Date: 10/2/26 8:19 am From: eBird alert via groups.io <alert.ebird...> Subject: [slocobirding] [eBird Alert] San Luis Obispo County Rare Bird Alert
*** Species Summary:
- Common Gallinule (2 reports)
- Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) (2 reports)
- Cocos Booby (1 report)
- American Bittern (1 report)
- Vermilion Flycatcher (1 report)
- Pine Siskin (green morph) (2 reports)
- Orange-crowned Warbler (sordida) (2 reports)
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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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Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 01, 2026 09:30 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/S398179929 - Media: 2 Videos, 2 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing immature since 8/19/26 (Jay Carroll). --- Brown mantle; dark gray crown, neck and breast; short tail with white edges; white-edged flanks; dark shield; maroon-colored bill with yellow tip; dark eye; greenish legs."
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) (Larus occidentalis x glaucescens) (1)
- Reported Oct 01, 2026 07:21 by Kilian Hampl
- 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/S398136951 - Comments: "*Early. Subadult bathing for a few minutes with other gulls in the county park lagoon before flying off towards the beach. Similar to “pure” Western Gull but bill larger and more bulbous with a stronger gonydeal angle, head with an ashy gray wash, gray mantle paler than expected even in nominate/northern Western Gull, and primaries more of a very dark ashy black than the very dark jet black of “pure” Western. Slightly smaller size likely indicates female."
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) (Larus occidentalis x glaucescens) (1)
- Reported Oct 01, 2026 07:21 by Reef Comer
- 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/S398162621 - Comments: "*Early. Subadult bathing for a few minutes with other gulls in the county park lagoon before flying off towards the beach. Similar to “pure” Western Gull but bill larger and more bulbous with a stronger gonydeal angle, head with an ashy gray wash, gray mantle paler than expected even in nominate/northern Western Gull, and primaries more of a very dark ashy black than the very dark jet black of “pure” Western. Slightly smaller size likely indicates female."
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 01, 2026 08:07 by John Deacon
- Oso Flaco Lake (not for beach/ocean), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6207848&<ll...>,-120.6207848 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S398102547 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Heavy bodied bittern with bold brown and white streaking on throat, neck and breast. Longish, yellow and black dagger-like beak. Black marking on the upper sides of its neck. Found on the west side of the boardwalk just as we were entering the main part of the lake, about 30 yards from the start of the boardwalk. We observe it for several minutes as it hunted among the cattails. It eventually disappeared in the cattails and didn't return while we were there."
Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 01, 2026 10:35 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/S398164018 - Media: 1 Video, 14 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing immature male since 9/30/2026 (Tom Edell).
Today observed perched in the tall, leafless eucalyptus tree with just fruit capsules, on the lake side by the last boat ramp, across from the parking lot trash cans.
Most recent eBird reports of this species at this eBird hotspot: From 7/14/2018 to 3/14/2019.
Nape, back, wings and tail grayish-brown; no wingbars; white chin, cheeks and throat; salmon-colored underparts, including the vent, with a yellowish stripe running from the breast to the belly; red crown; grayish-brown facial mask from the bill through the eye, widening in the auricular area; small black bill; dark eye."
Pine Siskin (green morph) (Spinus pinus (green morph)) (1)
- Reported Oct 01, 2026 14:55 by Kilian Hampl
- 410 Pecan St, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.596334&<ll...>,-120.596334 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S398132456 - Media: 1 Video, 20 Photos
- Comments: "**Very rare. At feeders with other Siskins and Goldfinches. Although not as bright as some examples of this "taxon", this bird appears to fit it well matching or looking even better than numerous other examples of these on Macaulay, and shows all important features including the mantle having minimal more widely spaced streaking on a pale greenish base, a faint yellow wash over portions of the breast, sides, and stomach, a stronger face pattern, being paler overall, being paler below with finer reduced and more widely spaced streaking, very obvious and extensive neon yellow in wing coverts, rump, and base of rectricies, and yellow undertail coverts. This bird was also slightly larger than the nearby Siskins as well which is apparently typical of "green morph" birds. Many photos tba...I reduced the glare in all of the photos (I was shooting partially into the sun), but photos are otherwise not edited/enhanced. I was not able to edit the video so it looks duller/more washed out in it than it did in the field. See:
--> https://finchnetwork.org/all-about-green-morph-pine-siskins <--
for reference."
Orange-crowned Warbler (sordida) (Leiothlypis celata sordida) (4)
- Reported Oct 01, 2026 07:21 by Kilian Hampl
- 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/S398136951 - Media: 18 Photos
- Comments: "*Expected. Singles seen at the native garden, peninsula, and Norswing drive trail north and south of the main entrance. Very dull olive Orange-crowned with large bills, greener supralorals, variably greener upper and paler lower eye arcs, “large-headed” and “vested” appearance, diffusely but extensively streaked breast, and variably slightly brighter undertail coverts extensively streaked dusky olive. Several birds vocal giving deep metallic husky chip call typical of many individuals of this subspecies/type. Photos tba, first 8 photos are not same bird as the one in the latter 10. See media notes for additional comments."
Orange-crowned Warbler (sordida) (Leiothlypis celata sordida) (4)
- Reported Oct 01, 2026 07:21 by Reef Comer
- 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/S398162621 - Media: 18 Photos
- Comments: "*Expected. Singles seen at the native garden, peninsula, and Norswing drive trail north and south of the main entrance. Very dull olive Orange-crowned with large bills, greener supralorals, variably greener upper and paler lower eye arcs, “large-headed” and “vested” appearance, diffusely but extensively streaked breast, and variably slightly brighter undertail coverts extensively streaked dusky olive. Several birds vocal giving deep metallic husky chip call typical of many individuals of this subspecies/type. Photos tba, see media notes for additional comments."
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