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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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Redhead (Aythya americana) (1)
- Reported Dec 07, 2025 12:22 by Tom Edell
- 3rd Street Ocean View Point (35.444, -120.9), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8998423&<ll...>,-120.8998423 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S287748010 - Comments: "adult Male in Surf Scoter flock ip coast from my location and down coast of the Cayucos Pier. Rusty red head, pale golden eye, bluish bill, gray back and sides, and black breast and undertail coverts."
Redhead (Aythya americana) (1)
- Reported Dec 07, 2025 09:53 by Reef Comer
- North Point Natural Area--Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8717568&<ll...>,-120.8717568 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S287732956 - Comments: "Very odd sighting, given the location! Drake in very small scoter flock much closer to shore than massive scoter flotilla. Couldn’t quite make out bill color, but rounded, bright rufous head, darkish gray body, and black breast and undertail coverts unmistakable. Almost certainly the same bird seen later in Cayucos by T Edell."
Redhead (Aythya americana) (2)
- Reported Dec 07, 2025 08:55 by Tom Edell
- Whale Rock Reservoir, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8708239&<ll...>,-120.8708239 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S287699413 - Comments: "Male and female. male with a gray back and sides, black chest and undertail coverts, rusty colored round head, blue bill with a dark tip, and a bright yellow eye. Female was same size with a dull brown plumage, pale streak curving down behind eye, and a grayish bill."
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Dec 05, 2025 13:02 by Kevin Zimmer
- San Simeon Creek Mouth/Beach, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-121.1267052&<ll...>,-121.1267052 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S287709002 - Media: 13 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing female first found here by Reef Comer on Dec 1 (I think). My first thorough inspection of the Creek mouth and lagoon failed to turn this bird up, but following a brief hike out to the beach, the bird was right underneath the highway bridge, actively diving and seemingly indifferent to my presence. Photos to follow."
Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) (2)
- Reported Dec 07, 2025 12:22 by Tom Edell
- 3rd Street Ocean View Point (35.444, -120.9), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8998423&<ll...>,-120.8998423 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S287748010 - Comments: "Two together not far outside the surf. They were actively foraging and I saw them dive twice before they seemed to vanish. From my high vantage point I could clearly see the white line in the scapulars as they dove. The small size, dark crown and upperparts, white underparts,and white collar were also seen. They were not in view very long before I lost them."
Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Dec 05, 2025 11:44 by Kevin Zimmer
- 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/S287680941 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing immature bird, with stouter, all-dark bill (compared to immature Black-crowned Night-Heron), “colder”, grayer-brown overall coloration, with smaller white streaks and teardrop-shaped marks on the wing-coverts and scapulars, and orange irides."
Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Dec 07, 2025 07:36 by Nick & Jane
- Cuesta Canyon Park, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6439451&<ll...>,-120.6439451 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S287721031 - Media: 5 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing female in Arroyo picnic area. The bird flew in to two thin trunks a few feet to the right of a telephone pole. This is where it had already stripped away a think outer layer of greyish-brown bark. Beneath that layer was orangish indentions and dripping sap that the bird foraged on. The bird had a white chin, red throat and black lower border. The sides of its head was black-and-white striped. White patch stripes ran down its scapulars, with thicker black back patches next to that. The bird didn’t stay long, and when it flew in, was bashful in its approach, first landing in an adjacent tree, then flew in and slowly worked its way down to the sap area. It arrived and left before I did. I waited about twenty minutes for it to arrive. Photos"
Fox Sparrow (Thick-billed) (Passerella iliaca [megarhyncha Group]) (1)
- Reported Dec 07, 2025 09:45 by Nick & Jane
- West Cuesta Ridge, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.661226&<ll...>,-120.661226 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S287714085 - Media: 1 Photo, 1 Audio
- Comments: "Heard, then seen briefly—similar in plumage to a slate-colored with more grey tones toward the head. Had brown wings, and with a thick bill that may have been bicolored (I recall yellow lower mandible though looks were very brief—a blurry photo may show it). White underside with thick dark trangular brown streaks and other thick marks. Metallic chip call in the sound range of a california towhee. Tried to get a photo but the bird kept ducking into foliage—only managed a single blurry image. Sound recording, though windy. This my first discovery of a thick-billed, though this isn’t anything unexpected—this is a known habitat for them."
Palm Warbler (Western) (Setophaga palmarum palmarum) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Dec 05, 2025 10:49 by Kevin Zimmer
- 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/S287693442 - Media: 15 Photos
- Comments: "Very dull (even by Palm Warbler standards!) warbler found along the boardwalk trail at high tide (7.1’), just as the tide was starting to go out. Loosely associated with a few Yellow-dumped Warblers, alternately sallying for insects off of the boardwalk and dropping to the ground or into nearby Coyote Bush. Pumped tail up-and-down constantly, in typical fashion. Overall brownish above, with mildly contrasting greenish-yellow rump, and slightly darker brown crown (inlaid with dusky streaks), contrasting with obvious, long, pale superciliary. Fine, warbler-like, entirely dark bill. Pale, off-white (with hint of yellow tones depending on the light) underparts were uniformly finely streaked brown, except for the vent, which was unstreaked and washed pale yellow. Large , white, terminal spots on outer rectrices were visible on the underside of the tail when the bird was viewed head-on. There had been a Palm Warbler reported from the boardwalk earlier in the fall, but as far as I’m aware, this is the first sighting at this locale in the past few weeks."
Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) (1)
- Reported Dec 07, 2025 08:00 by Kelley Boland
- Pismo SB--Oceano Campground, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6265268&<ll...>,-120.6265268 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S287717152 - Comments: "Continuing, found in the large pine just north of the first set of campsites, ~10:15am. Chunky bill, all yellow, very little contrast between wing and body. Not quick enough on my camera draw before losing it in a horde of bushtit movement. (35.1083033, -120.6276505)"
Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Dec 06, 2025 13:00 by Luke Jensen
- Pismo SB--Oceano Campground, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6265268&<ll...>,-120.6265268 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S287709571 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Found near the entrance area o the second area of the campground near a small planted garden. First spotted low to the ground in poison oak/blackberry bush being flushed up into nearby willow where I got 2 oaky pictures before it flushed again into an oak tree and then it flew off towards entrance area of campground chasing madly another bird out of the Oak tree. Presumably same continuing bird from November 11 by Kevin Zimmer. Orange individual male. Very active bird gleaning insects off of trees and chasing other birds. Was almost on the ground during several occasions."
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