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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) (2) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 02, 2026 12:26 by Roger Zachary
- 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/S291980413 - Comments: "Dark chest, red head, gray body, and dark patch under tail; not a sloping black bill but pale bluish; 2 males; I was notified by Jack Clayton about their presence; overcast sky; viewed thru my spotting scope"
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 01, 2026 15:15 by Jody Hollier
- Marine Peninsula Trail, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.841751&<ll...>,-120.841751 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S291962738 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Immature male diving and swimming. It was swimming closer to the boats for most of the time, but briefly went to the middle between the boats and the trail-side."
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1)
- Reported Jan 01, 2026 12:51 by Devon Bradley
- 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/S291754127 - Comments: "Continuing bird, observed in marina. White faced with mottled, smudgy black spots on auriculars and crown. Dark wings, mottling across chest and down back. Dark tip and on orange/pinkish bill. Photos to follow."
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1)
- Reported Jan 01, 2026 12:51 by Ella Colgan
- 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/S291932929 - Comments: "Continuing bird, observed in marina. White faced with mottled, smudgy black spots on auriculars and crown. Dark wings, mottling across chest and down back. Dark tip and on orange/pinkish bill. Photos to follow."
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1)
- Reported Jan 01, 2026 12:51 by Samantha Green
- 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/S291785236 - Comments: "Continuing bird, observed in marina. White faced with mottled, smudgy black spots on auriculars and crown. Dark wings, mottling across chest and down back. Dark tip and on orange/pinkish bill. Photos to follow."
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1)
- Reported Jan 01, 2026 12:51 by James Colgan
- 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/S291754128 - Comments: "Continuing bird, observed in marina. White faced with mottled, smudgy black spots on auriculars and crown. Dark wings, mottling across chest and down back. Dark tip and on orange/pinkish bill. Photos to follow."
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 01, 2026 09:20 by Pair of Wing-Nuts
- 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/S291696534 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Continuing male (Marlin Harms 12-10-25) with dull brown on crown and cheek patch, white face, pink and brown upper mandible with dark tip, brown sides and flanks, white femoral tract and long white scapulars."
Arctic Loon (Gavia arctica) (1)
- Reported Jan 01, 2026 11:39 by Christina Baal
- Morro Bay Sandspit, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8670158&<ll...>,-120.8670158 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S291930470 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing bird. Obviously different from all the other loons spotted today. Blocky head, overall brown in color, distinct line on neck without the jagged collar edge of COLO and clear delineation between dark nape and light throat. White flanks but difficult to photograph in the waves and the bird was foraging and sat very low in the water. It’s posture was with the bill tilted up, similar to RTLO. It flew south around noon. In flight the loon is longer necked and lumpier than PALO. Observation location (35.3032999, -120.8751299)"
Arctic Loon (Gavia arctica) (1)
- Reported Jan 01, 2026 11:39 by Anonymous eBirder
- Morro Bay Sandspit, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8670158&<ll...>,-120.8670158 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S291930469 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing bird. Obviously different from all the other loons spotted today. Blocky head, overall brown in color, distinct line on neck without the jagged collar edge of COLO and clear delineation between dark nape and light throat. White flanks but difficult to photograph in the waves and the bird was foraging and sat very low in the water. It’s posture was with the bill tilted up, similar to RTLO. It flew south around noon. In flight the loon is longer necked and lumpier than PALO. Observation location (35.3032999, -120.8751299)"
Arctic Loon (Gavia arctica) (1)
- Reported Jan 01, 2026 11:39 by E Lehnert
- Morro Bay Sandspit, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8670158&<ll...>,-120.8670158 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S291930468 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing bird. Obviously different from all the other loons spotted today. Blocky head, overall brown in color, distinct line on neck without the jagged collar edge of COLO and clear delineation between dark nape and light throat. White flanks but difficult to photograph in the waves and the bird was foraging and sat very low in the water. It’s posture was with the bill tilted up, similar to RTLO. It flew south around noon. In flight the loon is longer necked and lumpier than PALO. Observation location (35.3032999, -120.8751299)"
Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 01, 2026 09:43 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/S291774234 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing juvenile. Today a single one was resting on a 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, 12/11/25, 12/16/25, 12/21/25 and 12/26/25 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 juvenile had a dark, stout bill with yellow feathers at the base of the lower mandible; small white triangular spots on the covert feathers."
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