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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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King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 14:02 by David Keeling
- 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/S278178749 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing brown bird in bay with thin white wing bar sometimes visible, and whitish around the eye and unique bill. 4 images attached."
King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 09:50 by Jay Carroll
- 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/S278050076 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing female perched on a small floating plank at the eastern oyster farm operation; mostly brown duck with gently sloping forehead and dark bill; the breast had a mottled appearance and there were lighter areas on the face and around the eyes; compared to mid-August when the bird was in heavy molt and flight feather shafts were quite evident, it now appeared to be in much better condition."
King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 08:25 by Maggie Smith
- Morro Bay SP--Marina/Boardwalk Trail, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8418006&<ll...>,-120.8418006 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S278076489 - Comments: "Distant bird on a floating piece of wood. We found it after receiving an alert that it was seen on a wood float from Pasadena Ave. From out distance it just looked like a dark duck with a sloping forehead/bill. Shorter than adjacent Double-crested cormorant though body size may have been comparable."
King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 08:25 by Tom Edell
- Morro Bay SP--Marina/Boardwalk Trail, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8418006&<ll...>,-120.8418006 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S278063823 - Comments: "Distant bird on a floating piece of wood. We found it after receiving an alert that it was seen on a wood float from Pasadena Ave. From out distance it just looked like a dark duck with a sloping forehead/bill. Shorter than adjacent Double-crested cormorant though body size may have been comparable."
King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 14:00 by Terri Osborn
- Pasadena Park Beach, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8440733&<ll...>,-120.8440733 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S278085796 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Continuing female King Eider seen swimming around the oyster farm in Morro Bay. Brown duck-like body and head with forehead sloping down to a dark bill. Poor long distance photo."
King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 11:32 by Petra Clayton
- Pasadena Park Beach, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8440733&<ll...>,-120.8440733 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S278083929 - Media: 5 Photos
- Comments: "Most likely the female-like plumaged bird first reported on 8/17/2025 (Brian O'Kelly & Alexander Yan).
Overall brown, about the size of a Mallard. Very noticeable was a white stripe on the side. The bill-shape was unlike a Mallard's in that it seemed shorter and the forehead was sloping down to the bill in a more straight line.
Preening while perched on the floating dock by the oyster farm with Double-crested Cormorants and a Western Gull. Viewed at a distance from the empty lot on Pasadena Drive.
Click on the image below for a Flickr video:
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jack-petra-clayton/54842340391/in/dateposted-public/" title="King Eider (Somateria spectabilis), Morro Bay, CA"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/54842340391_947274c4ea_z.jpg" alt="King Eider (Somateria spectabilis), Morro Bay, CA" /></a>"
Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) (1)
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 18:52 by Gregory Smith
- Freeman Lane, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8183392&<ll...>,-120.8183392 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S278079626 - Comments: "Second time I have had this species while taking a spa. Last time it was quite dark, this time at 6:40 this evening. Heard the bird give its “peent” call and looked up to see it just before it disappeared behind a tree. Then it gave a second “peent” call. Not much of a view, but definitely a nighthawk with white bars out towards the bend in the wind. Would beat its wings and got one view of a short glide with the wings held over its head."
Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 08:25 by Tom Edell
- Morro Bay SP--Marina/Boardwalk Trail, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8418006&<ll...>,-120.8418006 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S278063823 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Juvenile on Dock 7. Darker gray/brown than juvenile Black-crowned with small markings on the wings. Mostly dark bill with a pale area at the base of the lower mandible. (photos)"
Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 08:25 by Maggie Smith
- Morro Bay SP--Marina/Boardwalk Trail, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8418006&<ll...>,-120.8418006 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S278076489 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Juvenile on Dock 7. Darker gray/brown than juvenile Black-crowned with small markings on the wings. Mostly dark bill with a pale area at the base of the lower mandible. (photos)"
Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 09:20 by Petra Clayton
- Tidelands Park, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8514118&<ll...>,-120.8514118 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S278083828 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing juvenile. One individual perched on the Monterey Cypress past the last boat ramp, just like yesterday (10/7/25)
Also, just like yesterday, another single juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron was present today on the last boat dock at the Morro Bay State Park Marina .
In the past month we have observed one juvenile at this location in the morning of 9/6/25 and again on 9/7/25, 9/8/25, 9/12/25 and 9/18/25. We observed three juveniles on 9/25/25 and 9/26/25 and we observed two juveniles on 10/2/25.
One juvenile was first present here on 9/4/25 and could have been the same individual reported on 9/3/25 at the Morro Bay SP Marina.
Today's juvenile had a dark, stout bill with yellow feathers at the base of the lower mandible; small white triangular spots on the covert feathers.
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) (1)
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 15:25 by Mackinley Mariott
- West Hazard Canyon--Montana de Oro SP, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8812916&<ll...>,-120.8812916 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S278062224 - Comments: "Found around (35.2885608, -120.8814884), Hopping around inside some brush, across from cattails on one of the hiking trails to the beach, it moved quickly so I could not get a photo, sides and wings were noticeably red-brown and the lines on the chest were blurry"
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 10:55 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/S278078075 - Comments: "Largish bright yellow warbler foraging on oak tree close to bottlebrush. Yellow on head and breast. Large bill. Grayish- blue wings. White undertail coverts. First found by Nick in bottlebrush. I saw it later in the oak with several other birders."
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 10:00 by Isaiah Woodard
- 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/S278053235 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Seen with several other birders. First spotted by Nick. All yellow head and breast. Foraging in oaks near cluster of bottlebrush trees. Photo below."
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 09:39 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/S278062951 - Media: 11 Photos
- Comments: "Hatch-year/female. As much as I willed this bird to be a blue-winged warbler after my first sighting in a bottlebrush tree (see coordinates under tennessee warbler), partly because this wasn’t a swampy habitat and seemed more likely a blue-winged stopover, when the bird was spotted again by another birder, it was concluded this bird wasn’t small or sleek enough to be a blue-winged, and was just a big ‘ol plump prothonotary. When I first saw the bird, I did note its plumpness and overall borbliness—very ‘roun—as some friends might say. I also noticed the bright yellow of the bird, a luminescence of plumage that is more golden than the yellowest of yellow warblers. Still, in the shadows of bottlebrush, I was confused and thought it not quite radiant enough for a prothonotary—that is until my second sighting—which still took some convincing via examination and discussion. I did note its white undertail coverts and short tail on my first sighting, and also that it had a faint eyeline and that its wings were blue-grey. Its upper mandible, I saw on my second sighting, was dark, while the lower was pink. The face had olive tones, as did its back. Oh and the white of its undertail coverts washed onto its belly. First record for Meadow Park. Photos."
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) (1)
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 17:23 by Matt Brady
- 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/S278078610 - Comments: "Apparently a continuing bird. Typical fall TEWA: bright lime green above, more yellow below, short tail with white under tail coverts, yellow supercilium, thin, sharp bill. Photos."
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 10:00 by Isaiah Woodard
- 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/S278053235 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Seen on two instances on the east side of the park, once with several other birders. Pale yellow-green breast, pale belly, green above. Dark line through the eye."
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 09:39 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/S278062951 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Continuing. Appeared to be the same individual as yesterday, but on opp end of park. This was east of the mid-park bridge high in a bottlebrush tree approximately here: 35.26776° N, 120.66036° W . The bird had a prominent eyeline and pale supercilium, had white undertail coverts and belly. Its throat was yellow and its crown, nape, back and parts of its wings and upper tail were cast in lime tones. The primaries were grey and the retrices also had grey tones. I might have one poor photo."
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 08, 2025 10:10 by Petra Clayton
- Cloisters Community Park (not for beach and ocean), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8609828&<ll...>,-120.8609828 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S278075845 - Media: 5 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing non-breading adult/immature since 10/7/25 (Steve Tillmann).
Olive-brown crown and back; pale throat and breast; yellowish belly; brownish streaks on breast and on flanks; white eye arcs; dark eye line starting in front of the eyes; whitish supercilium; bright yellow undertail.
Observed in the dry grass field behind the memorial bench (Heidi Baird) and the free book library. It first foraged close to the fence and hopped on the fence there before flying across the paved trail, briefly sitting on that fence and then flying into the willows by the lake."
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