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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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Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) (3)
- Reported Aug 30, 2026 07:35 by Kilian Hampl
- Arroyo Grande Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6287241&<ll...>,-120.6287241 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S388475088 - Comments: "*Expected in moderate numbers at the ornamental yard here: (35.096463, -120.614216). Two carefully identified adult males with complete gorgets and entirely green backs and another immature male with an almost (~95%) complete gorget and entirely green back as well. Kudos to the reviewers for flagging RUHU/ALHUs to species while both are expected 👏"
Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2026 09:45 by Kaaren Perry
- Whale Rock Reservoir delta, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.87037&<ll...>,-120.87037 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S388448681 - Comments: "Medium sized sandpiper moving loosely with a few larger Greater Yellowlegs. Dark brown back, pale underparts, pale legs. Dark bill, straight, medium length. Bold white eyeing seen clearly. Seen near a small patch of green reeds."
Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2026 09:03 by Tom Edell
- Whale Rock Reservoir--North End, 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/S388420080 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Distant bird foraging at the upper end of the Cottontail Creek arm and seen from Cottontail Creek Road. The bird was too distant to see pale spotting on the wings or back. Smaller than the adjacent Greater Yewllowlegs (Photos)"
Least Bittern (Botaurus exilis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2026 09:03 by Tom Edell
- Whale Rock Reservoir--North End, 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/S388420080 - Comments: "Heard once (not seen) while at Old Creek arm overlook. Bird was on north side of arm when it gave a fairly rapid "cak-cak-cak-cak" call from bulrushes at 1130 am. Call was the same as the "large screech series" on Cornell's Merlin app, only a shorter series of calls. I was at this location for at least 30-40 minutes and only heard the calls once."
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2026 13:35 by Petra Clayton
- Islay Creek Campground--Montana de Oro SP, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8838502&<ll...>,-120.8838502 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S388468456 - Media: 1 Video, 6 Photos
- Comments: "Peach-colored underparts; gray back; dark crown; black and white face with a broad white supercilium, a wide black stripe through the eye and a white cheek and chin; small pointy bill; stubby tail. --- Foraging in the cypress at the entrance to the campground by the open gate."
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) (2) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2026 18:02 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/S388476148 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "This was a surprise! I saw a CA Towhee fly up into a Live Oak with two much smaller birds and thought " sparrows", but we generally don't have any sparrows here till later on."
Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2026 07:35 by Kilian Hampl
- Arroyo Grande Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6287241&<ll...>,-120.6287241 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S388475088 - Comments: "*Rare but regular. My third OROR here, all males. Beautiful AHY male first heard chucking at the ornamental yard before flying into the willows. This was a small Oriole with a small straighter dark bill. The lower mandible had a pale silvery gray base. This bird had a dark eye and a black head, upper back, and bib. The breast, underparts, median wing coverts, lower back, and rump were a ruddy chestnut brown color. The scapulars, primary coverts, alula, and short tail were solidly black, and the primaries, secondaries, tertials, and greater wing coverts were also black with pale chestnut-washed edges. The legs and feet were a silvery bluish gray color similar to that of the base of the lower bill mandible. As mentioned previously this bird was vocal and was heard giving soft “chuck” calls and quick soft chattering. Mediocre photos will be added at some point."
Orange-crowned Warbler (sordida) (Leiothlypis celata sordida) (2)
- Reported Aug 30, 2026 07:35 by Kilian Hampl
- Arroyo Grande Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6287241&<ll...>,-120.6287241 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S388475088 - Comments: "*Expected. Very dull olive Orange-crowneds with large bills, greener upper and paler lower eye arcs, veiled hooded appearance, streaked breast and faint vested appearance, and strongly and extensively dusky olive streaked undertail coverts. Both birds silent. May have gotten photos of the first bird, will check."
Lucy's Warbler (Leiothlypis luciae) (1)
- Reported Aug 30, 2026 07:35 by Kilian Hampl
- Arroyo Grande Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6287241&<ll...>,-120.6287241 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S388475088 - Comments: "*Rare but regular. One bird seen in a mixed flock of BUSHs, CBCHs, and NYWAs high in the canopy in the stand of large Alders here: (35.096816, -120.615613). This was a small warbler that was a mostly dull pale gray color overall, with a small thin gray bill, a dark eye that was conspicuous on the pale gray face, a pale grayish white breast, belly, and undertail coverts, a pale gray back and wing coverts which contrasted only slightly with the back, and a relatively short gray tail. Compared to the Lucy’s at Oceano yesterday this individual was a little bit more worn on the nape and upper back and this bird’s rump appeared to be a more contrasting dull reddish brown color (visible in one of my photos). There was a faint buffy cast to much of the breast and upper belly. Unlike the Oceano bird, I did not hear this bird vocalize to the best of my knowledge. My views of this bird were reasonable, but were largely from below and not particularly close as it spent the entirety of my observation foraging high and often somewhat obscured in the Alders. This individual was, however, in better lighting than yesterday’s bird. I was able to get some bad but identifiable photos that will be added at some point."
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