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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) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported May 07, 2026 08:00 by Roger Hammer
- Santa Rita Ranch (restricted access), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8427921&<ll...>,-120.8427921 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S334889069 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "adult bird in tight among the Ruddys, gadwalls, and grebes. stayed about an hour then hit the sky trail. haven't seen these for a few months even at Whale Rock. this in fact, may be the first sighting at SRR."
Gray Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii) (1)
- Reported May 08, 2026 07:49 by Kevin Zimmer
- 1407–1569 Cottontail Creek Rd, Cayucos US-CA 35.47117, -120.86504, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.865036&<ll...>,-120.865036 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S334946009 - Comments: "At ca. 0800h, while I was engaged in audio-recording a singing Lazuli Bunting, a Gray Flycatcher popped up and perched in the top of a dried thistle (part of a large stand of such thistles) just off the side of the road. This was a largish, proportionately long-tailed, short-winged Empidonax, with a longish bill, the lower mandible of which was mostly yellowish except for a dusky tip. The bird was strikingly pale, particularly on the underparts, which were whitish, whereas the upperparts were gray (paler on the head, slightly darker gray on the mantle, with a more slight brownish tint). Two whitish wingbars and a circular white eye-ring were clearly evident, although the eye-ring was not overly contrasting against the pale gray feathering of the head/face. The entire time the bird was in my view, it was characteristically dipping its tail downward like a phoebe, and very unlike the rapid upward-flick tail movements typical of other Empid species. Unfortunately, my hands were occupied with the shotgun microphone and recorder controls when I first spotted the bird and realized what it was, and my camera was still secured in its holster pouch and turned off. By the time I got the camera turned out of the pouch and turned on, it was too late -- the bird apparently flew just as I was looking through the viewfinder and trying to get the autofocus to engage amid the hundreds of dried thistle stems. I was never able to relocate it, despite remaining in the immediate area for over an hour. I was not aware of hearing the bird vocalize, but, in retrospect, it would have been easy to overlook the "pit" calls of a Gray Flycatcher for the somewhat similar single-note calls of a Lazuli Bunting, which was calling occasionally between songs."
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported May 07, 2026 08:00 by Roger Hammer
- Santa Rita Ranch (restricted access), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8427921&<ll...>,-120.8427921 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S334889069 - Comments: "Will photographed one here recently and I heard one singing; I ran into a resident here who I know who has been seeing them around her place too. She also has a Chat which Merlin picked up but I did not hear it and the recording was not helpful so I did not count."
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported May 08, 2026 08:36 by Michael Moss
- 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/S334726808 - Comments: "Continuing found by Nick yesterday near Gazebo I observed briefly 3 times breeding male light supercilium white underneath on flanks, green back and wings, yellow wash on chest no striping short tail unable to capture photo"
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