THE BIRDS OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY – June-July 2005

Pacific Loon – rare in summer, three were found during the period with birds in partial and complete alternate plumages seen
on the 21 Jun Estero Bay survey (BKS) and a basic plumage individual off the Cal Poly Pier in Avila on 5 Jul (MLS)

Western Grebe – nesting has been ongoing on Whale Rock Reservoir since Apr and continued as of 30 Jul. On 12 Jun, 22
adults, 4 juveniles, and two adults on nests were present, four nests were found on 3 Jul, three nests were observed on 22
Jul, and two nests plus one under construction were there on 30 Jul (TME)

Clark's Grebe – similar to the above species but in slightly lower numbers, on 12 Jun seven adults, two juveniles, and two
adults on nests were at Whale Rock Reservoir, with three nests on 3 Jul, two on 22 Jul, and one on 30 Jul (TME)

Pink-footed Shearwater – 25 Jul, two were recorded on a seabird survey of Estero Bay (BKS, KG)

Sooty Shearwater – 21 Jun, surprisingly only two were seen on seabird survey of Estero Bay (BKS)

Ashy Storm-Petrel – 9 Jul, a fresh dead bird was picked up on Morro Strand State Beach (EF)

Brown Booby – 5 Jun-16 Jul, the adult female continued near Point Piedras Blancas (KL, mob) and may still be present

American White Pelican –four on Grassy Island in Morro Bay on 1 Jul, (MLS) were the first reported this summer; 19 were
tallied there on 22 Jul (TME)

American Bittern – 22 Jun-2 Jul, at least two continue to be heard on Laguna Lake (MTH); this species has never been
confirmed breeding in SLO County

Least Bittern – 2-24+ Jul, at least one adult and two young at the Cloisters Pond in Morro Bay provided the sixth nesting record
for SLO County (BW)

Canada Goose – 3 Jun, nine at a pond near the intersection of Hwy 41 and Hwy 229 included at least one juvenile (TME); 10
Jun, 7 adults and four older goslings were seen on Morro Bay from the Elfi n Forest (MLS); and 24 Jun, it was reported
that 20-23 were occasionally seen at Laguna Lake this summer (MTH)

Brant – 26 Jun-31 Jul, three summered on Morro Bay (TME)

Wood Duck – 8 Jun, a female with one duckling was at the Atascadero Wastewater Ponds (MLS); 12 Jun, two males were at
Whale Rock Reservoir (TME) with a single male there on 3 Jul (MLS) and fi ve males observed on 16 Jul (DV,SJ)

Ring-necked Duck – rare in summer, 3 males were at Oso Flaco Lake 19 Jun and a male and female were there 11 Jul (MLS)

Greater Scaup – 5-22 Jun, a female was present at Oceano County Park for the second consecutive summer (MLS)

Common Merganser – 5 Jun-23 Jul, the male present at Oceano County Park for almost two years was still present (MLS)

Bald Eagle – 3 Jul, a 3rd year bird was at Whale Rock Res. (TME); 27 Jul, an adult and juvenile were near Harmony (GPS)

Crested Caracara – 1-2 Jun, an apparent adult along the Morro Bay Sandspit and at Montana de Oro State Park is assumed to
have been wild and would therefore provide the first county record (EF, JS, JSz, SCS). There is one previous record of an
adult photographed at the Oceano lgoon on 1 Jan 1967 that was felt to be an escaped bird.

Virginia Rail – 31 Jul, a juvenile at the Cholame Road wetland provided the countyʼs second nesting record this year (MLS)

Western Sandpiper/Least Sandpiper – 26 Jun, a fl ock of ~25 seen fl ying over Morro Bay were the fi rst fall migrants (TME)

Wilson's Phalarope – 31 Jul, a juvenile on Morro Strand State Beach provided the fi rst fall sighting (TME)

Bonaparte's Gull – 19-22 Jun, a sub adult at the mouth of Old Creek in Cayucos likely the same bird seen on Morro Strand
State Beach on 19 Jun (TME) and on the beach along Studio Drive on 24 Jun (MLS)

Ring-billed Gull – 31 Jul, a juvenile at the mouth of Morro Creek was the fi rst reported this fall (TME)

California Gull – 21 Jul, a juvenile on Morro Strand State Beach was the fi rst for the fall (MDH)

Western Gull – 27 Jul, three juveniles at the mouth of Morro Creek were the fi rst recorded away from a nest site (TME)

Glaucous-winged Gull – 7-22 Jun, a fi rst summer bird on the Morro Bay Sandspit (CAM) may be the same individual seen
later at the mouth of Morro Creek (TME)

Elegant Tern – below average numbers were reported. 13 Jul, an adult in basic plumage was at the mouth of Old Creek; 20
Jul, one was off the Cayucos Pier; and 24 Jul, 8 were on drift kelp off the Morro Strand State Beach north point (TME)

Least Tern – 15 Jun, a high count of 32 was recorded at Oso Flaco Lake (MLS). Apparently 40 nests were near Oso Flaco
Lake this year with the fi st hatching on 29 Jun and two chicks hatched from a nest at the Arroyo Grande Creek Mouth on 6
Jul (fi de MLS)

Black Skimmer – 13 Jun, one was along the Oceano Dunes (BF); 31 Jul, three were seen on Morro Bay (DML)

Rhinoceros Auklet – 5-6 Jul, four to six in alternate plumage seen close to shore off Shell Beach again suggests nesting in that
location though it has never been confi rmed (MLS)

Least Bell's Vireo – 2 Jul, a male and female found on the Salinas River could not be located on subsequent visits, but
certainly suggest the possibility of nesting (PB,TR)

Winter Wren – A very rare breeder in the county; 6 Jun, two singing along Coon Creek in Montana de Oro State Park follow
the May report of fl edglings there (CAM) and on 16 Jul, two agitated adults and a juvenile encountered along Coon Creek
confirming a second successful nesting this year (JLR)

Common Yellowthroat – 3-5 Jul, a male was feeding a recently fledged Brown-headed Cowbird at Cloisters Pond (TME)

Yellow-breasted Chat – 13 Jun, one singing at the Oceano Campground was a late spring transient (MLS)

Western Tanager – 14 Jul, a male high in a pine just down creek from the Cero Alto Campground (MLS,DV) was in one of the few
locations in the county where this species occasionally breeds.

Blue Grosbeak – 16 Jul, two family groups of four birds were observed at Whale Rock Reservoir (DV,SJ); on 17 Jul, it was
reported that one was recently near the coast at Cambria (fide SCS)

Brewer's Blackbirds – 7 Jun, the two all white fl edglings from Spooners Cove Campground in Montana de Oro State Park showed
up at Camp Keep (SCS) and later at the Sea Pines Golf Course on 15 Jun

Great-tailed Grackle – reports for the period included a male at San Simeon Creek 5 Jun-14 Jul (CAM), at least three pairs at the
Mens Colony Evaporation Ponds on 24 Jun (MLS), and a fl edged young at the Cloisters Pond in Morro Bay (MOB)

Exotics / Escapees
Mute Swan – there was a late report and photos of a nest with eggs at The Lakes development in Atascadero in April 2005. The
species has also nested on one of two former waste treatment ponds at Heilmann Regional Park near Atascadero State Hospital
(PSH)

OBSERVERS: Thanks to the many birders that report their sightings. The following people are cited above: Mike Baird, Pete
Bloom, Bill A. Bouton, Mark Brown, Karen Clarke, Tom M. Edell, Becky Fay, Erin Fienblatt, Katie Gordon, Michael T. Hanson,
Marlin D. Harms, Paul S. Highland, Steven Jobst, Dave M. Lawrence, Kelli Levinson, Curtis A. Marantz, Tom Roberts, Donna
OʼShaughnessy, John L. Roser, John Sawyers, Alan F. Schmierer, Brad K. Schram, Steve C. Schubert, Gregory P. Smith, Maggie
L. Smith, Mike D. Stiles, Judy Szamos(JSz), Deb Villa, Bert Warren, Eric Weir, and Roger H. Zachary. For information about
birds or locations mentioned in this report, contact Tom Edell at (805) 995-1691 or tedell@aol.com….Tom Edell