---------------------------------------------
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.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Sep 27, 2026 13:02 by Yamina Pressler
- Pismo Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6392555&<ll...>,-120.6392555 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S396999104 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "I was surveying upstream of the cypress street bridge when I noticed this bird perched in a tree on the north side of the creek. After taking some photos, I became distracted by a distressed brown pelican. I checked for the bird again on my return and was not able to relocate it. Small heron hunched over, relatively short neck was seen briefly stretched up. Light yellow patch below/behind the eye, yellow-orange crown on an otherwise navy blue head. Bright orange eye. Thick gray bill. Grayish body. Photos."
Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) (2) CONFIRMED
- Reported Sep 27, 2026 06:46 by Kilian Hampl
- East Cuesta Ridge, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6290937&<ll...>,-120.6290937 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S397034758 - Comments: "**Very rare. Today we were able to locate two birds with one bird h/o calling distantly to the south from the trail/road to the second comms tower (Mount Lowe on Google Maps). Call a distinctive loud carrying raspy “kraak”, heard twice over the course of two minutes. While walking back later we accidentally flushed another from low in a fallen dead pine on the first saddle here: (35.334211, -120.609461). After being flushed it quickly flew off to the southeast and out of sight. It was silent. Liam saw this bird initially when it was perched, but I was only able to get on it when it flushed. My view was extremely brief and lasted only a few seconds, but I was nevertheless able to see that this was a stocky corvid similar in size to or slightly larger than the many Scrub-Jays we had seen over the course of the morning. The bill was long, dagger shaped, and dark, and the head and back were a pale whitish gray. The majority of the upperwing was black, but there was also an obvious thick white trailing edge to the secondaries. The tail was rather short, and the inner rectricies were black and contrasted starkly with the white outer rectricies. Due to the angle and direction the bird was flying, I was not able to see much if at all of the undertail, underparts, feet, and legs. We did not hear this bird call, and unfortunately we were not able to get photos."
Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) (2) CONFIRMED
- Reported Sep 27, 2026 06:46 by Liam Hampl
- East Cuesta Ridge, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6290937&<ll...>,-120.6290937 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S397034761 - Comments: "**Very rare. Today we were able to locate two birds with one bird h/o calling distantly to the south from the trail/road to the second comms tower (Mount Lowe on Google Maps). Call a distinctive loud carrying raspy “kraak”, heard twice over the course of two minutes. While walking back later we accidentally flushed another from low in a fallen dead pine on the first saddle here: (35.334211, -120.609461). After being flushed it quickly flew off to the southeast and out of sight. It was silent. Liam saw this bird initially when it was perched, but I was only able to get on it when it flushed. My view was extremely brief and lasted only a few seconds, but I was nevertheless able to see that this was a stocky corvid similar in size to or slightly larger than the many Scrub-Jays we had seen over the course of the morning. The bill was long, dagger shaped, and dark, and the head and back were a pale whitish gray. The majority of the upperwing was black, but there was also an obvious thick white trailing edge to the secondaries. The tail was rather short, and the inner rectricies were black and contrasted starkly with the white outer rectricies. Due to the angle and direction the bird was flying, I was not able to see much if at all of the undertail, underparts, feet, and legs. We did not hear this bird call, and unfortunately we were not able to get photos."
Evening Grosbeak (Hesperiphona vespertina) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Sep 27, 2026 06:46 by Liam Hampl
- East Cuesta Ridge, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6290937&<ll...>,-120.6290937 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S397034761 - Comments: "**Very rare. While walking up the trail/road to the 2nd comms tower (Mount Lowe on Google Maps) we heard a single flyover grosbeak give a burry chirp followed shortly thereafter by a sweet, descending, piercing “tew” call. It sounded like the bird was calling somewhere between the first two comms towers here: (35.320640, -120.603120). We tried to locate it but failed and never heard it again and were not able to get a recording. It sounded to my ear like possibly H. v. brooksi (Type 1/Northwestern), which is the expected irrupting type in much of the west, but without a recording to analyze it’s impossible to say anything more beyond that."
Evening Grosbeak (Hesperiphona vespertina) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Sep 27, 2026 06:46 by Kilian Hampl
- East Cuesta Ridge, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6290937&<ll...>,-120.6290937 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S397034758 - Comments: "**Very rare. While walking up the trail/road to the 2nd comms tower (Mount Lowe on Google Maps) we heard a single flyover grosbeak give a burry chirp followed shortly thereafter by a sweet, descending, piercing “tew” call. It sounded like the bird was calling somewhere between the first two comms towers here: (35.320640, -120.603120). We tried to locate it but failed and never heard it again and were not able to get a recording. It sounded to my ear like possibly H. v. brooksi (Type 1/Northwestern), which is the expected irrupting type in much of the west, but without a recording to analyze it’s impossible to say anything more beyond that."
Cassin's Finch (Haemorhous cassinii) (2) CONFIRMED
- Reported Sep 27, 2026 06:46 by Liam Hampl
- East Cuesta Ridge, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6290937&<ll...>,-120.6290937 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S397034761 - Comments: "**Very rare. While walking up to the open ridge line here: (35.313920, -120.601100), we both heard two flyover passerines calling that we both independently recognized almost immediately as Cassin’s Finches, having seen and heard countless birds in both California and as a yard bird in Oregon (latter mostly Kilian). We were able to get on at least one of these birds late, but by the time we did they were well past us and were not seen well, essentially only well enough to call them passerines! They continued over the ridge to the SSE and out of sight. The main call we heard these birds give was a distinctive three syllable “tee-dee-lip”, but at least one bird gave one two syllable “kee-up” call as well. We were mainly focused on trying to get eyes on these birds, and in doing so regretfully neglected to get a recording."
Cassin's Finch (Haemorhous cassinii) (2) CONFIRMED
- Reported Sep 27, 2026 06:46 by Kilian Hampl
- East Cuesta Ridge, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6290937&<ll...>,-120.6290937 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S397034758 - Comments: "**Very rare. While walking up to the open ridge line here: (35.313920, -120.601100), we both heard two flyover passerines calling that we both independently recognized almost immediately as Cassin’s Finches, having seen and heard countless birds in both California and as a yard bird in Oregon (latter mostly Kilian). We were able to get on at least one of these birds late, but by the time we did they were well past us and were not seen well, essentially only well enough to call them passerines! They continued over the ridge to the SSE and out of sight. The main call we heard these birds give was a distinctive three syllable “tee-dee-lip”, but at least one bird gave one two syllable “kee-up” call as well. We were mainly focused on trying to get eyes on these birds, and in doing so regretfully neglected to get a recording."
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Sep 27, 2026 08:28 by Herb Elliott
- 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/S396984094 - Comments: "Overall yellowish-green upperparts with a thin dark eyeline; paler unstreaked underparts with whitish undertail coverts; moving with a mixed flock of warblers, vireos, and chickadees in eucalyptus northeast of the gazebo."
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Sep 27, 2026 08:28 by Herb Elliott
- 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/S396984094 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Female/immature-type Chestnut-sided Warbler: lime-yellowish crown, white eye-ring, pale gray cheek; two yellowish wing bars, pale underparts with no chestnut wash on flanks, white undertail coverts. Moving with a mixed flock of warblers, vireos, and chickadees in eucalyptus northeast of the gazebo."
***********
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/
