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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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Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 20, 2026 10:00 by Petra Clayton
- Estero Bluffs SP, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.9437799&<ll...>,-120.9437799 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S404135744 - Media: 2 Videos, 11 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing juvenile since 10/19/25 (Chris Fichtel).
Golden speckles on the back and wings; wings extending a bit past the tail; short, slender bill; white around the base of the bill; broad white supercilium; dark ear patch; steep forehead; finely streaked crown; golden wash on the face and neck; thin gray legs.
Foraging with Black Turnstones in the beach wrack on the rocky shore below the bluff at the end of the Fig Tree access trail."
Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 19, 2026 16:47 by Ann Stockert
- Estero Bluffs SP, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.9437799&<ll...>,-120.9437799 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S404075539 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Slimmer longer bill than near by BBPL, along with a pale supercilium, golden wash and a pale grayish underwing, which was seen in flight, and no dark armpit which would rule out BBPL. Photos"
Mountain Plover (Anarhynchus montanus) (1)
- Reported Oct 20, 2026 15:30 by Isaiah Woodard
- Villa Creek--Estero Bluffs State Park, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.9688341&<ll...>,-120.9688341 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S404118829 - Comments: "Continuing. Photos to be added. Bigger than nearby SNPL with buffy color on face and upper breast. Buffy-brown back and wings. Active and foraging on the beach, at one point approaching me within 5m or so."
Mountain Plover (Anarhynchus montanus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 20, 2026 14:45 by Terri Osborn
- Villa Creek--Estero Bluffs State Park, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.9688341&<ll...>,-120.9688341 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S404143498 - Media: 8 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing bird reported on 10/18/2026 by Kathy Dale. Seen nestled down in the sand and wrack near a flock of Snowy Plovers and a few Sanderlings. It eventually stood up and starting foraging in the wrack. It was a soft brown above and white below with a pale buffy wash on the chest and face. Its bill was black and legs were light brown. Occasionally, it would bob its head up and then down followed by a tail bob."
Mountain Plover (Anarhynchus montanus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 20, 2026 01:35 by marlin harms
- Villa Creek--Estero Bluffs State Park, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.9688341&<ll...>,-120.9688341 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S404144722 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Above the wet sand among dried seaweed parts, occasionally hunting and jabbing toward the sand. Pale brownish wings and head, white below. See photos."
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 20, 2026 08:49 by Ann McDowell
- 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/S404059484 - Comments: "Seen at western part of lagoon. Large bird with vibrant yellow chest, long tail, largish bill. Tried to get a picture, but it was moving around over water. Perched long enough for clear view, then dropped down into tree. Yellow in chest went to just below white throat. No grey noted on chest, as opposed to other Kingbirds seen here before."
Evening Grosbeak (Hesperiphona vespertina) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 15, 2026 07:47 by Lou McGonagill
- 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/S404045336 - Comments: "Female or possibly HY male heard, then briefly seen flying around campsite 18. Lost behind tree, but a couple people said they continued to hear it go uphill. Giving characteristic high, clear, ringing teew calls in flight. Seen just long enough to tell it was a massive, mostly gray finch with conspicuous white wing patches, and huge, pale bill. No sign of the adult male. Hopefully a flock turns up somewhere!"
Evening Grosbeak (Northwestern or type 1) (Hesperiphona vespertina brooksi) (1)
- Reported Oct 20, 2026 08:55 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/S404115585 - Media: 2 Audio
- Comments: "**Presumably continuing female initially seen at the top of the dead pine west of the native garden around here: (35.108586, -120.628150, before eventually flying over and into the tops of the large Torrey pines at the Amphitheater where I lost it…but never saw it fly out. Distinctive large stocky finch with very thick pale horn-colored bill, dark eyes, a grayish head, grayish back, yellow collar, buffy pale breast and belly, bright white undertail coverts, gray rump, largely grayish and white tertials and secondaries, black primaries with white edges and spots, black and white spotted tail, and dull flesh-colored legs and feet. This individual called frequently, giving a few burry chirps but mainly the typical piercing descending “tew” or “teer” calls. This bird sounded like H. v. brooksi (Type 1/Northwestern), and my recordings appear to support that. Recordings tba."
Cassin's Finch (Haemorhous cassinii) (2) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 20, 2026 08:06 by Ann Stockert
- KJZ Backyard, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.706566&<ll...>,-120.706566 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S404071270 - Media: 7 Photos
- Comments: "Both males. Longer and straighter pointed bill than Purple Finch, a bright red crown, bold facial pattern, streaked gray-brown back, pinkish wash on breast, and pale belly."
Orange-crowned Warbler (sordida) (Leiothlypis celata sordida) (5)
- Reported Oct 20, 2026 08:55 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/S404115585 - Comments: "*Expected. E/c x1s, with singles at the native garden and Norswing drive trail north and south of main entrance and two on the peninsula. Likely all continuing. 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. Mostly silent. Well aware that this subspecies now intergrades extensively with lutescens, but these individuals appeared to be straightforward sordidas, at least from a phenotypic point of view… Photos tba, see media notes for additional comments."
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle x Audubon's) (Setophaga coronata coronata x auduboni) (3)
- Reported Oct 20, 2026 08:55 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/S404115585 - Comments: "*Uncommon. Three distinct individuals seen on or in the vicinity of the maintenance road. First bird appeared similar to AUYRWA but had pale corners to the yellow throat that extended around the auriculars. Second individual similar to AUYRWA but with a distinct supercillium like MYYRWA. Third bird similar to MYYRWA but lacking supercillium and had a more washed out Buffy throat than pure Myrtle. Additionally the edges of the pale throat extending around the auriculars, though not quite as extensively as expected in pure Myrtle. None of the birds were definitively heard. Only able to get photos of the first bird, photos tba."
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