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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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Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) (2)
- Reported Dec 14, 2025 08:22 by Roger Hammer
- North Pacific Ocean US-CA (35.3431,-120.8827), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.882744&<ll...>,-120.882744 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S288641550 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Adult male and female seen together on water in massive scoter flotilla. Small, compact scoters with short bills. Male all black with bulbous orange knob above bill. Female showed characteristic very pale brown cheek sharply contrasting with dark cap."
Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) (2)
- Reported Dec 14, 2025 08:22 by Reef Comer
- North Pacific Ocean US-CA (35.3431,-120.8827), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.882744&<ll...>,-120.882744 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S288671487 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Adult male and female seen together on water in massive scoter flotilla. Small, compact scoters with short bills. Male all black with bulbous orange knob above bill. Female showed characteristic very pale brown cheek sharply contrasting with dark cap."
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1)
- Reported Dec 15, 2025 12:13 by Andrew Fleming
- 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/S288751418 - Comments: "Continuing. A bit late to this party but finally got a chance to see this bird hanging out in the marina. Medium sized duck. Mostly White head with a small patch of black on the neck and back of the head. Black wings and tail and a white rump. Pink and black bill. Diving frequently."
Costa's Hummingbird (Calypte costae) (1)
- Reported Dec 14, 2025 15:37 by Torrey Gage-Tomlinson
- Path behind Laguna MS, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.695482&<ll...>,-120.695482 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S288654064 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Bad light and bad photo. Seen briefly but clearly. Male, extended gorget and small size compared to nearby Anna’s. Poor lighting, but gorget more darkly colored."
Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba) (1)
- Reported Dec 14, 2025 07:52 by Tom Edell
- Bluff N of Spooners Cove--Montana de Oro SP, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8896387&<ll...>,-120.8896387 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S288626593 - Comments: "Distant first winter that was pale below and dark above. More like a Horned Grebe than a murrelet with a visible thin bill, short neck, and dark crown and nape. The dark lores extended a little behind the eye and there was a faint supercilium between the eyeline and the crown. I was unable to clearly see the white in the wing panel but did seen that the bird had all gray underwing linings when it rose up while facing me and flapped its wings."
Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba) (2)
- Reported Dec 14, 2025 08:22 by Reef Comer
- North Pacific Ocean US-CA (35.3431,-120.8827), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.882744&<ll...>,-120.882744 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S288671487 - Comments: "Both juveniles. One inside of jetty and the other just offshore the rock. Similar in proportion to COMU, but smaller and with splotchy dusky coloration on head, and most of upper side. Red feet visible on one bird."
Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba) (2)
- Reported Dec 14, 2025 08:22 by Roger Hammer
- North Pacific Ocean US-CA (35.3431,-120.8827), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.882744&<ll...>,-120.882744 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S288641550 - Comments: "Both juveniles. One inside of jetty and the other just offshore the rock. Similar in proportion to COMU, but smaller and with splotchy dusky coloration on head, and most of upper side. Red feet visible on one bird."
Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) (1)
- Reported Dec 14, 2025 08:22 by Roger Hammer
- North Pacific Ocean US-CA (35.3431,-120.8827), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.882744&<ll...>,-120.882744 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S288641550 - Comments: "Associating with BVSH’s in feeding aggregation. Seen briefly, but well in flight and sitting on water. Small, cleanly patterned black and white shearwater with solid white undertail coverts, flanks, and ‘saddlebags’ on sides of rump. Face appeared mostly dark with white curl behind auriculars. Bird of the day!"
Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) (1)
- Reported Dec 14, 2025 08:22 by Reef Comer
- North Pacific Ocean US-CA (35.3431,-120.8827), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.882744&<ll...>,-120.882744 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S288671487 - Comments: "Associating with BVSH’s in feeding aggregation. Seen briefly, but well in flight and sitting on water. Small, cleanly patterned black and white shearwater with solid white undertail coverts, flanks, and ‘saddlebags’ on sides of rump. Face appeared mostly dark with white curl behind auriculars. Bird of the day!"
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) (1)
- Reported Dec 14, 2025 12:05 by Jake Hager
- 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/S288661344 - Comments: "Seen in flight, briefly but well. Larger heron with a long, thick neck. First impression struck me as much too large for a Green heron or Least bittern. Dark above with heavy brown vertical streaking all the way down lighter underside. Strong, direct flight."
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Dec 14, 2025 05:45 by Torrey Gage-Tomlinson
- 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/S288661198 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Wonderful find by teammate Camryn who was scoping reeds from paved loop. The bird disappeared into the reeds but a few mins later popped out for a full view. Bird eventually flew to reed island after a while and disappeared. Reddish-brown and white striped neck, large bill, brownish back, secretive. Photos"
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Dec 14, 2025 05:45 by Nick & Jane
- 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/S288654662 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Wonderful find by teammate Camryn who was scoping reeds from paved loop. The bird disappeared into the reeds but a few mins later popped out for a full view. Bird eventually flew to reed island after a while and disappeared. Reddish-brown and white striped neck, large bill, brownish back, secretive. Photos"
Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) (1)
- Reported Dec 15, 2025 08:36 by Nick & Jane
- 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/S288747414 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing—found yesterday by T.G-T. Singing its buzz buzz buzz notes and seen in reeds. Same coordinates as least bittern. Small pink bill, buffy to tan supercilium, red-brown to brown cheek patch. Red-brown crown, thick clean nape, striped back with a patch of grey. Pale underside with some buffy chest wash and buff on shoulders. Seen with two other birders. Heard first by me but spotted by T.E. Photos"
Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) (1)
- Reported Dec 14, 2025 05:45 by Nick & Jane
- 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/S288654662 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Small pink bill. Buffy chest, clean underside brownish-red crown, eyeline and check patch—eyeline not through eye but from eye back. Large clean nape area. On reeds at creek mouth where the house sparrows hang out."
Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) (1)
- Reported Dec 14, 2025 05:45 by Torrey Gage-Tomlinson
- 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/S288661198 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Small pink bill. Buffy chest, clean underside brownish-red crown, eyeline and check patch—eyeline not through eye but from eye back. Large clean nape area. On reeds at creek mouth where the house sparrows hang out."
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) (1)
- Reported Dec 14, 2025 12:30 by The Spotting Twohees
- 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/S288639694 - Comments: "Seen by Al DeMartini at 1315 and 1330. First seen in the bottle brush trees on the north side of the creek. Then moved into the live oaks closer to the creek crossing. Warbler with nuthatch like behavior on the trunks of the bottle brush and lives oaks. Black and white warbler with white wing bars. Dark stripes on flank. No black throat."
MacGillivray's Warbler (Geothlypis tolmiei) (1)
- Reported Dec 13, 2025 11:37 by Pair of Wing-Nuts
- Lila Keiser Park/Morro Creek, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.856743&<ll...>,-120.856743 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S288481200 - Media: 1 Audio
- Comments: "Observed calling from Morro Creek bank here: (35.37698, -120.8594) - Very skulky and bird remained hidden from view in dense cover during observation period."
Northern Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva) (1)
- Reported Dec 15, 2025 08:36 by Nick & Jane
- 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/S288747414 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Continuing warbler foung by Jay C. Took a twenty-second drive over to these coordinates west of creek mouth to find this bird. Calling and seen here: 35.26545° N, 120.69613° W (only bird on list from this nearby location, though i did add a kingbird from drive over). Greenish crown, primaries and upper tail. Yellow underside and throat and lores. Portions of cheek and wings and back had grey tones. Very pale eyering. Photo"
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