BOBOLINK IN DONEGAL

In the middle of September, a strong system hit north-west Europe including Iceland, Scandinavia, Scotland, but more importantly the northernmost parts of Ireland. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Swainson’s Thrush had been found off Scotland as a direct result of the recent fast-moving storm. On the 20^th September 2020, I was woken to a phone call from Conor Foley at 10:20 … yes, I was still asleep at that time. I was almost wondering why he was ringing at this ridiculously early time, basically the middle of the night.

I answered and I was immediately greeted to “have you not heard the news?” … I hadn’t. “Bobolink on Fanad Head” I couldn’t believe it. I quickly rang the other usual lads and was on the road up to John Cusack’s within minutes.  Wilton Farrelly had just gone and found a fourth for Ireland and the first Bobolink in 17 years. Incredible stuff. There was one catch, the bird hadn’t been seen in an hour. Despite the negative news John, Vanessa, Michael and myself bombed it up the road towards Donegal.

I had been awaiting another big Donegal twitch for some time as its one of the advantages of living so far north. It’s really only a spin up for John and I whereas it’s a dreaded twitch for many others. I was positive we’d be on-site first. However, a couple of lads had been on Tory Island and chartered off the island on hearing the news. When we were about 45 minutes away, we heard the news we all wanted! The bird was back, Neal Warnock had re-found it.

The minutes ticked by agonisingly slow, and we seemed to be stuck behind every truck in the north-west. Arriving on-site, I legged it down to the lads with John to the dreaded words, “It was here a few minutes ago”. It happens far too frequently that a bird just ‘disappears’ and isn’t seen again. 10 minutes passed and I was getting increasingly worried that the Bobolink had snuck away from under everyone’s noses. Almost 15 minutes in, I could have screamed with happiness when Victor shouted that it was sitting up on the post. I was on it immediately. Thank F*ck for that. Fair play to both Derek Brennan and Chris Ingram who both shared their scopes with me and allowed me to get excellent views before I ran back to the car for my scope and camera. On my return, the bird showed really well after a couple of brief disappearing acts. I ended up getting frame-filling scope views of this mega little North American passerine. 3 Lapland Buntings flew over us which was nice to see. Year tick 199 for me.

For the most part, I watched the Bobolink and only occasionally went for phone scope pics, which turned out half decent. Approximately 19 lads connected with the Bobolink with Tom Shevlin and Gerard Murray just about connecting. Gerard Murray by the finest of margins. At 16:05 I scoped the Bobolink hopping up in the rushes and it took flight, flying straight towards us. I expected it to just drop back down into the fields but it gradually got higher and higher and it was heading towards the sea. Crap. I ran up the road to get a better vantage point to see what it was doing and it was almost over the water when it quickly dropped in height and banked off to the left where I lost it behind a ridge. Where in the world was it now!

We had a brief chat with Wilton Farrelly, the Bobolink finder before I headed off into the wet fields. I did the Fair Isle style zig-zagging through the fields for almost two hours only flushing two or three Meadow Pipits and a Snipe. The classic Bobolink habitat went on for ages and I didn’t even know if it was in here but I suspected it may well be. My thinking was that even if it was hidden you would need a dozen birders in the fields to have any chance at flushing it up. Sadly, I failed and retreated back to a despondent Brian Porter who was the first of five to dip on the first day.

Ger and I headed off at 18:00 very happy lads and stopped off for a celebratory steak and chips in Kelly’s Diner in Letterkenny followed up with 99’s. I had a bad feeling the Bobolink may not be seen again. However, I was proved wrong and the bird was re-found by Mark Stewart in the wet fields where I suspected the bird may have flown into. A remarkable re-find and over the coming day's birders from all over the country connected with it. Happy days. Bobolink on da list!

I reviewed my shots when I got home and they showed the greater coverts and tertials to be slightly worn and faded ageing it as a first-winter, no real surprise there. It also appears to be a female too with its plain face and relatively plain underparts.

Will it be another 17 years before the next Bobolink in Ireland? Time will tell.