Sora!

Just after 12 pm last Saturday, I was around home when I heard a report of a Sora at the Loch in the north part of Central Park. This large rail is very rare and sometimes secretive bird, with only about 10 records in Manhattan in the last 20 years, being seen on average once every few years.  That evening, I went to the Loch to search for the Sora. I heard it was between the two bridges. As I was searching, I found a patch where the stream was only a few inches deep with filled with reeds and low tree branches along the shore. I spotted a small warbler in the reeds which turned out to be a Common Yellowthroat. I put down my binoculars and immediately saw the Sora! I got great views of it in the open for a few minutes before it finally disappeared into the reeds. What an awesome rarity!