Date: 10/3/26 8:18 am From: eBird alert via groups.io <alert.ebird...> Subject: [slocobirding] [eBird Alert] San Luis Obispo County Rare Bird Alert
*** Species Summary:
- King Eider (1 report)
- Common Gallinule (1 report)
- Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) (1 report)
- Broad-winged Hawk (2 reports)
- Vermilion Flycatcher (2 reports)
- Clark's Nutcracker (2 reports)
- Cassin's Finch (2 reports)
- Fox Sparrow (Thick-billed) (2 reports)
- Northern Waterthrush (2 reports)
- Orange-crowned Warbler (sordida) (1 report)
- American Redstart (1 report)
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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 Sep 30, 2026 13:50 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/S398465456 - Media: 1 Video
- 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.
Vigorously bathing under the reeds."
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) (Larus occidentalis x glaucescens) (1)
- Reported Oct 01, 2026 07:21 by Lou McGonagill
- 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/S398367241 - 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."
Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) (1)
- Reported Oct 02, 2026 08:01 by Herb Elliott
- Hi Mountain--(Lookout, Hi Mtn. Rd., Hi Valley and Huff's Hole), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.4250479&<ll...>,-120.4250479 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S398442158 - Comments: "Seen at a considerable distance heading SE just before leaving. Mostly identified based on size and flight profile. Smaller and shorter tailed than nearby red-tail. Bulging secondaries and straight leading edge on wing visible. Appeared mostly brownish above and whitish below with minimal markings. Possibly a second individual, but couldn’t confirm due to distance and heat shimmer. "
Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) (1)
- Reported Oct 02, 2026 08:01 by Reef Comer
- Hi Mountain--(Lookout, Hi Mtn. Rd., Hi Valley and Huff's Hole), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.4250479&<ll...>,-120.4250479 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S398452807 - Comments: "Seen at a considerable distance heading SE just before leaving. Mostly identified based on size and flight profile. Smaller and shorter tailed than nearby red-tail. Bulging secondaries and straight leading edge on wing visible. Appeared mostly brownish above and whitish below with minimal markings. Possibly a second individual, but couldn’t confirm due to distance and heat shimmer. "
Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 02, 2026 16:30 by Terri Osborn
- 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/S398514703 - Media: 9 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing immature male Vermilion Flycatcher reported by Tom Edell on 9/30/2026. The bird was grayish brown above, had brown wings and tail, light brownish gray head with mottling of red on the crown, soft black eyeline, black bill and white throat. Chest and belly were pinkish red with a lighter mottling down the middle. Flycatcher was seen in a willow tree adjacent to the boat ramp at the paved loop parking area. It was actively flycatching insects and returning to perch in the willow tree."
Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) (1)
- Reported Oct 02, 2026 09:16 by Barbara Jean Gard
- Laguna Lake Park, San Luis Obispo US-CA 35.26275, -120.68431, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.684314&<ll...>,-120.684314 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S398378954 - Comments: "Seen down at the loop end by the last boat ramp. Reported on 9.30.26 by Tom Edell, and Petra Clayton on 10.1.26 who included photos. Watched the flycatcher continually fly out from leafless branches to catch insects. Red crown with a facial mask. White throat that extended downward through a red beast and belly. Grayish back. Tree was tall, and my phone did not capture good photos."
Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) (1)
- Reported Oct 02, 2026 12:38 by Herb Elliott
- Hi Mountain--(Lookout, Hi Mtn. Rd., Hi Valley and Huff's Hole), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.4250479&<ll...>,-120.4250479 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S398442168 - Comments: "Very quick flyover going S oddly, so may be hanging around the area. Largish, pale gray corvid with long bill, black wings with bold white secondary patch, and black and white tail. Silent. (1:18 pm)"
Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) (1)
- Reported Oct 02, 2026 12:38 by Reef Comer
- Hi Mountain--(Lookout, Hi Mtn. Rd., Hi Valley and Huff's Hole), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.4250479&<ll...>,-120.4250479 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S398449471 - Comments: "Very quick flyover going S oddly, so may be hanging around the area. Largish, pale gray corvid with long bill, black wings with bold white secondary patch, and black and white tail. Silent. (1:18 pm)"
Fox Sparrow (Thick-billed) (Passerella iliaca [megarhyncha Group]) (2)
- Reported Oct 02, 2026 08:01 by Reef Comer
- Hi Mountain--(Lookout, Hi Mtn. Rd., Hi Valley and Huff's Hole), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.4250479&<ll...>,-120.4250479 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S398452807 - Comments: "Large sparrows with enormous grayish-yellow bill, gray on crown, nape, and back, small, black, triangular spots around throat as well as on breast, and reddish-brown wings and tail. Call similar to CATO. "
Fox Sparrow (Thick-billed) (Passerella iliaca [megarhyncha Group]) (2)
- Reported Oct 02, 2026 08:01 by Herb Elliott
- Hi Mountain--(Lookout, Hi Mtn. Rd., Hi Valley and Huff's Hole), San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.4250479&<ll...>,-120.4250479 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S398442158 - Comments: "Large sparrows with enormous grayish-yellow bill, gray on crown, nape, and back, small, black, triangular spots around throat as well as on breast, and reddish-brown wings and tail. Call similar to CATO. "
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) (2) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 02, 2026 16:24 by Scott Terrill
- San Simeon Creek Mouth/Beach, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-121.1267052&<ll...>,-121.1267052 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S398453136 - Media: 2 Photos, 1 Audio
- Comments: "Two birds interacting aggressively and calling incessantly all of a sudden. Both individuals visible simultaneously. The birds were below the bridge with the pedestrian walkway just past the east end of the boardwalk. Photos."
Orange-crowned Warbler (sordida) (Leiothlypis celata sordida) (4)
- Reported Oct 01, 2026 07:21 by Lou McGonagill
- 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/S398367241 - Media: 18 Photos, 2 Audio
- 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."
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 02, 2026 08:43 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/S398441946 - Comments: "Female plumaged bird overhead flitting about in willows. The bird remained beyond the close willows and was mostly backlit. Only one solid view showing the yellow patches at base of in the fanned outertail, yellow on the side of breast, and otherwise pale underparts. I never saw he back."
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