I did not see any rare or unusual bird species at Oso Flaco Lake this morning. However I did see a DEIR, which is the 4-letter code for the Draft Environmental Impact Report that State Parks is using

I birded Oso Flaco Lake and boardwalk this morning. Nothing too unusual – the best birds were two WILSON”S SNIPE in the wet drainage ditch just before the entry gate to the parking lot. Speaking of St

It can’t be a plumbeous vireo with that undertail pattern – otherwise it would have an all dark end of the undertail. It lacks the spectacles of a plumbeous and does not have a vireo bill. With that u

Somewhere in the frenzy of rare birds over the past week I left behind my black fleece Marmot jacket. I have no idea where, except that it was probably left at some birding hot spot in SLO County. If

The Pair of Wing Nuts have found a VARIED THRUSH at Islay Creek mouth on the creek bank. Just the messenger. Jeff Miller Los Osos

Not sure who is circulating the petition, but you might try Oceano Beach Community Association: https://oceanobeach.org/ Anyone interested in protecting Oceano Dunes and Oso Flaco, and snowy plovers a

The male American Redstart continued in the warbler flock this morning at Islay Campground – the flock mostly dispersed by 8:30 or 9 Jeff Miller Los Osos

The Redstart I saw at Islay this morning was a female or a first year bird, with yellow in the tail and wings. So there were two different Redstarts at Islay today. Jeff Miller Los Osos

The warblers are here! There was quite a large mixed flock at Islay Campground in Montana de Oro this morning. The flock was high in the pines on the south side of the first loop of the campground. Li

I have to retract the presumed Common Tern at Santa Maria River mouth. After further study of my photos and some good feedback from eBird reviewers in both counties, it is a juvenile Least Tern, which

Turns out Herb and I also had a Common Tern at the Santa Maria River mouth. We photographed a tern with the black tern that we initially thought might have been a Forster’s, but looking through our ph

Herb Elliot and I had a juvenile back tern at the Santa Maria River estuary this morning, both in SB and SLO counties. It’s likely this is the same tern from Oso Flaco Lake the past couple days – it i

A Yellow-breasted Chat was singing this morning on Turri Road across from the start of the Chumash Trail. No sign of any phalaropes at Turri tidal ponds. Coon Creek and Islay Campground in Montana de

A belated post about snowy plovers at Oceano Dunes since the late-March COVID shutdown of the beach and dunes to vehicles. Since mid-May I’ve been regularly documenting expanded use of beach and fored

I birded Oso Flaco this morning, hoping to find some migrating black swifts after Jay Carroll’s report yesterday. Several experienced birders spent 2-3 hours on the boardwalk observing carefully and c

The male summer tanager was seen around 8:30 a few blocks east on Binscarth, in the eucalyptus grove at Binscarth and Doris Avenue. Please remember to keep one turkey vulture wingspan between you and

It was very quiet early this morning at the campground, perfect for practicing social distancing. Lots of birds, 52 species during a 3 mile hike. Best birds were: a singing CASSIN’S VIREO, in the ripa

An adult Emperor Goose is being seen today at Bodega Head in Sonoma County. The SLO Emperor geese were last seen as a pair the morning of March 15, and only a single goose has been seen since then. Co

Rich Cimino and I, along with the Pair of Wingnuts, led an enthusiastic group of birders today on a merry chase through Morro Bay, Atascadero and SLO birding hotspots as part of the Morro Bay Bird fes

Today is the last day of count week for the Morro Bay Christmas Bird Count, and we picked up a couple species we missed on count day. Very early this morning there was a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL calling