park, as I was en route to looking for the Vermilion Flycatcher that had been present through late yesterday afternoon. I walked the boardwalk trail from the Washburn Day Use area to the road on the back side of the campground, crossing the bridge in the process. I first found the vireo Just north of the bridge, and on the west side of the road. It was in dense willows and briefly popped into view at eye-level, but only for a couple of seconds. Just long enough for me to positively ID it, noting that it was a smallish, compact vireo, that lacked obvious wingbars; had an olive back and wings with a slightly contrasting grayer crown; extensively yellow-washed underparts that were brightest and most saturated on the throat and upper breast, and which faded towards the middle of the abdomen; a distinct, whitish superciliary that arched somewhat over the eye, and which was set off below by dark lores and a dark eyeline. Suggestive of a very bright Warbling Vireo, but with more contrasting gray crown versus greener back; much more extensively yellow below, with the brightest yellow on the throat and breast instead of the flanks; and with a different facial pattern due to the dark lores and line through the eye. Larger and differently shaped bill than a Tennessee Warbler, and with yellow washed crissum. Almost immediately, the vireo disappeared from view, lost in a flurry of Bushtits, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Townsend's and Orange-crowned warblers. I spent 30-45 minutes trying to relocate it, without luck, and then posted my find to the WhatsApp rare bird alert. Shortly thereafter, I ran into Jack and Petra Clayton and Dave Lawrence over on Van Gordon Creek Road, looking for the Vermilion Flycatcher, and told them about the vireo. Jack and Petra followed me back to the boardwalk and the spot where I had seen the vireo, and together, we searched for the bird without luck. On my way out the boardwalk, I had a glimpse of a vireo that I feel certain was the Philly, at the first wideout spot on the boardwalk as you enter the tall willows from the Washburn Day Use parking lot. I then hiked out to check the creek mouth/lagoon and the beach, and as I was returning to my car, I ran into Jack and Petra again, and they told me that KH had just relocated the vireo, at the same spot along the boardwalk where I had last glimpsed it. KH showed me his photos, which definitely served to document the record. All of us returned to the spot of my original sighting, and then fanned out from there. I relocated the bird in the main campground loop at ca. 1345h, and managed a few barely identifiable photos in which one inconvenient leaf manages to obscure much of the bird's face. This was only my 2nd or 3rd record of this species for the county."
Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus) (1)
- Reported Sep 30, 2025 08:28 by Nick & Jane
- San Simeon SP, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-121.1235286&<ll...>,-121.1235286 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S276548368 - Media: 6 Photos
- Comments: "Small compact vireo about the size of an orange-crowned warbler hopping amid upper canopy, right over my head, which was only 8-11 feet up. This was on the wooden boardwalk just before it meets Washburn Campground Road. Here: 35.59463° N, 121.12231° W. I was confused because I thought I was seeing a too-colorful tiny red-eyed. It wasn’t until I got home when I could examine photos and flip open my bird guide and get a solid ID. I did note that this vireo was compact, short-tailed, green above, yellow below, and had a yellow throat. It had a more contrasting face pattern than warbling vireo and broader dark lores. Shorter bill than red-eyed. Found at around 9:45 a.m. (I thought it had been later but checked the checklist time and estimated). First record of this species at this hotspot."
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) (1)
- Reported Sep 30, 2025 11:35 by Luke Jensen
- 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/S276589458 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "First seen in live oak strip where the Virginia's warbler was seen on several accasions. Was high up in canopy coming down to mid branches as well. Distinct black and white streaking on wings and back. It made a loud chip call then flew to Casa Diablo spot were it came into great view 10 feet from my camera. pics!"
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) (1)
- Reported Sep 30, 2025 07:32 by Barbara Webster
- 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/S276547543 - Comments: "Continuing bird. Seen with other birders while in the oaks just west of path intersection. Working over the trunks nuthatch-like. Black and white striped head, wings and back. Pale below."
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) (1)
- Reported Sep 30, 2025 07:32 by Pam Cahn
- 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/S276547546 - Comments: "Continuing bird. Seen with other birders while in the oaks just west of path intersection. Working over the trunks nuthatch-like. Black and white striped head, wings and back. Pale below."
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) (1)
- Reported Sep 30, 2025 10:51 by Nick & Jane
- Santa Rosa Creek-below Windsor, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-121.1064448&<ll...>,-121.1064448 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S276541467 - Comments: "Continuing (assuming). Didn’t get a look at its throat. Overall behavior was to climb on tree trunk, but mostly hid from view. Did see its overall black-and-white pattern—striped head, back, wings, white wingbars, dark spotted white undertail. No pic. I tried."
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) (1)
- Reported Sep 30, 2025 09:21 by Jake Hager
- 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/S276541924 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Discovered by Nick yesterday—first noticed unstreaked, lighter underparts compared to an orange-crowned; distinct pale eyebrow contrasting w dark line thru eye on closer inspection."
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) (1)
- Reported Sep 30, 2025 07:32 by Barbara Webster
- 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/S276547543 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Viewed with several other birders. Actively foraging in Bottlebrush immediately to west of oak grove. Dark eyeline, greenish above, yellow tinged below with whitish undertail."
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) (1)
- Reported Sep 30, 2025 07:32 by Pam Cahn
- 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/S276547546 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Viewed with several other birders. Actively foraging in Bottlebrush immediately to west of oak grove. Dark eyeline, greenish above, yellow tinged below with whitish undertail."
Virginia's Warbler (Leiothlypis virginiae) (1)
- Reported Sep 30, 2025 10:51 by Nick & Jane
- Santa Rosa Creek-below Windsor, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-121.1064448&<ll...>,-121.1064448 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S276541467 - Comments: "Only brief looks, but full profile. Overall grey. Large bold eyering. Yellow undertail. Can’t recall how much yellow, if any, on chest, or throat details. Quickly lost the bird even though I had been close to it. Lame. No photo"
Palm Warbler (Western) (Setophaga palmarum palmarum) (1)
- Reported Sep 29, 2025 14:33 by Tom Edell
- San Simeon SP, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-121.1235286&<ll...>,-121.1235286 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S276396239 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "one in the brush on the north side of San Simeon Creek Road. Brownish warbler with a dark bill pale supercilium over a dark eyeline, diffuse streaking on the underparts and yellow undertail coverts that my photos showed wrapped up onto the upper tail coverts. There were two faint wingbars on the brown wings. Photos"
Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor) (1)
- Reported Sep 30, 2025 11:35 by Luke Jensen
- 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/S276589458 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Found on the grass near small desiduos trees flying up a bit to quick for the shot of it being on the ground. Then I came out into view in small random mostly bare tree and got great pictures. It stayed their for a 8 minuites but sadly Barry came to late for great pics. 2 minuites after they got their, the bird flew into neighborhood. The tree was about 30 feet away from bridge. a surprise to see it on the ground especially in such a random tree!! Green on back of head with black streaking on flanks and bright yellow overall body. Pics!!"
Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor) (1)
- Reported Sep 30, 2025 09:21 by Jake Hager
- 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/S276541924 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Found by Nick yesterday—Quickly moving among bottlebrush trees near the middle of the park. Bright yellow with black streaks on sides; streaking less bold than the head of a Townsend’s by comparison. Seen well with Ann, Brian, Diana, Eric et al. Could only manage a lousy pic."
Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor) (1)
- Reported Sep 30, 2025 07:32 by Pam Cahn
- 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/S276547546 - Comments: "Viewed with several other birders. Ann Stockert got a nice photo. It was actively foraging high in the Bottlebrush. Bright yellow throat and underside. Dark spots below neck and bold streaks on its sides."
Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor) (1)
- Reported Sep 30, 2025 07:32 by Barbara Webster
- 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/S276547543 - Comments: "Viewed with several other birders. Ann Stockert got a nice photo. It was actively foraging high in the Bottlebrush. Bright yellow throat and underside. Dark spots below neck and bold streaks on its sides."
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