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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 Jan 31, 2026 08:48 by Tom Edell
- Pasadena Drive (35.331, -120.843), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8428043&<ll...>,-120.8428043 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S297285318 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing female on oyster company dock/float. This morning because of the high tide I scoped the bird from a vacant lot on Pasadena Ave. It was identified by its cinnamon brown color and large bulky shape. With a scope I was able to see that the forehead sloped down to the black bill and a white line that extended back from the eye and then down the face. The bird raised up and flapped its wings which showed the pale underwing linings and white auxiliaries and its short brown tail. I was able to obtain a few distant shorts, two of which have been cropped. That this bird was found on the bay during summer indicates it is an adult female. (Photos)"
King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) (1)
- Reported Feb 01, 2026 10:09 by Chris Chappell
- 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/S297538544 - Comments: "Continuing female. Large relatively uniformly cinnamon buffy brown, but seemingly darker above and towards rear. Large black bill with small indistinct whitish patch at lower base. Pale indistinct crescent patch above eye. Standing on log, preening. Photos much later. Lifer!"
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 31, 2026 07:01 by Maggie Smith
- Oso Flaco Lake (not for beach/ocean), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6207848&<ll...>,-120.6207848 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S297335775 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "rather heavy bodied with long neck and rather large bill which it points up in the reeds. Along with its coloring it has good camouflage in reeds."
Least Bittern (Botaurus exilis) (1)
- Reported Feb 01, 2026 08:30 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/S297570219 - Media: 1 Audio
- Comments: "Continuing at creek mouth, calling from reedy areas. Called three times. I tend to hear two different variations of a least bittern call. One today was the loud high-pitched kyaakakakakak that is listed on eBird. The other—a slightly softer but still harsh version. I wasn’t able to record the louder version that is exactly like those listed under calls for northern least bittern on eBird (which may simply mean there are two birds and one was close and the other farther away and partly drowned out). Anyway, I recorded for probably forty minutes before I was able to get any recording, which in this case was the softer version, which still has a harsh “kaakakakakakakak” that separates it from the two halves of a virginia rail call (squeaky notes and then grunty-gulpy notes, which I did hear a rail do its call today). This was more of a repeating harsh-note call that slightly slowed by the end. I’ve boosted the sound in a recording, though it still isn’t especially loud."
Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 31, 2026 10:35 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/S297365957 - Media: 6 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. After that date we only saw a single one: 11/8/25, 11/12/25, 11/14/25, 11/16/25, 11/26/25, 12/11/25, 12/16/25, 12/21/25, 12/26/25, 1/1/26, 1/8/26 and 1/22/26.
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."
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) (20) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 29, 2026 15:03 by Dale Ball
- The Lakes--Private Property, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.67129&<ll...>,-120.67129 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S297450697 - Media: 7 Photos
- Comments: "Rufous crown, pale face with line through the eye. Photos.
Two birders with me independently counted by ones as I was taking photos. When I was complete w/photos, I stepped back to join them, and the birds all flew from the deciduous tree to another tree. Seeing all the birds at once allowed each of us to feel comfortable with the count."
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jan 31, 2026 07:55 by Ann Stockert
- 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/S297317086 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing female. This pale-throated black-and-white plumaged warbler with a black spotted white undertail was a difficult find today. After searching all over the eastern park area, I briefly saw her in a sycamore near the playground, then a little pine. Then after searching and searching, found her in an oak nuthatching her way up thick branches next to the creek. We think she may have flown back to the sycamores. This is Nick’s fourth sighting this year of this continuing celeb. Probably poor photos—she was deep in tangles of branches."
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