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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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Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Dec 16, 2025 10:45 by Petra Clayton
- 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/S288917845 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Female or immature male, continuing since 12/1/2025 (Reef Comer).
Round head; white face and neck; dark crown stripe continuing to nape; dark cheek patch that extended to the chin; bluish bill with dark nail. --- Diving close to the Highway One bridge while foraging."
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) (1)
- Reported Dec 17, 2025 10:26 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/S289020494 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing. I was scanning the west lake from the prefumo creek mouth vacant lot when I spotted a lump in the reeds about 3/4ths of a mile distant: 35.26999° N, 120.69701° W. The lump could be located if looking at a large pointed volcanic peak, going straight down from the peak to a rusted openshed roof, then straight down from the left side of that into the reeds (I’ll upload pics of the mountain and shed to the top of the checklist). The bird was partially hidden at times, other times I could see its head and large bill and striped brown chest and belly. The bird was smaller than a great blue and much larger than a green heron. Distant pics"
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) (1)
- Reported Dec 17, 2025 07:50 by Reef Comer
- 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/S288994271 - Comments: "Continuing. Standing and walking in the open along reed edge at far W part of lake. Even at a distance, large brown body (noticeably bigger than night-heron), long, brown-striped neck, long, tapered bill, and distinct posture with head held high all observed. Very slow, methodical movement when walking."
Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Dec 16, 2025 13:10 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/S288917509 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing juvenile. Today a single one was resting on the small Monterey Cypress by the last boat ramp.
We have been observing this species since early September. We 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. On 10/2/25 we observed two juveniles. On 10/7/25 and 10/8/25 we observed a single juvenile here. On 10/13/25 and 10/14/25 we again observed two individuals. On 10/23/25 we saw just a single one. On 10/24/25 and 10/29/25 we saw two. On 11/8/25, 11/12/25, 11/14/25, 11/16/25, 11/26/25 and 12/11/25 again only a single one.
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 juveniles had a dark, stout bill with yellow feathers at the base of the lower mandible; small white triangular spots on the covert feathers."
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored/cismontanus) (Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis/cismontanus) (1)
- Reported Dec 17, 2025 15:50 by Roger Zachary
- Zachary's Property, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6933761&<ll...>,-120.6933761 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289021442 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Came into my backyard feeder with other juncos; poor light; I waited for it to return to get a better image but it never returned; apparently a male"
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