Couch's Kingbird to Close 2014!!!

Today I went to the West Village to try to find a rare Couch's Kingbird that has been hanging around there for about a month, only first reported about a week ago. This bird from Texas and Mexico would be a first state record. I have previously looked for it twice with no success (I did get to meet the director of A Birder's Guide to Everything, though). When I got to the spot that the bird was being seen on W 11 st and W 4 st (the West Village is confusing) I came across a few people looking at the bird. I got great views of it. Just a few minutes later it flew away and came back a few minutes later. After over 20 minutes of waiting it was reported at Abbington Square, where it was actively flycatching on Bank St. About 5 minutes later, it flew down Bank St and around the corner onto Greenwich St, where it went out of sight. I soon refound the bird on my own at Washington and Jane St, the original site of the bird's discovery. The bird was not reported there for the last few days, so this was quite a surprise. The paparazzi and I then chased it to Abbington Square and then W 4 st. After a few minutes there it went back to the spot at Bank St, where it stayed for at least a half hour. It often hung out on fire escapes (or terraces at Washington and Jane) and hunted for insects there. Despite the cold weather, the insects seem to still be somewhat active, as the bird caught several of them. I also saw it using a technique in which it would glean the windowsills for insects, with some success. The bird also ate berries from a small tree for about a minute before resuming hunting. Shortly after noon, I left the kingbird to get lunch. What a great way to end the year!