Date: 7/7/26 2:07 am From: eBird alert via groups.io <alert.ebird...> Subject: [slocobirding] [eBird Alert] San Luis Obispo County Rare Bird Alert
*** Species Summary:
- Least Bittern (1 report)
- American Redstart (1 report)
---------------------------------------------
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.
eBird encourages safe, responsible birding. Some reports may be from private property. Respect access restrictions and follow the rules wherever you bird. For more information, visit the eBird and Merlin Community Guidelines: https://ebird.org/community-guidelines. Stay connected to the global birding community with eBird Updates: https://mailchi.mp/cornell/ebird-updates-sign-up-page.
Least Bittern (Botaurus exilis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jul 05, 2026 10:15 by Petra Clayton
- 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/S368343636 - Media: 1 Video, 4 Photos
- Comments: "Overall it appeared to be smaller and lighter in color than a juvenile Green Heron. Dark crown; buffy hind-neck; creamy-colored face and underparts from chin to lower belly; yellow bill; greenish-yellow legs. In flight the coverts were buffy and the remiges dark.
Observed from the vacant lot at the Prefumo Creek mouth."
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) (2) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jul 06, 2026 10:47 by The Kingbirder
- Pismo SB--Oceano Campground, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6265268&<ll...>,-120.6265268 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S368701434 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "***Very rare. 1st county nesting record! After birding Pismo and Arroyo Grande Creek Mouths this morning without finding much of note I decided to follow up on Tom Edell’s report of a female Redstart at this location on Friday (7/3), and was able to spot the continuing female right away as it caught insects at eye level in the willow understory. This was a pale, rather worn, average-sized parulid warbler that exhibited a medium-sized, flat all-dark bill, pale grayish head, pale lores, dark eye, essentially white throat and underparts with the exception of the reduced dull yellow patch on the upper sides, dark legs and feet, dull pale olive green back, dark wing coverts with dull yellow bases to the folded secondaries, and a largely dark tail except for the yellow basal half of the outer rectricies (“starts”). In typical Redstart fashion, the tail was frequently fanned as it foraged and collected food. The only part of this bird that one may see on average in the field that I was not able to see well was the uppertail coverts. The female was actually quite vocal, and almost constantly gave chip calls that were similar to a (Northern) Yellow Warbler, but softer and sweeter sounding, with less of a piercing quality. After a little while I noticed that the female was actually carrying food, and eventually it flew back further into the willows and down into the brambles suggesting it was visiting a nest to feed young! Almost instantly after, I heard the sound of at least one nestling being fed with a loud twittering call. I tried for another 20 minutes to find the nest and/or see a nestling without any luck, although the female continued to bring food to the presumed nest site and feed the nestling frequently during my observation.
I was also able to briefly see the continuing returning ~7+ year old (ASY when found in 2021) male Redstart at one point during my observation as it flew by in front of me at eye level in the willow understory flying towards the presumed nest site. This was an obvious parulid warbler that was identical in shape, structure, and size as the female that exhibited a similar small dark pointed bill, a jet black head, throat, upper back, and breast that extended down raggedly almost around the bright neon orange upper sides on each side and contrasted sharply with the otherwise white and neon orange underparts. The upper sides were a bright neon orange color that extended weakly down towards the flanks and extended barely into the vent area and contrasting strongly with the dark breast and slightly less strongly with the bright white underparts. The wing coverts were largely black save for the orange bases to the secondaries. This bird had a short broad forked orange tail with long black tips, giving the tail a “half orange half black” appearance (“Red Starts”). In my brief view I was not able to see many finer details of this bird such as the eye and leg and feet color, uppertail coverts, and whether or not this bird fanned it’s tail as it foraged. This bird was later heard calling frequently like the female, but gave a different sharper, more metallic call. I did not hear the male (or female for that matter) sing. Also, I did not see this bird carrying food but I did hear the nestling being fed while the female was in view catching food, so I suspect the male was feeding the nestling as well. I did not see it after it flew by the first time.
Overall my view of the male was brief and largely in flight, but I was nonetheless able to see it well enough to identify. The female, on the other hand, was seen well and reasonably close, and I was able to watch it as it moved around and visited the nest site for an extended period of time. I was only able to get photos of the female and they are not good, but show enough to sufficiently document it.
In regards to the identity of the nestling I did not see it so am leaving it as passerine sp. It is possible that the nestling is indeed a Redstart but it seems equally plausible that this pair has been parasitized by Cowbirds. In fact my recording of the calling fledgling may be more indicative of this, though I wasn’t able to hear it well enough in the field to tell and the recording may not be sufficient enough either.
Photos TBA."
***********
You received this message because you are subscribed to eBird's San Luis Obispo County Rare Bird Alert
eBird Alerts provide recent reports of regionally or seasonally rare species (Rarities Alerts) or species you have not yet observed (Needs Alerts) in your region of interest; both Accepted and Unreviewed observations are included. Some reports may be from private property or inaccessible to the general public. It is the responsibility of every eBirder to be aware of and respectful of access restrictions. For more information, see our Terms of Use: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/terms-of-use/
