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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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Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 08:20 by marlin harms
- 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/S270478808 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "The bird was foraging where I saw it several days ago when Kevin Zimmer had found it. After just a couple minutes it was scared to another part of the creek nearby by a Western Gull, then suddenly a minute later it flew up and eastward upstream and out of sight."
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 28, 2025 14:50 by Rod MacKenzie
- 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/S270396879 - Comments: "Juvenile with the Leasts in the pond closest to the main road. Scaly gray above (no reddish in the scaps like Western and no brown cast like Least). White below. Stubby straight bill. I managed some probably identifiable photos. Everything was scared up by a Peregrine and was lost."
South Polar Skua (Stercorarius maccormicki) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 29, 2025 08:20 by Kyle Kittelberger
- WINGS 08.2025 4.3, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-121.9014328&<ll...>,-121.9014328 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270442547 - Comments: "Distant, details from Kyle: scoped flying along the horizon, a large dark brown bird with a direct, powerful flight and a notably short-tailed appearance. Large and full-bodied."
Neotropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 28, 2025 13:10 by Rod MacKenzie
- 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/S270396819 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Continuing immature (1 year old - showing molt limit in both primaries and tail) flew in and perched in a tree upstream of the bridge. Smaller bill, longer tail apparent both in flight and while perched. Photographed."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 13:38 by Bob McCay
- 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/S270476770 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Small white heron, smaller than nearby snowy egrets, long green legs and bicolor bill. Flew upstream and settled into the top of the cypress on the south of the creek next to the boatyard."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 12:21 by Ann Stockert
- 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/S270479142 - Media: 14 Photos
- Comments: "Juvenile originally found by LH this morning. All white heron smaller than the nearby SNEG, with pale green legs, pale bass to the bill and dark tips to primaries. Photos"
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 12:20 by Kaaren Perry
- 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/S270480205 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Medium sized white egret, distinguished from nearby SNEG by bi-colored bill, bluish-gray loral area, greenish yellow legs and feet and dusky outer primary tips seen on occasion as it foraged. Bird had been reported and photographed earlier, flown off for a while before returning to the original location. It moved alone slowly up and down stream foraging along the shallow shore. I made no attempt to report other species present"
Found earlier this morning, then flew and reappeared an hour or so later. I saw it among several other local birders. Photos later."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 11:40 by marlin harms
- 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/S270491978 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "I watched this juvenile foraging actively in the creek, then eventually stop to perch on a log and preen. With nearly all white feathering, it was distinguished from nearby Snowy Egrets by the bicolored bill, dark wingtips and greenish legs . It appeared very slightly smaller than nearby Snowy Egrets, which also showed more yellow at lores and had larger fleshy, yellow area around eyes."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1)
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 11:35 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/S270471063 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Juvenile bird found earlier in the morning that departed and then returned before noon. It was foraging with Snowy Egrets. Compared to them the Little Blue looked similar in size but with a thinner body. The most obvious differences were the bill and leg colors. The bill was blue-gray with a black outer half to third and the legs and feet with yellowish-green. It had a bright pale iris and a dark pupil. With the wings at rest the dark at the tips of the primaries was occasionally seen. Based on photos others had taken, the dusky primary tips were more obvious on the underwing than on the upper surface."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 11:19 by Alexander Yan
- 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/S270438656 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Continuing white type bird in the creek originally found by Liam H this morning; distinctive bill with a black tip and bluish base. Greenish legs. Foraging in the creek with other herons."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1)
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 11:13 by Nick & Jane
- 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/S270457242 - Comments: "When I arrived, Petra and Jack Clayton had refound the bird just east of the footbridge, waving and pointing at its location in the creek, where it was stalking yummy fishy-froggy treats. The bird was continuing since earlier in the day when K.H. found it. It was obviously smaller and lankier than a snowy egret, had mostly white plumage, though its wings/primaries had a light dusky dusting. Its face also had some slight off-whiteness behind and above the eyes. Its legs were yellow-green, as were its featherless lores and the coloration around the base of its bill. The rest of its bill was blue-greyish and black-tipped. Its eyes appeared larger and far more piercing than that of a snowy egret, reminiscent of pale reddish egret eyes. The bird continued to forage and was at one time chased off by a snowy egret. Photos"
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1)
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 08:43 by Theodor Geisel
- 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/S270561175 - Media: 8 Photos
- Comments: "Liam H. was first to pull a different bird from a busy Snowy Egret flock and suggest Little Blue Heron. Juvenile bird was all white, slender and noticeably smaller than nearby Snowy Egrets. The smaller head showed grayish lores and bright yellow iris bordered the dark pupil. The shorter (when compared to Snowy Egret), two-tone bill was pinkish/blue the first 2/3 of the bill length and black the final 1/3 to the bill tip. The legs and feet were a pale green which contrasted markedly with black and yellow legs and feet the Snowy Egrets. The bird was observed actively feeding mainly along north creek bank, sometimes loosely associating with the Snowy Egret flock and foraging alone at other times. During several short flights up and down the creek, darker tips to the primaries were seen. A Cooper's Hawk eventually flew in and drove all of the birds from the creek east of the footbridge. However, most of the birds, including the Little Blue Heron would return later."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1)
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 08:43 by Pair of Wing-Nuts
- 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/S270517281 - Media: 8 Photos
- Comments: "Liam H. was first to pull a different bird from a busy Snowy Egret flock and suggest Little Blue Heron. Juvenile bird was all white, slender and noticeably smaller than nearby Snowy Egrets. The smaller head showed grayish lores and bright yellow iris bordered the dark pupil. The shorter (when compared to Snowy Egret), two-tone bill was pinkish/blue the first 2/3 of the bill length and black the final 1/3 to the bill tip. The legs and feet were a pale green which contrasted markedly with black and yellow legs and feet the Snowy Egrets. The bird was observed actively feeding mainly along north creek bank, sometimes loosely associating with the Snowy Egret flock and foraging alone at other times. During several short flights up and down the creek, darker tips to the primaries were seen. A Cooper's Hawk eventually flew in and drove all of the birds from the creek east of the footbridge. However, most of the birds, including the Little Blue Heron would return later."
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 08:39 by Ben Kolstad
- 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/S270409608 - Media: 8 Photos
- Comments: "Killian noticed the difference between this and the SNEGs nearby. Bill dipped in ink slightly dusky wing and no contrast between feet and legs. Note also dusky tips to primaries visible in photo 8."
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) (1)
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 10:10 by Theodor Geisel
- Morro Bay Harbor, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.857&<ll...>,-120.857 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270561342 - Comments: "Continuing juvenile bird with pale pinkish-red head, neck and breast and chalky blue back. Observed about .6 miles SW of Sea Otter Pier (not USGS Pier) on opposite shore associating with other egrets. We would relocate to areas near Tideland Park to get better looks."
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) (1)
- Reported Aug 30, 2025 10:10 by Pair of Wing-Nuts
- Morro Bay Harbor, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.857&<ll...>,-120.857 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270521709 - Comments: "Continuing juvenile bird with pale pinkish-red head, neck and breast and chalky blue back. Observed about .6 miles SW of Sea Otter Pier (not USGS Pier) on opposite shore associating with other egrets. We would relocate to areas near Tideland Park to get better looks."
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Aug 28, 2025 14:04 by Rod MacKenzie
- Morro Bay Harbor, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.857&<ll...>,-120.857 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S270396860 - Comments: "Continuing juvenile on the beach across the harbor. It was characteristically dancing while feeding. It was a solid gray-brown larger than a Snowy Egret and smaller than a great."
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