Date: 8/5/25 5:37 pm From: eBird alert via groups.io <alert.ebird...> Subject: [slocobirding] [eBird Alert] San Luis Obispo County Rare Bird Alert
*** Species Summary:
- Vaux's Swift (1 report)
- Sora (1 report)
- Semipalmated Sandpiper (5 reports)
- Neotropic Cormorant (2 reports)
- Reddish Egret (5 reports)
- California Condor (1 report)
- Black Vulture (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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Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) (2) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 04, 2025 17:34 by Anonymous eBirder
- Turri Road Tidal Ponds, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8218378&<ll...>,-120.8218378 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S265138635 - Media: 7 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing juveniles slightly larger than a least sandpiper. Spotted one in a moving flock, and then observed it foraging briefly near a tuft of scrub in shallows distant from road. One was much closer to my position, and like the other, was mostly pale greyish-brown with a white underside, and a black, straight, blunt-tipped and relatively short bill, plain uniform scaling on back, with lack of rufous streaking across its scales, and had a white supercilium. Its legs were black and it had dingy patches on sides of breast, and a darkish, rustyish cheek patch and rufousy-brown crown. The second was also foraging in very shallow water, probing and picking. A least sandpiper foraged nearby. Both semipalmated sandpipers pecked along the surface in the large eastern pond/mudflats. At one point the second bird flew to a different section of pond, farther from road, and while closer to more least sandpipers, foraged away from them, and away from the other semipalmated sandpiper. Photos of second bird with least sandpiper. One photo of first bird."
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) (2)
- Reported Aug 04, 2025 15:32 by Tom Edell
- Turri Road Tidal Ponds, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8218378&<ll...>,-120.8218378 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S265140086 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "One, possibly two juveniles, had previously been reported the last two days. I arrived with Jason and found one on the northwest side of the eastern most tidal pond. Unfortunately at this time of day the sun was behind and to slightly right of the pond which led to mostly poor photos from Turri Road. I've included my best photo in the media. This small sandpiper stood out because of its pale breast, short straight, blunt tipped, dark bill, scaly back, and because it tended to pick, rather than probe for food. In addition, the bird had a pale supercilium that helped give the impression of a dark crown/cap, dark line from the eye to the bill, a dark cheek patch, and a brownish projection from the shoulder down onto the breast. The bird lacked the obvious rusty scapulars of a juvenile Western Sandpiper. Curtis and Tom soon arrived and I spotted a second similar looking bird further away on the pond and after a while Curtis located a third bird; he was able to photograph all three. I had a brief glimpse of what may have been a third individual, but was never certain. I never heard the birds call."
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) (1)
- Reported Aug 04, 2025 13:45 by Kevin Zimmer
- Turri Road Tidal Ponds, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8218378&<ll...>,-120.8218378 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S265142739 - Comments: "Juvenile bird, closely associated with a group of 30-40 Least Sandpipers, most of which, at least initially, were clustered together, loafing on a small, vegetated island in the western tidal pond. The bird was slightly, but noticeably larger than all of the surrounding Leasts, with a straighter bill that was thicker through the tip, without either drooping or tapering conspicuously. The legs were black, and the upper parts were paler and scaled looking, with uniform pale fringes, and without the distinctive chestnut scapulars of a juvenile Western Sandpiper. The bill was also not as long as that of a Western, and lacked the distinct taper and droop at the tip."
Neotropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum) (1)
- Reported Aug 04, 2025 14:40 by Tom Edell
- Lucerne St. Vista Point -- Cayucos, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.9141691&<ll...>,-120.9141691 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S265140099 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "I was here to look for this bird which I easily found because it stood out by its small size compared to the Double-crested Cormorants. This was actually my second visit. On the first the bird flew off after I spotted it and before I could study it and take photos. Since it flew down coast, I thought it might have flow to Morro Creek where one has been since Jun 9. After checking there and returning to this location I again found the bird on the beach where it stayed for a while before flying off again. One was later seen at Morro Creek by Curtis M. and Tom W.. This bird was an immature bird that had lightly mottled underparts and looked like the one that has been up creek of the pedestrian bridge at Morro Creek mouth. It was molting retricies and showed at least one very frayed, worn, tail feather. In addition, it had a yellow gular patch that narrowed at the rear where photos show there was a faint white projection, and had dark lores. The wing coverts and tertials looked fresh, but I could not tell if the primaries were new. Curtis M. and Tom W. arrived and we left after studying the bird."
Neotropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum) (1)
- Reported Aug 05, 2025 10:23 by Tom Edell
- Morro Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8624411&<ll...>,-120.8624411 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S265293915 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing immature showing the same worn tail pattern as the bird seen yesterday at the Lucerne Street Overlook in Cayucos (5.8 miles away). Tail has two new fully grown inner tail feathers and one worn, frayed tail feather on the right side. See https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/639847722. Otherwise this bird is dark below with pale mottling and shows a sharp angle at the back of an orange-yellow gular patch that has a faint pale outline below and at the point."
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) (1)
- Reported Aug 04, 2025 10:01 by Thomas Wurster
- 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/S265318603 - Comments: "Continuing juv, briefly returned to mouth of Villa Creek before flying down coast and out of sight. Flew down coast from creek mouth and returned at least twice during our survey."
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) (1)
- Reported Aug 04, 2025 09:34 by Tom Edell
- 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/S265140124 - Comments: "The continuing juvenile flew downcoast past me and then a little latter flew up coast. It landed in behind the beach foredune. This was an overall bluish-gray egret with a dark bill and legs and a pale eye. No photo."
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) (1)
- Reported Aug 04, 2025 08:14 by Kevin Zimmer
- 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/S265143842 - Comments: "Continuing juvenile, first found at least a week prior while I was in Texas. Mostly gray, with pale cinnamon tones to head and neck; conspicuous pale yellow eyes; black bill and legs; and distinctive foraging behavior (lurching about and changing direction erratically, often spreading one wing as if to balance). Later, seen flying south along the immediate coastline from the Villa Creek mouth."
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) (1)
- Reported Aug 04, 2025 08:00 by Roger Hammer
- 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/S265125291 - Comments: "cont bird; didn't try to approach for better pics today as the focus was on locating the BLVU, which was a dip. i still enjoyed the fishing antics of this juvenile, but it was resting near a GREA most of the time."
California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 04, 2025 09:30 by Roger Hammer
- Villa Creek Road, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.9773589&<ll...>,-120.9773589 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S265120543 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "materialized seemingly out of nowhere and disappeared the same while my focus was on pinpointing the BLVU to no avail. #66 is LA Zoo bred from 15 years ago and is part of the Big Sur flock."
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) (1)
- Reported Aug 05, 2025 09:40 by Mark Mushkat
- Villa Creek Road, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.9773589&<ll...>,-120.9773589 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S265257013 - Comments: "At (35.5052620, -120.9868054). Seen with five TUVU approx 3 miles up Villa Creek from HWY 1. Smaller than Turkey vulture, flapping irregularly to gain altitude. White panels in primaries apparent on upper and lower sides of bird, wings wider than those of TUVU. Tail also shorter, entirely dark head. First posted by Erik Jensen 7/31."
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) (1)
- Reported Aug 03, 2025 09:38 by Tom Edell
- 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/S264847453 - Comments: "seen flying near Villa Creek Road (about 1.25 miles distant) at approximately 10:25 AM. I had joined others waiting on the small sandy hill at the south end of Villa Creek beach when it was spotted by KH. I had my scope and was able to compared it to adjacent flying Turkey Vultures. It was initially picked out by its choppy wing beat flight style (flap-flap-flap and glide), pale patches in the primaries, and lack of wings held in dihedral, or rocking motion. It was overall dark, had broader wings that were wider at the outer end than the Turkey Vultures, and the tail was short. I was unable to discern the head, bill or leg colors due to the distance. This is the third day it has been present in this area where it previously fed on a beached dead sea lion."
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