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Thank you for subscribing to the <daily> Santa Barbara County Rare Bird Alert. The report below shows observations of rare birds in Santa Barbara County. View or unsubscribe to this alert at https://ebird.org/alert/summary?sid=SN35915 NOTE: all sightings are UNCONFIRMED unless indicated.
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Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) (1)
- Reported Jan 11, 2026 11:15 by Mark Hays
- Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve, including Santa Maria River Estuary (SBA Co.), Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6473815&<ll...>,-120.6473815 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S293752080 - Comments: "Seen with a scope. Attempting to photograph. All black Scoter large orange knob on the Bill. No other color on the head or the back of the head, swimming with many Surf Scoters."
Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) (1)
- Reported Jan 11, 2026 11:15 by John Fields
- Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve, including Santa Maria River Estuary (SBA Co.), Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6473815&<ll...>,-120.6473815 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S293768439 - Comments: "Seen with a scope. Attempting to photograph. All black Scoter large orange knob on the Bill. No other color on the head or the back of the head, swimming with many Surf Scoters."
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) (1)
- Reported Jan 11, 2026 16:11 by Claudia Benvenuto
- UCSB--Campus Lagoon, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.845165&<ll...>,-119.845165 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S293820681 - Comments: "One female alone paddling close to American Widgeons. Observed for two or three minutes. Light brown/red head, long thin, noticeable white chin and crested nape, typical flying pattern close to the water’s surface."
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) (1)
- Reported Jan 11, 2026 09:14 by therese vannier
- 654 Ivy Ln, Solvang US-CA 34.60018, -120.13326, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.133261&<ll...>,-120.133261 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S293741444 - Comments: "“TOO!” heard the call before i saw the large sandpiper in flight over my house towards sy river. long yellow legs. straight dark bill. smaller in size than greater yellow legs. streaks on uppper breast. white rump with dark barred tail."
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) (1)
- Reported Jan 11, 2026 13:54 by Gjon Hazard
- Santa Ynez Park, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.085148&<ll...>,-120.085148 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S293810259 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "2:15 PM. 34.612407 -120.084735. In the live oak trees behind the restroom. Adult male. Red throat bordered in black. Strongly contrasting black-and-white face with no apparent red on nape."
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) (1)
- Reported Jan 11, 2026 09:49 by Mario Borunda
- Carpinteria Creek Estuary, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.5198238&<ll...>,-119.5198238 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S293716701 - Comments: "Dark,streaked brown upperparts. Faintly streaked underparts. Head had rust brown cap, gray stripe above eyes, butterscotch on upper edge of malar. White throat. Seen bathing from campground bridge looking north on west side of creek"
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) (1)
- Reported Jan 11, 2026 09:49 by Andrea Bruce
- Carpinteria Creek Estuary, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.5198238&<ll...>,-119.5198238 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S293815839 - Comments: "Dark,streaked brown upperparts. Faintly streaked underparts. Head had rust brown cap, gray stripe above eyes, butterscotch on upper edge of malar. White throat. Seen bathing from campground bridge looking north on west side of creek"
Grace's Warbler (Setophaga graciae) (1)
- Reported Jan 11, 2026 11:22 by David Compton
- Carpinteria Valley Memorial Park, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.525857&<ll...>,-119.525857 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S293746897 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Continuing. In pines along Santa Ynez Rd. The bird would forage fairly deliberately in a part of one of the pines, then move to another tree or another part of the tree, then staying in the same area for 30 seconds to several minutes before moving again. I didn't get great looks, partly because I was trying, pretty unsuccessfully, to get photos, and then I went to get the attention of two other birders in the area who had been looking for the bird. But I was able to see the bright yellow throat and breast, white bellow and under tail coverts, some dark streaking on the sides, a dark border between the yellow throat and gray face, short and yellow supercilium, and mostly white underside to tail with dark corners."
Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) (1)
- Reported Jan 11, 2026 08:11 by Dean Wrench
- Lake Los Carneros Park, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.84975&<ll...>,-119.84975 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S293744006 - Comments: "Plain yellow throat and belly. Slightly drab head and wings. Thick, pale bill. Great view through binoculars at close range of bird perched on a bare branch. Flew before I could photograph. Promptly compared to photos posted by John Callender on January 10 at same location. Photos indistinguishable from bird I saw."
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