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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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Evening Grosbeak (Hesperiphona vespertina) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 15, 2026 08:49 by Pair of Wing-Nuts
- 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/S403347239 - Comments: "Briefly observed in flight from dead snag near west end of first campground loop heading upslope to the south towards a sea of CA coffeeberry shrubs. Inflight. the stocky finch appeared close in size to a starling and showed gray on the back with a dark tail and wings. After about an hour, the bird flew back to the campground vocalizing with distinct "teeew" calls that faded as the bird traveled towards the Ranch House."
Cassin's Finch (Haemorhous cassinii) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 17, 2026 07:00 by Kevin Zimmer
- KJZ yard, Garcia Rd, Atascadero, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.7064838&<ll...>,-120.7064838 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S403259629 - Media: 16 Photos
- Comments: "1 male that dropped into the spruce next to our backyard pond at ca. 0940h, sat for a minute, and then flew down to the lower tier of the pond fountain to drink for several seconds, before flying off. I did not see it again, despite constantly watching the feeders and pond for another two hours. This bird was like a male Purple Finch in general appearance, but with a slightly longer bill and straighter culmen, as well as longer primary projection. The plumage features that jumped out as obviously different from a male Purple Finch were as follows: the cap was bright crimson and was by far the brightest red coloration anywhere on the bird; the throat and breast were blushed contrastingly pale pink, and the belly and lower abdomen were white, without the blurry, flammulated look of a male Purple Finch; the crissum /undertail-coverts were sparsely and finely streaked dusky; the ground-color of the mantle was pale pinkish, much paler than in male Purple Finch, such that the blackish streaking stood out in starker contrast; similarly, the secondary-coverts, particularly the greater coverts, were broadly fringed pale pinkish, and the remiges and rectrices were finely edge pale pinkish as well; the entire upperparts and underparts appeared paler or frostier than in male Purple Finch, with a much more contrasting crimson crown, and more contrastingly dark-streaked back; the face pattern differed in having a more noticeable white eye-ring, particularly below the eye (lending more of a spectacled appearance), and the maroon-brown malar stripes were broader, more contrasting, and flared at the bottom. Photos to follow."
Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) (36)
- Reported Oct 17, 2026 08:31 by Luke Jensen
- 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/S403243699 - Comments: "Seen flying in at around 8:40 AM doing loud jip, jip calls as they all flew in. Some flew off right away and some stayed a little while longer. 10-15 minutes later 21 flying off. more details and pics TBA."
Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) (5) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 15, 2026 08:49 by Pair of Wing-Nuts
- 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/S403347239 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Observed 5-bird crossbill flock land in a tall pine at the east side of the first campground loop that included 2 males with red crowns, reddish backs and breast and dark wings and a yellowish female with dark wings All birds showed dark "crossed" bills and forked tails. The birds were vocalizing with cheewp-cheewp-cheewp flight calls."
Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) (2) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 14, 2026 17:19 by Pair of Wing-Nuts
- 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/S403341945 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Observed two males in pine at the back of the amphitheater that showed distinct black "crossed" bills, darker red crown, reddish brown face with blurry, dark eye-line, reddish back, dark wings and reddish breast."
Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) (1)
- Reported Oct 13, 2026 17:25 by Pair of Wing-Nuts
- Morro Bay SP--Black Hill, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8316064&<ll...>,-120.8316064 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S403335315 - Comments: "Located first by repetitive cheewp-cheewp-cheewp contact calls as birds moved between tall pines on the Lower Fleming Loop Trail. While the birds foraged in the canopies, we were able to hear the louder contact calls replaced by softer, muted tones that sounded slightly garbled with the number of birds communicating. When the entire flock relocated towards pines up-slope from the Powerline Trail we were able to count 12 individual Red Crossbill's."
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 17, 2026 08:05 by Kelley Boland
- 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/S403424130 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "East side of lagoon, foraging with TOWA before a flock of BUSH joined the fray. Distinctive black and white stripes, creeping along branches mid-canopy. Silent. Photos. (35.1099130, -120.6256516)"
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 17, 2026 13:31 by Pair of Wing-Nuts
- Santa Rosa Creek-below Windsor, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-121.1064448&<ll...>,-121.1064448 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S403364180 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Observed this silent bird foraging alone away from the commotion of the mixed Bushtit/Chestnut-backed Chickadee/warbler flock on the south side of Windsor Blvd about 100 yards west of Heath Lane. The bird foraged in the mid-to slightly higher canopy and was gray on face, throat and below with complete white eye-ring, dark yellow/green tones on crown, upper back and rump (with dark spotting), dark wings with pairs of yellowish wing-bars and and blunt-tipped bill."
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