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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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Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 30, 2025 08:00 by Nick & Jane
- Lopez Lake, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.4758081&<ll...>,-120.4758081 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S282076701 - Media: 16 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing. When I arrived to Mallard Cove there was no swan. Eventually it circled overhead but didn’t land—flew north. Re-found to the north across lake in a cove with grebes and coots. Later I did see it in Mallard Cove close to shore. I was a bit disturbed when I saw someone walk right up to the waterline—the bird only 10-15 feet away. But the swan didn’t fly off. Saw the swan one last time after I exited the marina store with a soda pop and a full heart. This was at 11:02 am—the swan flew right over, flapping mightily. Not sure if the bird was leaving the area or if it was taking a brief flight-stretch around another portion of the lake. Either way I last saw it flying southeastward. Very long neck, big booty, white to off-white plumage, yellowy lore patch, black bill. Flew with rapid wingbeats. Photos."
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 29, 2025 16:30 by Terri Osborn
- 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/S281988864 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Observed the bird over a period of an hour plus, from many different angles, as well as flight behaviors. It definitely had a larger bill, notched tail and lacked white sides on the tail. Gray back had a slight green tinge. It frequently took flight to hunt. Seen in a dead tree on north shore of S.S. Creek just east of the Hwy 1 bridge."
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 29, 2025 16:30 by Terri May
- 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/S281987725 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Observed the bird over a period of an hour plus, from many different angles, as well as flight behaviors. It definitely had a larger bill, notched tail and lacked white sides on the tail. It frequently took flight to hunt."
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Oct 29, 2025 07:30 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/S281996952 - Media: 10 Photos
- Comments: "Typical Spizella: distinctly smaller than nearby Zonotrichias and juncos, with stubby little pink bill; boldly black-streaked brown back; and unstreaked gray underparts. Thin white eye ring; broad gray nuchal collar, interrupted by a pair of broad, dark streaks in the center of the nape; patterned face typical of Spizella. Judged to be a Chipping Sparrow (as opposed to Brewer's or Clay-colored) by gray rump contrasting with browner back; dusky eye-line continuing forward through the lores; lack of an obvious pale median crown stripe helped eliminate Clay-colored, whereas an inconspicuous gray median stripe that faded out past the forecrown was wrong for Brewer's. The bird did lack the rust tones to the crown and mantle that I would normally associate with Chipping Sparrows in fall/winter, but the dark line through the lores, the contrasting gray rump, the generally darker gray underparts, and the lack of a bold median crown stripe all pointed to Chipping. Photos to follow."
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