Missed on count day, but a heck of a good winter bird, was a Bay-breasted Warbler coming to a suet feeder on Grove Street, Los Osos 18-31 Dec (J.Royer†). Two other count week birds were up to nine Mountain Bluebirds along Turri Road 9-18 Dec (M.Smith,G.Smith) and a female Summer Tanager at the north end of Pecho Road 7-31 Dec (J.Carroll).
Two birds were strong
contenders for rarest of the period. A Dusky-capped
Flycatcher in Los Osos 1-3 Nov (B&F,Wilde†) would represent only the
fourth county record if accepted by the California Bird Records Committee.
Equally impressive was a Brown Thrasher
in Avila Valley on 12 Nov (R.Saval) that accounted for only the fifth county
record.
Morro Bay and Laguna Lake
accounted for a majority of the waterfowl. A total of 31 Greater White-fronted Geese were recorded with a high count of 29
at Laguna Lake on 9 Nov (P&J,Clayton). Of the eight Snow Geese reported, one group of four was likely a family group
with two adults and two immature birds at Laguna Lake on 28 Dec (P&J,Clayton).
Seven Ross’s Geese were widespread
from San Simeon Creek to Morro Bay 25 Nov-18 Dec (many observers=mob) and seven
Cackling Geese were more even more
widespread occurring from San Simeon Creek to Avila Beach 1 Nov-18 Dec (mob). Low
numbers of Brant are at Morro Bay again
this winter with a high count of 485 on 14 Dec (T. Edell). Rare on Morro Bay, a
single male Canvasback was seen from
Sweet springs on 26 Dec (M.Harms).
Waterfowl in other parts of
the county included an unidentified swan
that flew north over San Simeon Cove on 3 Dec (R.Zachary) and a Long-tailed Duck in the San Simeon
Creek lagoon 3-12 Dec (R.Zachary†). Though Redhead
remain rare in SLO County, nine were recorded from Whale Rock Reservoir to the
Santa Maria River mouth 3-14 Dec (mob). The two female and one male Harlequin Duck continued at Estero
Bluffs SP 2 Nov-27 Dec (mob†). A total of five White-winged Scoters were seen from the San Simeon Pier south to
Cayucos 10-16 Dec (mob). At Atascadero Lake, a male Eurasian Wigeon was reported from 14 Nov-24 Dec (R.Zachary†).
The pulse of Palm Warblers that started in Oct continued
from 1 Nov-2 Dec when seven were found along the coast from Estero Buffs SP
south to Oso Flaco Lake (mob) and one was east of SLO along Moretti Canyon Road
on 6 Nov (P&J.Clayton). The Black-and-white
Warbler found at Pismo State Beach Oceano Campground last month continued
to at least 12 Nov (W.Knowlton†). A late Nashville
Warbler was near the Cuesta Inlet on 30 Nov (J.Royer) and an apparent
female Black-throated Gray Warbler
was at the Morro Bay SP Campground 5-17 Dec (T.Edell). Perhaps not too unusual
in fall and winter, but better recognized now, are “gray-headed” Orange Crowned Warblers. There were several reports
of birds likely representing both the northern subspecies celata and the western (away from the pacific coast) orestera.
Because selasphorus hummingbirds are not (yet?)
resident in SLO County, those seen in winter typically remain unidentified to
species. Five Rufous/Allen’s found along the coast 7 Nov-17 Dec was above
average and included one first-winter male documented as a Allen’s Hummingbird (K.Perry†) with the aid of a spread tail photo showing
the diagnostic shaped rectrices. Two rare birds in Atascadero were a male Costa’s Hummingbird 16 Nov and 12 Dec
(R.Derevan†) and a “gray-headed”
Dark-eyed Junco that returned for its second winter 5 Nov-1 Jan (R.Zachary†);
this bird accounts for only the 6th county record. Staying with
sparrows, single Chipping Sparrows
were at Heritage Ranch on 9 Dec (K.Kent) and in SLO (N.Mann), where it is somewhat
rarer in winter, four Clay-colored
Sparrows were west of the Santa Lucia Range from Los Osos to Arroyo Grande
6 Nov-12 Dec (mob), and three Swamp
Sparrows were found along the coast from Chorro Flats to Pismo State Beach
Oceano Campground 2 Nov-18 Dec (mob).
North Coast birding
documented the continuing three Pacific
Golden-Plovers at Point Sierra Nevada Beach 1-11 Nov (mob) and another
along Villa Creek Beach, Estero Bluffs SP on 10 Nov (M.Smith†,H.Elliott), a Cattle Egret at Santa Rosa Creek mouth
on 10 Nov (M.Smith,H.Elliott), an immature Black-legged
Kittiwake at San Simeon Creek mouth on 26 Nov (T.Edell†), and a late Elegant Tern at San Simeon Creek Mouth
(P&J.Clayton†). But, the best find on the North Coast was an adult female Brown Booby on the rocks off the
Elephant Seal Rookery 21-22 Dec (V.Leipzig†). For the second consecutive winter
Mountain Bluebirds are at Harmony
Headlands SP with seven there on 1 Dec (T.Edell†).
This winter Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers outnumber
Red-naped. In addition to the previously mentioned Christmas Bird Count bird,
the immature male found at El Chorro Regional Park in Oct remained through the
period (mob) and an adult male was at Santa Margarita Lake on 3 Dec (C.Young†).
The lone Red-naped Sapsucker report involved
a male at the Avila Beach Golf Course maintenance area along the Bob Jones
Trail 3-5 Nov (P&J.Clayton†) and is likely the same bird present there last
winter. As expected, Bullock’s Orioles
outnumbered Hooded. The six reported were all along the coast and included four
adult males and two females from 12 Nov-13 Dec (mob). Three Hooded Orioles, two females and one
unsexed, were recorded along the coast from 7 Nov-30 Dec (mob). Also found only
on the coast were two Tropical Kingbirds,
one each at Oceano 3-27 Dec (J.Chavez†) and one in the Arroyo Grande Village 18
Dec (B.Schram), and single White-faced
Ibis at Laguna Lake on 9 Nov (T.Edell†) and Morro Bay 1-2 Dec (T.Edell†).
Three other notable birds on Morro Bay were the continuing Red-necked Grebe. It was initially found in Baywood Cove, then
moved to the north T-Pier in Morro Bay on 27 Nov (P&J.Clayton), and was
last seen at the harbor mouth on 2 Jan (P.Chaon). A Lesser Yellowlegs found at Sweet Springs was later seen from the
Morro Bay SP boardwalk 1-13 Dec (M.Smith,H.Elliott) where an adult and immature
Black Skimmer were seen on 13 Nov
(H.Elliott,†).
At Oso Flaco Lake, an adult
Common Galinule on 15 Nov
(H.Elliott) may be the same bird reported there early in early Oct. Surely the Least Bittern reports from 22 Nov-3 Dec
(B.Bouton) involved one of the breeding pair and/or first-year birds present at
the lake this past summer. Not surprisingly, the only American Bittern reports were from the lake on 4 Nov-3 Dec (mob). Also
in South County, a first-winter Glaucous
Gull was found at the Town Center parking lot in Arroyo Grande 12-31 Dec
(C.Lish). Apparently gulls have keyed in on the popcorn disposed into a
dumpster behind the Festival Theater. The gull flock there has also included
two Thayer’s Gulls (B.Shram†). A late Warbling Vireo was at the Pismo State Beach Oceano Campground on 2
Nov (O.Johnson) and a female Summer Tanager
seen there 6-11 Dec (J.Chavez†) is
surely wintering.
A Townsend’s Solitaire was discovered on Cuesta Ridge 25-30 Dec
(W.Knowlton†) where it is likely of
semi-annual occurrence in winter. Two more rarities in Los Osos were a Hammond’s Flycatcher in willows along
the edge of Morro Bay on 5 Nov (J.Royer) and a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak along Freeman Lane on 11 Nov (G.Smith). A White-winged Dove near Meadow Park in
San Luis Obispo on 27-30 Dec (S.McMasters,†)
provided the only report for this species.
The symbol † indicates a report was documented
with a photo. For seasonal status and distribution information about birds
mentioned in this report, consult the Morro Coast Audubon publication “The
Birds of San Luis Obispo County, California”, eBird at the following link https://goo.gl/JQscuN, or contact me at tedell@aol.com. For information on
birding locations, including those mentioned above, consult the Morro Coast
Audubon Bird Finding Guide at http://tinyurl.com/Bird-Finding-Guide ….Tom Edell
