THE BIRDS OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY – May 2005
Yellow-billed Loon – 17 May, very rare, a sub-adult was seen on the water 700 meters off Point Piedras Blancas (RAR).
Western Grebe – 22 May, adult w/3 young, adult w/4 young, and 2 adults on nests at Whale Rock Reservoir (TME). 29 May,
two on Laguna Lake appeared to be “paired” and suggest the possibility of nesting (TME)
Clarkʼs Grebe – 22 May, 2 separate adults with 2 young and 2 adults on nests were at Whale Rock Reservoir (TME)
Black-footed Albatross – 18 May, an immature was off Point Piedras Blancas (RAR)
Pink-footed Shearwater – 19 May, two were seen on an Estero Bay seabird survey (TME)
Sooty Shearwater – 28 May, thousands were off the Nipomo Dunes, Grover Beach, and Pismo Beach (TME,MLS)
Brown Booby – 1-31 May, the female found on 22 Apr continued at Point Piedras Blancas (RAR,MLS)
American Bittern –9-31 May, at least two were at Laguna Lake suggesting nesting there (MTH,JM)
Great Blue Heron – 29 May, six nests were seen in a eucalyptus tree at the 11th tee of the San Luis Bay Inn Golf Course and at
least three more were in coast live oaks above the paved golf cart road adjacent to the San Luis Creek (JSR)
Cailifornia Condor – 6 May, two were seen fl ying near the intersection of Santa Rosa Creek Road & Cypress Mountain Road
(RAR). Others were reported fl ying along east Cuesta Ridge near the communication towers and at Beartrap Mountain in
the La Panza Range (historic condor nesting location) in early May (fi de SCS)
Greater White-fronted Goose – 2 May, one fl ew past Point Piedras Blancas with a Cackling Goose (RAR) and on 3 May,
possibly the same bird was at the mouth of Santa Rosa Creek in Cambria (KC)
Canada Goose – 3 May, four were at the mouth of Santa Rosa Creek in Cambria (KC); 29 May, ten adults and seven young on
the San Luis Bay Inn Golf Course provided the Countyʼs third nesting record (JSR)
Cackling Goose – 2 May, three (two then one) fl ew by Point Piedras Blancas (RAR)
Brant – 29 May, an unbanded bird was on San Luis Creek at Avila (JSR)
Cinnamon Teal – this species is an uncommon nester in the county. 7 May, it was found nesting at the big dam on Barrett
Creek on the Chimineas Ranch (BS); 25 May, nine included six young and one pair at the Cholame Road wetland (TME);
30 May, a pair with fi ve young were at Oso Flaco Lake (MLS)
Scaup sp. – 31 May, a male scaup at Whale Rock Reservoir was late (MLS)
Harlequin Duck – 11-28 May, the male that wintered off the Hwy 1 vista point at post mile 61.3 appeared to be molting and
may summer locally (RAR)
Black Scoter – 14 May, female sitting just outside the surf at Point Piedras Blancas was late (RAR)
Osprey – 4 May, one was at Oso Flaco Lake (MLS) and 12 May, two fl ew over upper Deer Canyon together (BKS)
Bald Eagle – A survey of known nesting sites found nests around/near Nacimiento Lake at Tierra Redonda, Las Tablas, Bee
Rock and two at Dip Creek, plus others at Camp Roberts and Lopez Lake (S&AL). 8 May, a third year adult was seen
along the ocean bluff north of Point Piedras Blancas (MD)
Swainsonʼs Hawk – 12 May, a sub-adult fl ew over upper Deer Canyon (BKS)
Peregrine Falcon – 23 May, a pair with two fl edglings was along the Field (Pecho) Ranch north of Diablo Canyon (SCS)
Virginia Rail – 3 May, adult with young at a pond north of Cayucos provided one of the Countyʼs few nesting records (GPS)
Black-necked Stilt – 21 May, two were at the mouth of Arroyo Grande Creek (MLS) and 23-25 May, up to six chicks and three
adults were at the Chalome Road wetland (LT,TME)
American Avocet – 23-25 May, up to eight adults, but no chicks, have been at the Chalome Road wetland (LT,TME)
Wandering Tattler – 31 May, late date, one just south of the Hwy 1 vista point at postmile 61.3 (TME)
Franklinʼs Gull – 3-24 May, seven adults were seen fl ying north past Point Piedras Blancas (RAR)
Black Tern – 3 May, four were observed at Oso Flaco Lake (MB)
Black Skimmer – 25 May, two fl ew north past Point Piedras Blancas (RAR)
Ancient Murrelet – 11-12 May, a “pair” was off Point Piedras Blancas (RAR)
Band-tailed Pigeon – 22 May, one at the Oceano Campground was away from a breeding locality (MLS)
Common Ground Dove – 4 May, four were seen adjacent to a lemon orchard along Danna Foothill Road in Nipomo (DML)
Black Swift – 6 May, two were over Deer Canyon in Arroyo Grande (BKS) with one there 11 May (BKS) and 31 May, three
were seen on an overcast morning at the Ragged Point Inn (MLS) where they nest on the cliffs nearby.
Rufous Hummingbird – 7 May, male at San Simeon Creek Mouth was late (KC)
Purple Martin – 26 May, nesting continues in a sycamore tree at San Gabriel Road and Hwy 41 (DO)
Bank Swallow – 8-18 May, up to three transients were seen feeding over Oso Flaco Lake (MLS)
Winter Wren – 15 May, a very rare breeder, two fl edglings were seen and a singing bird heard along Coon Creek in Montana
de Oro State Park (Mike Tyner); 27 May, one was singing along Coon Creek between bridge 1 and 2 (AFS)
Townsendʼs Solitaire – 16 May, one at Point Piedras Blancas provided the countyʼs fi rst spring record (RAR)
American Redstart – 21 May, an adult male was along Santa Rita Creek Road (RHZ)

Prothonotary Warbler – 21 May, a male was at the Oceano Campground (MF)
Yellow-breasted Chat – 5 May, one was singing in the willows at Spooners Cove Campground (SCS) and 7-13 May, another was at
Point Piedras Blancas (RAR)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak – 16 May, basic plumaged male was at a feeder at the end of Canet Road in Chorro Valley (AFS) with an
alternate plumaged male there on 21 May (GPS)
Blue Grosbeak – 4 May, an immature male near Quail Springs (Caliente Range) was away from a known breeding site (AFS)
Yellow-headed Blackbird – 1 May, a female was at a residence on the Nipomo Mesa (JA) and 4-18 May, up to 22 were at Oso
Flaco Lake (DML,MLS)
Great-tailed Grackle – 8 and 30 May, one was singing at Oso Flaco Lake (MLS); 9 May, a male was found along Moonstone Drive
in Cambria (KC); 9 May, a male was at Laguna Lake (MTH); and 20 May, single males were at the Dairy Unit, Swine Unit,
and in a pasture adjacent to Highland Ave on Cal Poly (MDS)
Scottʼs Oriole – 4 and 25 May, two males were in the east Caliente Range at Quail Springs and near Lawson Springs (AFS)
Red Crossbill – 23 May, a fi rst year male in Los Osos was completely unexpected and a fi rst for this year (JLR)
OBSERVERS: Thanks to the many birders that report their sightings. The following people are cited above: Jackie Allison, Mark
Brown, Karen Clarke, Mitch Dallas, Tom M. Edell, Marc Fenner, Michael T. Hanson, Dave M. Lawrence, Sal and Ada Lucido,
Jennifer Moonjian, Donna OʼShaughnessy, John L. Roser, Richard A. Rowlett, Jim S. Royer, Alan F. Schmierer, Brad K. Schram,
Steve C. Schubert, Gregory P. Smith, Maggie L. Smith, Bob Stafford, Mike D. Stiles, Linda Tanner, Mike Tyner, 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