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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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Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) (2) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jul 15, 2026 13:47 by Kathi Marston
- Sweet Springs Nature Preserve, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8422726&<ll...>,-120.8422726 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S372543273 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing. Hard to get looks at them with their heads out of the water, but you could see the white crescent by dark bill. Smaller than nearby Mallards. Has a dark eye-line, longer blue-green tertials on back and a grayer/brown over all tone. One displayed a green wing secondary, but I decided they were both BWTE upon examining the photos."
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jul 15, 2026 09:40 by Petra Clayton
- 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/S372601031 - Media: 1 Video, 5 Photos
- Comments: "Same female that has been present in the bay since 7/4/26.
Overall brown and whitish. Round head; whitish face and neck; very dark cheek patch; dark bill.
It was diving constantly as it was actively foraging.
Third-ever eBird report of this species viewed from this eBird hotspot. Prior reports 3/17/1996 and 1/19/2024."
American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jul 13, 2026 09:58 by Tom Edell
- West Hazard Canyon--Montana de Oro SP, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8812916&<ll...>,-120.8812916 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S371835915 - Media: 11 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing bird foraging on the second shelf-reef down coast from Hazard Canyon. Updating my original Jehl score based on new photos, I scored this bird at 29-31. The secondary coverts have grown in and there appeared to be more black feathers (many with white fringes) on the breast below the solid black border. There is still a little dusky color on the outer bill and the bird is still molting. It still retains its old outer three primaries and secondaries, which were a faded brown color. There is a gap in the primaries that will soon be filled by an emerging primary. This bird fed with three Black Oystercatchers. It resembles the Baja California subspecies frazari, though how one would separate it from a Channel Islands hybrid is unclear to me. (Photos)"
Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) (1)
- Reported Jul 15, 2026 10:38 by Tom Edell
- Morro Strand State Beach, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8678892&<ll...>,-120.8678892 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S372532870 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Smaller than Elegant Terns with dark legs and an all black bill with a faint red tinge. Legs appear short in photos but length not noted in the field. White forehead with black extending from eye to rear crown and nape. Gray upper parts and white below. I was never able to see a dark carpal bar and never saw the bird in flight. I suspect this is a second year bird. The bird was initially passed off as a Common Tern. This is the earliest July record for the county. (Photos)"
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) (1)
- Reported Jul 15, 2026 12:32 by Andrew Fleming
- Morro Strand State Beach, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8678892&<ll...>,-120.8678892 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S372577721 - Media: 5 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing immature found earlier by Tom. Smaller than nearby Elegant Terns with an all black bill and partial back cap. Took a few digibin pictures for ID. Was initially sitting and bathing in the pond at the Alva Paul Creek mouth with some of the Elegants, then moved out onto the sand and stood just a bit removed from the main big flock."
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