Early on Saturday, Ben Cacace found a Swainson's Hawk on Governors Island.  While the chances of others finding it was slim, it was such a rare bird for Manhattan, lots of very good birders made a trip to the island.  As is bound to happen with so many good birders on the island, Loyan Beausoleil found a Western Kingbird about 150 feet west of Tango Pier, a life bird for me.

A Black-throated Green Warbler was in a Cypress Tree near the Turtle Pond dock.  It was very active eating insects.

At Turtle Pond, a Belted Kingfisher made a meal of a nice sized fish this afternoon.  It took a bit of work to kill it but then it was quickly down the hatch.

While this hawk was in Pale Male's territory, I don't think this hawk was Pale Male.  Pale Male has a clean white neck and his chest pattern reminds me of Oak leaves.  This hawk while having a light belly band, seemed a bit different.  The markings are more like paint drops.

No mater who it is, I'm glad to see one less rat in the Ramble.

Also in the northeast of Central Park was another nice sparrow this past week, in the Compost Heap, a Lark Sparrow.

Last Thursday there was at least two Clay-colored Sparrows in the northeastern section of Central Park.  This one was in a Crab Apple tree at 106th Street.

Octavia was hanging out on a building just south of the Frick about a week ago.  It's one of her favorite spots and the "hawk chawk" below the window proves it.

A Phalarope was found in Stuyvesant Cove Park this morning and after much discussion was identified as a Red Phalarope.  It was an amazingly cooperative bird, staying close to the shoreline.  It as a life bird for me.

For the last few days, there has been a Dickcissel up by the compost heap in Central Park, which is near the East Drive and 105th Streets.  I got lucky and was in view for a few minutes.  It harder to find later in the afternoon.

Pale Male continues to hunt near the "Polish statue" in Central Park.  He might be the easiest Red-tailed Hawk to watch in New York.  He had caught a small mouse before I arrived, but was certainly keeping an eye out for his next meal, while I watched him.

One of the joys of New York City birding is its great network of birders who freely share their discoveries.  Another joy is the pocket parks of Manhattan that due to light pollution end up with an interesting number of rarities.  Yesterday and today, these intersected with a Sora in Bryant Park.

It was a tough bird to find, as it kept hiding in the undercover but if you were patient, you could get some good looks at the bird.  It was in the western section of the plantings just north of lawn.  It worked east and west before climbing up into a small conifer, after dusk, and may have ended up roosting there.