Date: 2/24/26 2:16 am From: eBird alert via groups.io <alert.ebird...> Subject: [slocobirding] [eBird Alert] San Luis Obispo County Rare Bird Alert
*** Species Summary:
- Redhead (1 report)
- King Eider (5 reports)
- Western x Clark's Grebe (hybrid) (2 reports)
- Yellow-crowned Night Heron (3 reports)
- Western Cattle-Egret (6 reports)
- Grasshopper Sparrow (1 report)
- Harris's Sparrow (2 reports)
- Black-and-white Warbler (2 reports)
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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) (4)
- Reported Feb 23, 2026 16:00 by Roger Hammer
- 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/S303402659 - Comments: "cont. birds not infrequently seen in either or both arms. on old creed arm today. good front lit lighting to show off red head with blue bill w/ black tip along w/ yellow eye and black/grey/black two toned body."
King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Feb 22, 2026 09:03 by Jody Hollier
- Morro Bay Estuary (use more specific location(s) when possible), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8501072&<ll...>,-120.8501072 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S303372371 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "continuing female seen today. Susie Reddy spotted it on the outer bank of the Chorro Creek channel where it was resting next to Harbor Seals. This was a large cinnamon-brown duck with a distinctive shaped black bill that sloped up to form a short shield on the forehead and down to a thin bill tip. The head had a pale line going back from eye and down the side of the neck. Today saw the legs which were somewhat short and thick and appear gray-green colored in my photos."
King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Feb 22, 2026 09:03 by Dianna Beck
- Morro Bay Estuary (use more specific location(s) when possible), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8501072&<ll...>,-120.8501072 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S303268312 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "continuing female seen today. Susie Reddy spotted it on the outer bank of the Chorro Creek channel where it was resting next to Harbor Seals. This was a large cinnamon-brown duck with a distinctive shaped black bill that sloped up to form a short shield on the forehead and down to a thin bill tip. The head had a pale line going back from eye and down the side of the neck. Today saw the legs which were somewhat short and thick and appear gray-green colored in my photos."
King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) (1)
- Reported Feb 23, 2026 13:25 by Roger Hammer
- Morro Bay SP--Natural History Museum, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8437825&<ll...>,-120.8437825 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S303400011 - Comments: "scoped at 60X from distant vantage point, but found KIEI almost right away in one of its favorite resting spots on the east side of the floating raft piled with gear. was standing at first with short, stubby legs then laid down. 1st year female bird, brown barred sides with similar angled head/bill. cont."
King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) (1)
- Reported Feb 23, 2026 16:54 by Terri Osborn
- 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/S303408879 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing female, large brown duck with a white patch under the wing and a sloping forehead down to a large black bill. She was seen preening and then tucking down on one of the Morro Bay oyster farm floats. I could only get a poor long distance photo as she stayed tucked down most of the time I was there."
King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Feb 22, 2026 15:25 by Petra Clayton
- 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/S303186428 - Media: 13 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing female, most likely the one first reported on 8/17/2025 (Brian O'Kelly & Alexander Yan).
Overall milk-chocolate brown; black bill with a shape unlike a Mallard's in that it seemed shorter and the forehead was sloping down to the bill in a more straight line.---When the wings were raised they showed a light-colored patch on the underside.
Today it was observed at the right-side edge of a floating dock at the oyster farm, first preening and resting, then preening again. When it walked to the left, a Great Egret caused it to jump into the water. It was last seen swimming south in the bay.
Click on the image below for a Flickr video, showing the sequence of events:
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jack-petra-clayton/55111568104/in/dateposted-public/" title="King Eider (Somateria spectabilis), Baywood Park, CA"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/55111568104_a87535c4bc_z.jpg" alt="King Eider (Somateria spectabilis), Baywood Park, CA" /></a>"
Western x Clark's Grebe (hybrid) (Aechmophorus occidentalis x clarkii) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Feb 22, 2026 09:03 by Jody Hollier
- Morro Bay Estuary (use more specific location(s) when possible), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8501072&<ll...>,-120.8501072 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S303372371 - Comments: "This bird had an orange bill and a black crown that came down to the top of the eye, dark lores, and pale flanks."
Western x Clark's Grebe (hybrid) (Aechmophorus occidentalis x clarkii) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Feb 22, 2026 09:03 by Dianna Beck
- Morro Bay Estuary (use more specific location(s) when possible), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8501072&<ll...>,-120.8501072 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S303268312 - Comments: "This bird had an orange bill and a black crown that came down to the top of the eye, dark lores, and pale flanks."
Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Feb 22, 2026 09:03 by Jody Hollier
- Morro Bay Estuary (use more specific location(s) when possible), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8501072&<ll...>,-120.8501072 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S303372371 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "continuing juvenile in Monterey Cypress by boat ramp. Bill almost completely dark except for base of lower mandible and chin which were yelowish. Plumage grayer than juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron. White marks on wing smaller than Black-crowned Night Heron. Faint hint of adult head pattern beginning to show."
Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Feb 22, 2026 09:03 by Dianna Beck
- Morro Bay Estuary (use more specific location(s) when possible), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8501072&<ll...>,-120.8501072 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S303268312 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "continuing juvenile in Monterey Cypress by boat ramp. Bill almost completely dark except for base of lower mandible and chin which were yelowish. Plumage grayer than juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron. White marks on wing smaller than Black-crowned Night Heron. Faint hint of adult head pattern beginning to show."
Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) (1)
- Reported Feb 23, 2026 14:30 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/S303408913 - Media: 3 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, 1/22/26 , 1/31/26 and 2/9/26. ---
The juvenile had not been reported at this location between 2/9/26 and 2/22/26, most likely due to inclement weather conditions.
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."
Western Cattle-Egret (Ardea ibis) (12) CONFIRMED
- Reported Feb 23, 2026 07:14 by Ronald Beck
- 200 Main St. balcony, (Private), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.84712&<ll...>,-120.84712 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S303371126 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "All seen and counted at a single location, on main channel side of mudflats, five birds had some red in bill, the rest had yellow bills, the most colorful individual, had rust color on chest, head, and back, and its bill was deep red with bright yellow tip, lores and around the eyes looked violet-red, the legs were dark, possibly greenish. Unusual in the main part of the bay."
Western Cattle-Egret (Ardea ibis) (12)
- Reported Feb 23, 2026 17:45 by Terri Osborn
- Bayshore Bluffs Park, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.845906&<ll...>,-120.845906 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S303415152 - Comments: "Continuing flock of Western Cattle-Egrets found this morning by R. Beck and this afternoon by Alex. Small white egrets with yellow bill and streak of rust on the crown seen on the mudflats west of Bayshore Bluffs Park. Thanks to Jay Carroll for sharing his scope so I could get a good view of them in the fading light. No photo due to low light."
Western Cattle-Egret (Ardea ibis) (12)
- Reported Feb 23, 2026 17:20 by Carol Comeau
- Bayshore Bluffs Park, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.845906&<ll...>,-120.845906 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S303389187 - Comments: "First observed by Ron Beck (AM) and Alexander Yang (PM). 12 birds resting on Grassy Island.Observed with scope. Stocky, short necked egret. White plumage with some birds exhibiting buffy color on head, breast, and back. Reddish color on some of the bills."
Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) (1)
- Reported Feb 23, 2026 08:40 by Petra Clayton
- Turri Road, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.7948498&<ll...>,-120.7948498 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S303405392 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Most recent eBird report of this species at this eBird hotspot: 7/6/25
Unstreaked buffy breast; lighter belly; notched tail; finely streaked dark brown crown with light median stripe; prominent white eyering; orange lores; heavy bill; pink legs and feet.
Seems to be an early arrival at this eBird hotspot. First eBird report of this species at this eBird hotspot in 2025: 3/29/2025."
Harris's Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) (1)
- Reported Feb 23, 2026 14:00 by Roger Hammer
- Estero Ave HASP haven, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8446738&<ll...>,-120.8446738 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S303401196 - Comments: "cont. HASP turned out to be a walk up bird today. beautiful view on fountain and adjacent fence, shrubs. other sparrows also present; was tunnel vision for HASP as I had another appointment that was time sensitive. i was lucky, and Kaaren was as excited as I was for me to see her friend. lifer for me, these were not in my county in MI. fairly large immature sparrow with tannish head with black features on crown and throat along with pinkish bill."
Harris's Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Feb 23, 2026 13:25 by Kaaren Perry
- Morro Bay yard, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.844846&<ll...>,-120.844846 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S303350718 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing at this location. Foraging with a small mixed group of sparrows, feeding first in the tossed seed area before moving to the hedgerow just past the wire cat-proofed fence."
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) (1)
- Reported Feb 23, 2026 09:11 by Tom Edell
- 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/S303332170 - Media: 7 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing female foraging in trees and tall shrubs along the south side of the park. Palish streaks along flanks and in undertail and a somewhat plain face with a white eyering and a dark line behind the eye that flared terminally. The lower flanks showed a buffy wash that extended into the vent area. Otherwise bold black and white streaked head and back and two white wingbars on black wings. The bill was mostly pale but had a dark culmen. Photos show the tail and primaries were more brownish than black. See photos for more details."
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) (1)
- Reported Feb 23, 2026 07:51 by Nick & Jane
- 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/S303393609 - Comments: "While walking with T.E. for part of the time I was at park, I spotted the continuing female crawling on a trunk on the south side of the park. After taking photos and continuing west we again spotted a black-and-white warbler, also a female, this time near a workout bench just east of the mid-park bridge. We both took lots of pics. About the warblers: I believe it is the same bird, and that it snuck past us. From a left side view when comparing photos I could see a tiny black dot in the thick white supercilium above and behind the eye as well as a notch in the front portion of the black crown, and also a little white mark along the front of the black patch that is attached to the end of the black eyeline. The overall black and white tones appeared the same too--including the primaries--those had a brownish-grey tone. I could also see a little white streak between both wingbars that is in both photos. T.E. agreed there was only one bird. Will upload photos."
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