P a = U O Y) a < Y U O baal O - a Z A O fpmed WN < ts to = ‘2 ~ = fa ao a 7 © iH fe oy w, zs ae Cy 8 2, 7255} Soh, <2 ») Ax Boat AP v) ° z ¥ 2% me way Seen, 4S 34% Bee 2 te iy we ta S\& Lit bo qhittves RSS 5 Per - > r @bFaace)l: > 947° —— RT ear Pe gg sul oceussian saya nee we ee SSAow SSS ae : Sa egy teres Si : Mw J AS Va Vi ria SJowese oo @ amae whe ofastoosh) BULLETIN 27 AUTUMN 1991 t? ) Oe ad 2%. ese @enact ad NS Vee . = . > = $, - OSME Bulletin 27 Autumn 1991 Editor: Mark Boyd Alirecords in this Bulletin are subject to acceptance by the relevant records committees of the country concerned. Any articles, announcements or requests to do with birds in the Middle East are welcome, and may be published free of charge, subject to the discretion of the Editor. Accompanying photographs and line-drawings are welcome. Bird names generally follow those of Birds of the Middle East and North Africa. | Contributions to the next Bulletin should be received by 15 February 1992. They should preferably be double-spaced and typed. Articles on disk (3.5 or 5.25 inch only please ) can be accepted, but a paper copy must also be supplied. Illustrations _ Weare grateful to the following artists for the illustrations used in this Bulletin: SM Andrews: Swallow and Sand Martin migrating through Gulf Cover and 37; Kentish, Ringed, Lesser Sand and Crab Plovers 2; Sacred Ibis 8; Collared Pratincole 15; Spur-winged Plovers 18; Citrine Wagtail 30; Senegal Thick-knee and White- eyed Gulls 37; Crab Plover 43; Striated Scops Owl 45; Long- billed Pipit 47. PJ Powell: Hooded Wheatear 44. Impact of the Gulf War on birds MI Evans, CWT Pilcher and P Symens The war for Kuwait has had a profound and lasting effect on coastal habitats and inland landscapes in the surrounding countries, most especially Kuwait itself and Saudi Arabia. We summarise here the findings of three teams sent to the Gulf by the International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP) to assess the impact of the Gulf War on bird populations. They were supported by and worked with the staff of the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD) of Saudi Arabia and the Environment Protection Council (EPC) of Kuwait, with financial assistance generously provided by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Roy Dennis (RSPB) and Burr Heneman (ICBP-USA) arrived in Saudi Arabia on 28 February, the last day of the war, and spent the first half of March carrying out a rapid assessment of oil pollution damage and making recommendations to the NCWCD for immediate action. One urgent recommendation was that the spring wader migration should be monitored because of the threat posed by the huge amounts of beached oil along the shores of the Gulf. An international team of eight ornithologists, led by MIE, undertook this during 5 April-29 May and also censused the breeding seabirds of the offshore islands in June together with PS (NCWCD). In Kuwait CWTP and Dave Sexton (RSPB) spent 3-28 May surveying the coastal and inland desert habitats for war damage. The results of these surveys are summarised below, together with other information on war damage known to us. Regional round-up The longer-term damage of the Gulf War to ecosystems in the region cannot be predicted now and will only become clear if there isa concerted effort by Gulf states to monitor the health of these ecosystems over the coming years. This article deals only with the short-term, obvious impact of the Gulf War on birds. Kuwait Current estimates are that.7-8 million barrels of oil were spilled into the sea during the war in late January/February, by far the biggest spill in history. Kuwait's mainland coastline and offshore islands were endangered by two of the three major slicks. That from Mina Al-Bakr in Iraq threatened Kuwait Bay and the northerm islands, whilst the other, RECYCLED PAPER ] from Kuwait's Mina Ahmadi terminal, was expected to impact on the southern coastand offshore coral islands. In fact, an estimated 95% of the mainland coastline was clear of recent oil deposits and all the islands, except Bubiyan, which had small deposits on its northeastern coast, had escaped pollution. The most polluted shoreline was that of the entire Sulaibikhat Bay subsystem, where a 10-metre wide band of fresh oil had been deposited at the highwater line. Fortunately, the extensive intertidal mudflats, critical feeding grounds for waders in winter and on passage had been spared. However the major roost at the Doha Reserve, which is used by hundreds of Crab Plovers Dromas ardeola and thousands of Lesser Sand Plovers Charadrius mongolus, Kentish Plovers Calexandrinus, Grey Plovers Pluvialis squatarola and Ringed Plovers C hiaticula amongst others, was heavily polluted. Although it was too late in the migration to observe large numbers of waders, it can safely be assumed that most of those using the site would have become oiled. : ; = et er ® - a= PEEP REE, FEIN NM oh 02s vA BSE HE. ae Po ey Hs -~ we — oo" Four species of terns breed on Kuwait's southern islands (Swift Sterna bergii, Lesser Crested S bengalensis, Bridled S anaethetus and White- cheeked S repressa) and a census taken on 19 May, when nesting had just commenced, indicated that numbers were similar to those of the last two censuses, in 1990 and 1987. Less than 1% of all terns (10 species were recorded) showed noticeable oiling, a figure comparable to that obtained in Saudi Arabia. Inland, pollution from leaking oil wells in all the main fields was extensive and worsening daily, some of the numerous lakes having grown to several square kilometres. Lakes and streams of oil appear to have been mistaken for water by birds and at one small lake over 200 dead or dying individuals were counted, including herons, ducks, hawks, sandpipers, sandgrouse, nightjars, bee-eaters, hirundines, wagtails, shrikes and warblers. During the project period, more than 500 wells continued to burn, producing vast quantities of soot-laden smoke, and resulting ina heavy soot fall-out over much of the eastern and southern parts of the country. Many birds were begrimed from flying through the smoke or foraging in sooted vegetation; the birds affected included eagles, hirundines, larks, shrikes and warblers. Desertification has been an accelerating problem in Kuwait: the destruction of vegetation, along with compaction and churning of the desert surface caused by the movements of hundreds of thousands of men and vehicles, has enormously exacerbated this problem. Saudi Arabia At least 25-30,000 seabirds were killed by the oil spills, mainly Black- necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis, Great Crested Grebe P cristatus, Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis and Great Cormorant P carbo; it is likely that the grebes were particularly badly hit given the high density of beached corpses found. Any oil which did not sink had washed ashore along the northern half of the Saudi Arabian Gulf coastline by early April, carpeting most of the intertidal zone between Khafji and Abu Ali, some 460 km of shoreline (Dennis 1991). This coast is known to be important for waders on an international scale, holding up to 260,000 waders in winter (Zwarts et al. in press: based on a survey in January/February 1986). The ICBP/NCWCD wader survey found that extremely few waders were present on the polluted coast, which from rough calculations using the raw data of Zwarts et al. probably normally supported over 100,000 waders in winter (and certainly atleast that total ona year-round basis). What happened to the wintering wader population along that coast when the oil impacted remains uncertain, since no ornithologists were able to visit the area until one or two months later. The mass death of invertebrates observed by the team on the oil-smothered tidal flats indicates that food shortage is sure to be a major factorin the continuing absence of waders. On current knowledge of wader behaviour, there would have been a discrete population of waders which would have traditionally wintered in that area, and also one which would have habitually depended on the area for stop-over refuelling on spring and/or autumn migration. Both have now been deprived of their essential feeding grounds. The Arabian Gulf is the last coastal refuelling site available to migrant waders such as Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica before their final flight across Asia to the polar regions in spring. Sucha drastic loss of food is bound to have placed major stress on these waders and will have certainly affected their breeding success this summer, as will any significant degree of oiling. Virtually all 39 wader species recorded were directly oiled, but some, suchas Lesser Sand Plovers, Bar-tailed Godwits and Terek Sandpipers Xenus cinereus, appeared to have been particularly badly hit. The seabird census took place in the first half of June and the second half of July and covered seven of the 11 islands off the Saudi Gulf coast, where the same four tern species breed asin Kuwait. The islands hold the largest concentration of breeding Lesser Crested Terns in the world, already known from the only previous census, in June 1986 (IUCN /MEPA 1987). Compared with that census, Lesser Crested Terns and the endemic White-cheeked Ternshave decreased by 22% and 28% respectively to 20,751 and 10,200 pairs, whilst Bridled Terns have increased dramatically to 44,300 pairs (+270%), making the group of islands one of the top five sites in the world for this species. The population changes are thought to be partly due to an increase in vegetation cover on the islands, but are clearly not related to the oil spills since less than 1% of the terns were noticeably oiled. The terns bred well this year: hatching success was in the range 70-95% for all species, and overall chick mortality was less than 10%. Several hundred million migrants, mostly passerines, are thought to pass through the Gulf in spring (Dolnik 1990; WCMC 1991a); the NCWCD/ ICBP ringing activity led by PS indicated that the commonest passerine species in April/May include Whitethroats Sylvia communis, Marsh Warblers Acrocephalus palustris, Redstarts Phoenicurus phoenicurus, Red- backed Shrikes Lantus collurioand Willow Warblers Phylloscopus trochilus. The smoke from the burning oil wells in Kuwait has the potential to significantly affect this migration, since it lies as a dense, dark pall stretching for hundreds of kilometres down the Gulf. Many bird species, both residents and migrants, were 'sooted’, having flown through the _ cloud or come into contact with sooty vegetation. The decrease in migrants’ flight efficiency due to oily sootin their lungs and the begriming of their plumage are probably notimmediately lethal, but may reduce the breeding success of large numbers of passerines in Europe and the USSR. Ringing suggests that 10% of migrant passerines were 'sooted' at Ras Tanajib (150 km from the nearest fires), compared with 5% at Jubayl (300 km from thenearest fires). Preliminary analysis of weights and recaptures indicates that 'sooting' slows a bird's migration and severely affects its capacity to refuel. Iraq -Noinformation has been received on the effect of the war on birdsin Iraq. Two species are virtually endemic to the country, Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis and Iraq Babbler Turdoides altirostris, and a large proportion of the world's Grey Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus also breeds there. Iran Iran appears to have escaped serious oil pollution but the burning oil wells in Kuwait may have the potential, through generating acid rain, to affect montane habitats in Iran and further afield (eg Pakistan, Nepal). Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates The oil slicks never reached as far south as these countries; only small amounts of tar-balls have been reported from the beaches of Bahrain so far, and little detected in the other states above the high background level of oiling that occurs in the Gulf. The breeding colonies of Socotra Cormorants on the islands of these states, as well as in Saudi Arabia, will have been reduced in size following the large-scale mortality due to the oil. The lack of baseline data will make these decreases difficult to quantify. Severe overhead concentrations of smoke have been reported from Bahrain, on occasions occurring as a ground-level smog. Jordan There was concern that the important wetland at Azraq oasis might suffer from the huge numbers of refugees from Kuwait camped nearby. However, they probably made little impact on the water resources over and above the already large-scale extraction of water that is taking place to supply the capital city, Amman (T Jones pers. comm.). Future action Further initiatives on bird conservation work in the Gulf are being actively pursued by ICBP, NCWCD and EPC, with the priorities being: 1 A census of the breeding population of the Socotra Cormorant in the Gulf, its main breeding area, co-ordinated amongst all the relevant states. No adequate baseline data exist by which to judge the severity of the large-scale mortality in the Gulf; the species is thought to be declining owing to disturbance and development of its breeding islands. 2 Anassessment this autumn of the scale of bird mortality caused by the oil lakes in Kuwait and of the effects of the smoke from burning oil wells on bird migration in the country. 3 A wader survey this winter in Saudi Arabia is necessary in order to monitor the recovery of the oiled intertidal habitats and to gather further baseline information on species, numbers and movements. 4 A workshop between ICBP, NCWCD, EPC and other involved bodiesis planned this autumn toassess the results and implications of work so far and to co-ordinate further conservation action. Acknowledgments In Saudi Arabia, we are very grateful to HRH Prince Saud al Faisal, Prof. Dr Abdulaziz Abuzinada and all other staff of the NCWCD for their support and encouragement. In Kuwait, we greatly appreciate the help given by Mr Ibrahim Hadi of the EPC, who organised the provision of vehicles and documentation. Earthtrust generously provided accommodation and valuable logistical support in Kuwait. Dr Mike Randsand his staff at ICBP are thanked for the effort they put into organising travel, funds and other logistics. References Dennis, R 1991. Arabian Gulf Oil Spills, March 1991. Unpublished report to ICBP. , Dolnik, VR 1990. Bird migration across arid and mountainous regions of Middle Asia and Kasakhstan. Pp. 368-386 in Gwinner, E. (ed.) Bird Migration: Physiology and Ecophysiology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. IUCN/MEPA 1987. Chapter 4, "Birds and other key species". In Saudi Arabia: an assessment of biotopes and management requirements for the Saudi Arabian Gulf coast. Unpublished report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources to the Meteorology and Environmental Protection Administration, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In draft. WCMC 1991a. Environmental impact of the Gulf War - 1991: an initial assessment [April 1991]. World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK. WCMC 1991b. Gulf War Environmental Service: environmental briefing (1 June 1991). World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK. Zwarts, L, Felemban, H and Price, ARG in press. Wader counts along the Saudi Arabian Gulf coast suggest that the Gulf harbours millions of waders. Wader Study Group Bull. MI Evans, International Council for Bird Preservation, 32 Cambridge Road, Girton, Cambridge CB3 OP], UK; Professor CWT Pilcher, Fields House, Wadborough, Worcestershire WR8 9HB, UK; P Symens, National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, PO Box 61881, Riyadh 11575, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [Much of the scientific results of the ICBP work on the Gulf will be published in the OSME journal Sandgrouse. Ed] Blue Tits in Jordan Ian Andrews An Italian naturalist, Festerboschi, was the first person to report the Blue Tit Parus caeruleus in Jordan. This was at Wadi Sir (west of Amman) on 6 23 April, but no year was given (maybe 1940-45)(in Hardy 1946). There were no further records until 17 April 1984, when Blue Tits were discovered at Dibbin Forest, southwest of Jerash in northern Jordan (G Bennett, Ornitholidays, in litt). Dibbin is an 8 km? remnant of mature Aleppo Pine Pinus halepensis forest with Arbutus andrachme undergrowth and evergreen Holly Oak Quercus calliprinus, which lies at 550-1,000 m altitude on the slopes of the highest hill range in north Jordan. Since 1984, Blue Tits have been recorded every April at Dibbin Forest (Ornitholidays and Cygnus Wildlife, in litt). In 1989-91, I recorded Blue Tits in all seasons, establishing their resident status, and the presence of some fledged young in June 1990 confirmed that, as suspected, they breed in Dibbin. The number of Blue Tits at Dibbin is not small, with roaming flocks in winter. I do not know what race is involved, but it appears to be similar to that of European birds. The Blue Tits are found alongside a partly European fauna of Great Tits Parus major, Blackbirds Turdus merula, Wrens Troglodytes troglodytes and Jays Garrulus glandarius. Farther north of this site, two Blue Tits were also seen at Ajlun castle on 8 April 1990 (J Wittenberg, in litt), with one in well-vegetated Wadi el Yabis (northwest of Ajlun) and three in open Holly Oak woods near Ibbin (northeast of Ajlun) on 2 November 1990 (pers obs). Hollom et al. (1988) map the nearest breeding birds in the Taurus mountains, Turkey, at least 500 km from the Dibbin forest. Elsewhere in the Middle East, Hue and Etchécopar (1970) recorded Blue Tits at the end of April in northwest Syria and also in the cedars of Becharre, Lebanon, where they suspected they bred. These are presumably the records quoted by Hollom et al. (1988). Does anyone have other records of Blue Tits in the Middle East outside of Turkey? I should like to thank J Wittenberg for telling me about the 1940s' sightings. References Hardy, E 1946. A Handlist of the Birds of Palestine. Published by Education Officer in Chief, GHQ, Middle East Forces. Hollom, PAD, Porter, RF, Christensen, S and Willis, I 1988. Birds of the Middle East and North Africa. T and AD Poyser, Calton. Hue, F and Etchécopar, RD 1970. Les Oiseaux du Proche et du Moyen Orient. Boubee, Paris. Ian J] Andrews, c/o British Embassy, PO Box 87, Amman, Jordan Birds and conservation in Egypt, past, present and future Mindy Baha El Din Ancient history The Ancient Egyptians were among the first natural historians in the world, and until modern times, were the only Egyptians to have any major involvement in ornithology. The Ancient Egyptians vividly depicted the rich bird life of their country on the walls of tombs and temples, many of which survive today. These people were also the first to enact laws to protect birds; it was illegal to kill sacred species, such as the Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus and falcons. To do so was punishable by death. However, sacred birds were killed in ritual sacrifices, and tombs containing millions of mummified Sacred Ibisesand falcons have been found. The Ancient Egyptians ma have been among the first people to breed wild birds, such as Sacred Ibises, in captivity. They also conducted expeditions to other countries to ~ collect species. From the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great until the 1950s, Egypt was under foreign domination. Through these centuries, there were periodic ornithological studies. Under Islamic rule, there were several Arab scholars who travelled around the country and wrote about the birds they saw. But it was the French who mounted the first modern scientific expedition. When Napoleon conquered Egypt in 1798, he commissioned a team of scientists to record the flora and fauna. This was published in the monumental work The Distribution of Egypt. Early 20th century ornithology When Egypt was under British occupation, ornithology started in earnest. Briton Michael Nicoll, director of the Giza Zoological Garden, travelled the country observing birds and collecting specimens. Unfortunately, he died before he could publish a book on his findings. Nicoll's wife then 8 asked another famous British ornithologist, Richard Meinertzhagen, to complete her husband's work, and in 1930 the book Nicoll ‘s Birds of Egypt was published. Even today, this is one of the foremost works on Egyptian birds. Modern times Between the 1930s and the 1970s, some Egyptians started to become involved in omithology. Ahmed Al Hussaini and Abdallah El] Negumi were two Egyptian scientists who travelled the country and published books in Arabic about the bird life of Egypt. In the late 1970s and early 1980s there was a sudden increase in interest in Egyptian omithology, which resulted in a flurry of research. Much of this came from abroad: the Danes studied waterbird migration along the Mediterranean Coast of northern Sinai; the Holy Land Conservation Fund undertook studies of raptor migration at Suez and surveyed wintering waterbirds; Germany's Max Planck Institute studied bird migration in the western desert; British Petroleum Egypt conducted surveys of seabird colonies breeding in the Red Sea. Two Dutch birdwatchers, Peter Meininger and Wim Mullie, came to Egyptin the late 1970s and established the Foundation for Omithological Research in Egypt. For over 10 years, they conducted omithological surveys. Their researchled to their meeting the AmericansSteve Goodman and Joseph Hobbs, as well as my husband, Sherif Baha El Din. In 1989, they co-authored the comprehensive book, The Birds of Egypt. Conservation in the 20th century The first modern conservation laws were passed in the 1920s, probably as a result of pressure from the British authorities. There had been a noticeable decline in common agricultural species such as the Hoopoe Upupa epops and Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis, probably due to hunting pressure. Laws were passed to protect species beneficial to agriculture, and acampaign was launched to develop public awareness. This was very successful, and still can be felt today: every Egyptian child learns in school that the Cattle Egret is a farmer's friend. In 1979, the US Fish and Wildlife Service helped to establish the Egyptian Wildlife Service at Giza Zoo. Through this body, a number of laws were passed to protect beneficial and endangered species. In 1980, Law 102 was passed, which led to the creation of a system of Protected Areas. In 1983, the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency took over management of the Protected Areas and became responsible for the country's environment. In 1982, the Ornithological Society of Egypt was formed by three Egyptians. It promoted ornithological research and bird and habitat 9 conservation. It was quiet for some years, until I helped to reactivate it in 1988, along with Dr Mustafa Fouda and Sherif Baha El Din. Research in the 1970s and 1980s revealed the international importance of Egypt for birds, as wellas the increasing level of threats to birds and their habitats. Drainage, landclaimand development, the misuse of pesticides, oil pollution and uncontrolled hunting were all devastating bird populations. In the past two years, the Ornithological Society of Egypt has launched several successful conservation campaigns: the saving of a Cattle Egret colony at Giza Zoo; a two-year moratorium on foreign bird shooting tours; and the prohibition of bird hunting at the Italian War Memorial at E] Alamein. These have been among the first occasions that the Egyptian government has responded to pressure from non-governmental organisations. In 1987, ICBP hired me to run a conservation education project, based at Giza Zoo. This culminated in the opening of a Conservation Education Centre in September 1990. This comprises an auditorium, classroom, library and office space, and is the first facility of its kind in the country. The centre has produced bird books and wallcharts in Arabic, and the education programme is running well. ICBP has also helped the formation of the Egyptian Wildlife Society, which now has 100 members. Present concerns These are two-fold. Firstly, pollution of Egypt's northern delta lakes has led to a decrease in wintering waterfowl, including an 80% fall in coot Fulica atra numbers. The lakes hold around 40,000 Little Gulls Larus minutus in winter. The other main concern is the dramatic increase in falcon trapping. Falcons, especially the larger species, are trapped for export to the Gulf states, where they fetch an extremely high price. The smaller falcons are sold on markets either as pets or as bait for the trapping of larger species. Conservation in Egypt has to be shown to have tangible human benefits: the delta lakes are important fisheries; and birds of prey are good for wildlife tourism. Future opportunities Birdwatching tourism brings in income to Egypt, but can also still make real contributions to Egyptian ornithology. Thereis still much to discover about bird distributions, migrations and numbers, even in well-known sites. 10 For example, little is known about bird of prey migration along the Red Sea coast, or stork passage through northern Egypt. There is more to learn about migration along the Western Desert Mediterranean coast, as well as the hunting that takes place in the area. The Zaranik Protected Area in north Sinai has recently opened, and its migrant birds should be counted every autumn. There is a need for a thorough survey of Lake Nasser. If youare interested in Egyptian ornithology, please join the Ornithological Society of Egypt. I should be delighted to help visiting birdwatchers or researchers to enjoy this wonderful country and to contribute to the conservation of its wildlife. Mindy Baha El Din, c/o Executive Business Services, Cairo Mariott Hotel, PO Box 33, Zamalek, Catro, Egypt Important Bird Areas in the Middle East: the new OSME/ICBP project MRW Rands and MI Evans OSME members will know that the Middle East is ornithologically rich, with a diversity of extreme environments - deserts, wetlands and mountains in particular - as well as regional specialities including 20 endemic and 23 globally threatened bird species. Some of the largest and most diverse wetlands and steppes are to be found in the Middle East, upon which millions of waterfowl, waders and grassland birds depend as breeding, stopover or wintering areas. Their value to birds is but a reflection of their overall ecological importance. Initiatives to conserve birds and wildlife habitats at either a national or a regional level in the Middle East are, however, far from advanced. Given the rapid increase in the region over the last 20 years of human population, agricultural intensification and industrialization, heralding increased rates of over-grazing, wetland drainage, woodland clearance, coastal landfill and over-hunting, the need for a directory. of the most critical areas for conserving birds and habitats is now urgent. Such a volume, if effectively used, could save many of the region's valuable ecosystems and so help to maintain global biological diversity. 11 For these reasons OSME, jointly with the International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP), is initiating the Important Bird Areas in the Middle East project, starting in September this year. The project will last for two years and aims to produce an inventory of internationally important areas for conserving birds in the Middle East, by drawing together published and unpublished information, including the OSME Sites Register, as well as the expertise of Middle Eastern conservation organisations and individuals so as to compile details of such sites in one volume. Although knowledge of the avifauna and wildlife habitats of the region is quite comprehensive, no previous attempt has been made to draw this information together, critically assess the value and status of sites, and then publish it. In recent years, similar inventories and directories of key wildlife sites have been published for other areas of the world and have proved to be successful tools for implementing conservation action (eg Grimmett and Jones (1989) Important Bird Areas in Europe; Scott (1989) A directory of Asian wetlands). The following countries are included in the Middle Eastern inventory: Afghanistan Israel Qatar Bahrain Jordan Saudi Arabia Egypt Kuwait Syria Iran Lebanon United Arab Emirates Iraq Oman Yemen (including Socotra) Site identification and book compilation are being carried out by MIE, based at ICBP's office in Cambridge, and the project is supervised by a steering committee chaired by MRWR (Chairman of OSME and Programme Director of ICBP). Forcertaincountries, national co-ordinators will be appointed to gather information. Sites will be included only if they meet certain criteria; details of these are being drawn upnowatthestart of the project, but sites important for four groups of birds will certainly be included: ° species at risk of total extinction (globally threatened species); ° species or subspecies threatened throughout all or large parts of their range in the Middle East but not globally; ° species that have relatively small total world ranges with important populations in the Middle East; e regularly occurring migratory species which concentrate at and are dependent on particular sites either when breeding, on migration, or during the winter. 12 Once completed the directory will havea number of important functions, including: e to guide the implementation of national conservation strategies and in particular to promote the development of national protected-area programmes; e to inform decision makers at all levels of the existence of these vital habitats and thereby to enable them to oppose land-use proposals which would be incompatible with habitat conservation; e to provide an indication of the sites which are currently threatened and/ or inadequately protected so as to assist the lobbying activities of national and international conservation bodies; ° to serve the conservation activities of international governmental organisations; ° to promote the implementation of global agreements such as the Ramsar Convention (on wetlands), Bonn Convention (on migratory species) and ‘World Heritage’ Convention. OSME is contributing £3,000 to the project, a very substantial sum for an organisation such as ours. The project's major sponsor is The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (UK), and the project will also receive data and technical support from the International Waterfowland Wetlands Research Bureau. For further information, please contact: Mike Evans, 'IBAs in the Middle East’ Compiler, ICBP, 32 Cambridge Road, Girton, Cambridge CB3 0PJ, UK. Tel: (0223) 277318. Telex: 818794 ICBP G. FAX: (0223) 277200. Is Azraq still an oasis? Ian Andrews It is now 10 years since anything up to date has appeared in OSME publications about the famous Azraq oasis in eastern Jordan. In what state would members of the 1963 Jordan Expedition (Mountford 1965) find the Azraq oasis if they returned today? Change has certainly been widespread and far-reaching in the last 28 years, in a country that has severe water problems and a rapidly growing human population. Improvements in access are the first obvious change, with the long desert treks replaced by a choice of two well-used tarmac roads. However, with trade routes from Amman and Syria to Iraq, Saudi and the Gulf states 13 passing through Azraq, one's initial impression is of a dusty truck stop rather than a lush oasis. The two villages, dating back 80 years, have also grown, but at least there is now a choice of hotels and a modern government rest house. However, amongst other things, a military airfield has now been built, agriculture has become established and there is now little hope that the planned desert reserve will be designated. Azraq oasis essentially comprises a (formerly) permanent, spring-fed wetland; and a large, seasonally flooded mudflat (‘qa' in Arabic). The marsh (Azraq Wetland Reserve) In the 1960s, the two major springs flowed into the marshes at an impressive rate of 7.5 million gallons/day, as they must have done when Colonel Meinertzhagen visited Azraq in 1922 and first described this ‘perfect paradise for birds with green meadows, pools and bushes.’ It was not long, however, before the potential of this valuable underground water resource was recognised, and as far back as 1963 water was being pumped to the city of irbid. Various consultants, visiting naturalists and indeed the Jordanian Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature pointed to the problems in maintaining a wetland area whilst exploiting the water resource. However, demand soon overtook conservation warnings for restraint, and from 1979 water was being pumped to Amman and Irbid at ever-increasing rates, which soon exceeded safe extraction rates. Flow into the marshes of the newly established Wetland Reserve soon reduced to virtually nil, as Peter Conder discovered when he visited Azraq in April 1981. Measured flow rates in 1986 had fallen to a quarter of their former figure and are now even less. Over-exploitation has already led to a reduction in water quality, but at least this may result in a reduction in pumping rates. The net result is that the pools and marshes of Azraq oasis have become a poor remnant of their former glory, and water rarely flows beyond the immediate vicinity of the village pools. The oasis was formerly the breeding site of many wetland birds and some 347,000 ducks wintered in the marshes. The number of wintering ducks was down to 2,500 in early 1979 (Conder 1982) and now the winter population probably never exceeds 100-200, mainly Teal Anas crecca. Losses to the breeding birds are also great, especially amongst those dependent on marsh vegetation and water. In the 1960s, a community of 28 aquatic species was recorded breeding (or possibly breeding) at Azraq (Wallace 1983). I have no suspicion of any herons nesting now. Water Rails Rallus aquaticus and Moorhens Gallinula chloropus may still breed - but in considerably lower numbers - but Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos and Garganey A quergedula now only visit on passage. More than 200 pairs of Collared Pratincoles Glareola pratincola nested along the edge of the marsh in 1969 (Nelson 1973) and it was good to see 10 successful pairs in the same area in 1991. 14 Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters Merops superciliosus do not nest now, as their preferred island sites no longer exist, and numbers of reedbed warblers are well down, with no singing Savi's Locustella luscinioides, Clamorous Reed Acrocephalus stentoreus or Great Reed Warblers A arundinaceus recorded. A healthy population of 30-60 pairs of Fan-tailed Warblers Cisticolajuncidis inmarsh vegetation at the outfalls has totally disappeared. On the positive side, a few Laughing Doves Streptopelia senegalensis are now found at Azraq. The mudflat (Qa al Azraq) The qa is a flat, crescent-shaped basin surrounding the wetland. It is _ several metres lower than the marsh and forms the lowest part of a large rainwater catchment. In wet winters, the qa fills with flood water to a maximum depth of 1.25 m and is 35 km around. The water does not seep into the underlying aquifers, rather it evaporates over a period of three months or so. Needless to say, the qa does not flood every year: the British expeditions in the 1960s found 1965/66 and 1966/67 to be wet years (but not the subsequent two winters), and Conder reported that 1981 was the first wet year since 1976. It also flooded in 1982. It was thought thata dam in Syria may be affecting the flow into the qa, but during my stay the springs of both 1990 and 1991 have fortunately seen the qa filled to capacity. The water never, however, rises high enough to flood into the marshes themselves and, as Conder (1982) pointed out, this leads to the extraordinary juxtaposition of dry marshand a vast shallow lake teeming with birds along its edges. Birds soon make use of this lake, especially as its formation usually coincides with the migration season of March to May. Its margins are less barren than some other nearby qas and it contains many invertebrates. Itis not surprising, therefore, that it attracts large numbers of waders and terns, some ducks and gulls and also some passerines. In 1990 and 1991, I recorded a peak of 3,625 birds using the accessible margins of the qa, and the total was probably well over 5,000. The majority of these were Ruffs Philomachus pugnax, Little Stints Calidris minuta and White-winged Black Terns Chlidonias leucopterus, but in total I have recorded 27 species of waders, nine of gulls and terns and seven of ducks, plus Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis and Coots Fulica atra on the flooded qa. Scattered islands, formed by mounds of the local salt workings in the dry season, form important refuges for breeding birds, but as a whole we +5 have not found disturbance too excessive, until the drying of the glutinous mud allows the salt working to restart. Black-winged Stilts Himantopus himantopus, Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta,and Kentish Plovers Charadrius alexandrinus nest in wet years as they did in the 1960s, but the timing of the drying up must be crucial to breeding birds and the unfledged young could find themselves leftona barren dry mudflat by mid-May, especially now they cannot retreat into the marsh. The question of breeding success has previously remained unanswered as no stilts or Avocets nested when Bryan Nelson made observations there in the summers of 1968 and 1969. In 1990, the qa filled in early March and there were some wader broods in late May along the edge (table 1), but I did not return until mid-June and the qa had long since evaporated. The year 1991 had a wet and cool late spring, with the water staying far longer than normal - there was still shallow water and extensive mud at the end of June. Waders took full advantage of thisrarecombination of favourable conditionsand breedin success was exceptional (table 1). On 19 June, I estimated 500 young stilts of various sizes, many fledged or almost so, many young chicks and there were even some adults still sitting on nests. On 28 June, the total number of stilts exceeded 1,200, but it was unlikely that the mud would last long enough for some of the smallest chicks and sitting adults. The young Avocets were already well grown on 8 June, with approximately 80 fledged young on 19 June. The Avocets settled earlier in the season, which may explain why they did better than the stilts in 1990 (table 1). Kentish Plovers did very well in both years and several hundred young were reared. 24 May 1990 19 June 1991 Total Noof Noof Total Noof Noof pairs broods young pairs broods young _ Black-winged c.50 2 3 C3002"? 500+ Stilt Avocet 50? & 25 c.20 C155 980 Table 1. Numbers of breeding Black-winged Stiltsand Avocets at Azraq ga, 1990- 91. Counts were made along approximately 40-50% of the ga edge, although these were probably the most productive parts. These two wet years also allowed five species to nest at Azraq that had not been recorded previously (Wallace 1983). In 1990, I saw a brood of small Shelduck Tadorna tadorna chicks, and later a brood of Marbled Ducks Marmaronetta angustirostris also appeared. In the following year, up to 60 Little Terns Sterna albifrons sammered,a few were seen courtship feeding and visiting islands, and one juvenile was seen on 20 July. Gull- billed Terns Gelochelidon nilotica, also present throughout the 1991 breeding 16 season, produced two flying young. Two pairs of Little Ringed Plovers Charadrius dubius also bred successfully. Perhaps the most interesting species at Azraq is the White-tailed Plover Chettusia leucura. The nearest regular breeding area is 600 km east in the marshes of the Euphrates, but in successive summers I have seen family groupsat Azraq - two families on3 August 1989 and one on 23 July 1990. White-tailed Plovers are regularly seen in April, and there were one or two territorial pairs in April 1963. On 25 May 1991, an adult flew over with alarm-calling pratincoles, but could not be relocated. No-one has yet found a White-tailed Plover's nest at Azraq. At least 10 successful pairs of Yellow Wagtails Motacilla flava were seen in June 1991. The race involved has not previously been determined. Wallace (1983) saw males resembling M f flava with puzzling females with uniform dark heads, and was unsure of the race involved. Nelson (1973) thought his breeding record referred to M f feldegg. My observations of Yellow Wagtailsin the breeding season virtually all refer to feldegg, but one pair feeding young on 28 June involved a feldegg male and a female with a clear supercilium resembling M f flava. Autumn and winter For much of the year, including the winter, even in wet years, the Azraq wetland now contains a very small amount of surface water - a far cry from the permanent lushness of the past. Apart from the pools in the villages themselves, the birds have to seek refuge on a small marsh formed by an artesian borehole and a small, recently dug area of fish pools. Both are near the town and since they are outside the Wetland Reserve, are often disturbed by frequent shooting or even the erection of a bedu tent nearby! Birdwatchers may be the only ones to benefit, as this paucity of water concentrates the birds, but it also means that birds have so few alternatives when disturbed. In autumn, these sites are magnets for birds as they are the only wetlands in the entire Jordanian desert. Birds of prey come in to drink, and waders and terns make use of the only pools for hundreds of kilometres. During two autumns, I have seen 15 species of raptor at the pools. Most notable were 66 drinking Montagu's Harriers Circus pygargus (8 September 1990) and 14 Honey Buzzards Pernis apivoris (15 September 1990). Total numbers of birds rarely exceed 200, but the lack of large numbers is made up for by variety, with Baillon's Porzana pusilla, Little P parva and Spotted Crakes P porzana, Broad-billed Sandpipers Limicola falcinellus, Terek Sandpipers Xenus cinereus, Black-winged Pratincoles Pratincola nordmanni, Little Gulls Larus minutus, Citrine Wagtails Motacilla citreola all seen in autumn. It shows how important such a small area of water is and how many birds are migrating across the desert. In winter, shooting leaves 17 just a few flighty birds, but Black-necked Grebes and Common Gulls Larus canus have been added to the Azraq list and a few Kingfishers Alcedo atthis and Pied Kingfishers Ceryle rudis make it across 200 km of desert to winter here. When there is no water in the desert, the Samra sewage lagoons, on the desert fringe, 35 km northeast of Amman, provide a valuable alternative to birds that may have used the Azraq staging post in the past. These extensive lagoons were completed in 1985 and provide a habitat for passage storks, herons, ducks, waders, gulls and terns as well as a few passerines. Rarities for Jordan seen at Samra include White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus , Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca , Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva, Grey Plover Psquatarola, Turnstone Arenariainterpres and Curlew Numenius arquata. Breeding birds are few, but include Spur- winged Plover Hoplopterus spinosus and possibly Citrine Wagtail. CEsd a Pa rae iy: AN maser Ad seed Het (1 W, Ad) Cael Aalto ie wil Raat LE Ptr if se BT "1 Mace. al (ZL OCT a fel eel pean CA ¢ Be asiuiuth ices _ Although the facts about Azraq's water pumping and desiccation make depressing reading, it is clear that something of the oasis's former glory hangs on. Spring flood water has now become of overwhelming importance, but resourceful migrants still make use of a shrinking number of pools in autumn and winter. Unfortunately, the Wetland Reserve is hardly wortha visit, providing ample evidence of what could so easily happen to, for example, the Coto Dofiana in Spain. However, unless a large new water resource is discovered soon, there is no way Jordan itself can survive without Azraq's water and perhaps conservation efforts should concentrate on protecting and enlarging the few remaining permanent wetland sites. Finally, Azraq and its surrounding desert is surprisingly not on the regular birding trail through the Middle East. Suffice it to say that I thoroughly recommend it! 18 References Conder, PJ 1981. Birds of the Azraq Wetland Reserve, Jordan: January and February 1979. Sandgrouse 2: 22-32. Conder, PJ 1981. Water extraction at Azraq. OSME Bull 8. Meinertzhagen, R 1924. An account of a journey across the Syrian Desert from Amman in Transjordania to Ramadi on the Euphrates. Ibis 1924: 87-100. Mountfort, G 1965. Portrait of a Desert. Collins, London. Nelson, JB 1973. Azraq: Desert Oasis. London. Wallace, DIM 1983. The breeding birds of the Azraq oasis and its desert surround, Jordan, in the mid-1960s. Sandgrouse 5: 1-18. Ian J Andrews, c/o British Embassy, PO Box 87, Amman, Jordan Postscript On 27 July 1991, the Jordanian Government announced its plan to dam Wadi Rajil, 45 km north of Azraq, to provide water for the bedu through the summer. Wadi Rajil is the single most important wadi feeding flood water into Azraq qa, having its source in Syrian Jebel Druz. Will this now see the end of the flooded qa? This autumn has also seen an increase in shooting at Azraq and the virtual drying up of the artesian marsh. IJA Turkey Bird Report: a request for records and notes for contributors Rod Martins and Richard Webb We are now seeking records for the Turkey Bird Report, covering the years 1987-1991. Some material has already been received. Observers are requested to submit records in systematic order, on one side of each sheet of paper only. 'Unusual' records and records of rarities should be accompanied by further details, including a description where appropriate. Please avoid submitting records in an unsystematic, semi-anecdotal form, such as photocopies of pages from notebooks. All records should include the names of the observers and highlight the address of one observer to whom any queries can be referred. The compilation of previous Turkey Bird Reports has been hindered by confusion over place names. This is because a) two or more widely 19 ser Jaddy (9) ue (9) sayerydny saddy (e) yey TIA sdiy ysipany (P) subi saddyy (9) asiy uelwejodosayy (q) sayeaydny eIPPIW (®) yoeq-qnos IA YOULIIZIYy (9) sulseg pasojouz (q) eAreyes (e) nese jenued) A suolbaJ-qns pue suoibas Burmoys ‘Aayin | *[ aanbiz snine | -Wuy (Pp) puejmo77 ueyfa (9) sniney uley,y (q) sminey Waysa/y (e) SspuepyjseoD waynes /l AWUUZ] (9) puejuy wiayseq (P) See a |eyseod wayseq (9) eyoyeuy Wiajsayy III PUBlU] Wie}82/\\ (4) [eyseo7) Wwiajsa/y (P) aoe1yy Il spueyseos eas yoUIG | Sy) OAD WOS od 73 osowsoW jo 20% separated locations may have the same name; b) a single locality may have different names on different maps; and c) place names on road signs may differ from those shown on maps. Therefore, please include details of the itinerary and a note of which map(s) were used for place names. Also, please try to assign records to the biogeographical region of Turkey shown on the map. We require records from the period to be covered by the next report (1987-1991) and also unsubmitted records for earlier years. Please send all records to the Turkey Bird Report Editorial Committee, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK. The publication of five Turkey Bird Reports, covering the period 1966- 1986, has greatly increased our knowledge of Turkish birds, but has also highlighted the gaps that remain. Understanding of the status and distribution (particularly breeding distribution) of many species remains incomplete. The following list therefore details those species for which records are particularly sought. Note that the list includes some species for which records are notoriously difficult to assess. RD Red Data Book species. These are considered to be threatened globally and were included in Birds to Watch: the ICBP World Checklist of Threatened Birds (Collar and Andrew 1988). V Vulnerable species in Europe. These are some of the 111 species classed by ICBP as vulnerable in Europe. They include some listed as ‘near threatened’ in Birds to Watch. Several birds of prey, and many species associated with wetlands, come in this category, but are not listed. Please submit all information on these threatened groups. Any observer visiting a wetland site is encouraged to submit an OSME Site Register form (available from the Secretary). U Status uncertain. This includes those species for which the status in at least one biogeographical region is uncertain, including those species which have been only recently discovered in Turkey. I Identification problematical. This category covers known pitfall species. Observers are asked to take particular care, both in the field and with the presentation of their observations. Written evidence may be essential for record assessment. This may be a full description, but in some cases may simply be confirmation that the observer is aware of the particular pitfalls and that enough was seen or heard to avoid them. Some species will fall into more than one category. For them, the codes are listed in order of importance. Records of rarities should always be submitted with full details (such species are not included in this list). Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica V Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo ULV Pygmy Cormorant P pygmeus RD 21 White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus Dalmatian Pelican P crispus Bittern Botaurus stellaris Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis White Stork Ciconia ciconia Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala Black Kite Milvus migrans Red Kite Milvus milvus White-tailed Eagle Haliaaetus albicilla Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus Black Vulture Aegypius monachus Goshawk Accipiter gentilis Sparrowhawk A nisus Levant Sparrowhawk A brevipes Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga Imperial Eagle A heliaca Bonelli's Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus Osprey Pandion haliaetus Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni Eleonora's Falcon Falco eleonorae Lanner F biarmicus Saker F cherrug Peregrine F peregrinus Causasian Black Grouse Tetrao mlokosiewiczi Caspian Snowcock Tetraogallus caspius Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Spotted Crake Porzana porzana Little Crake P Parva Baillon's Crake P pusilla Corncrake Crex crex Purple Gallinule Porphyrio porphyrio Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax Great Bustard Otis tarda Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni Red-wattled Plover Hoplopterus indicus Sociable Plover Chettusia gregaria White-tailed Plover C Leucura Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus Great Snipe Gallinago media Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii _ Lesser Black-backed Gull L fuscus Herring Gull L argentatus/cachinnans Armenian Gull L armenicus 22 GG << S S 2) Go) < at lk —I cS = Sele = = SCS (Sp Se Ce ~ ~ — Seee CC 4a). 6 23 The length of this list indicates the amount of work that still needs to be done, even in such a comparatively well-known country. It must be stressed, however, thatrecords, ee aan ies arerequired for all species, not just those listed above. Our knowledge of the breeding distribution of many Turkish birds is at best incomplete, and is absent for many regions. Even the simplest notes distinguishing breeding birds fromconspecificmigrants would be helpful. Rod Martins and Richard Webb, for the Turkish Bird Report Editorial Committee, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK Karapinar Ovasz1, a little-known Turkish IBA Guy Kirwan The Karapinar Ovasi, north-west of the town of Karapinar, Konya Province, is included in the recent list of Turkish Important Bird Areas (Ertan et al 1989; Grimmett and Jones 1989), although comparatively few data are available except during mid-winter. Van den Berk et al (1983) and Dijksen and Koning (1986) mention the apparently recent origin of this wetland, but thisis far from true. Djiksen and Koning do suggest that the water table in this plain is highly variable; they state that it was consistently higher in the 1980s than in the 1970s. The area, then rather confusingly labelled Tuzlu G6l, isincluded in a map prepared by Kiepert in 1911-12, which was itself based on information collected in the nineteenth century (Kilic and Kasparek 1990). The huge salt-pan at the centre of this virtually bare plain varies greatly in area and, to a lesser extent, depth. The lake regularly dries up completely or nearly so during the summer (Grimmett and Jones 1989). In winter, the normal water depth is half a metre or less, and it frequently freezes over completely. A visitin 1989 showed that the lake can, possibly through lack of rain, split into two or more main sections (G Magnin pers comm). Most ornithological data for the area are for the winter only, when the site isimportant for White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons and Ruddy Shelducks Tadorna ferruginea, which both feed and roost there (Grimmett and Jones 1989; G Magnin pers comm). 24 Few visits had been made in summer, until Warncke discovered a breeding colony of Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber in 1977 (Kilic 1988). Although this species has been recorded in the summer since then, breeding has not been recorded. Nevertheless, the huge size of the plain (19,000 hectares) and the problems of access caused by the soft mud surrounds of the lake may have prevented records. Also, Greater Flamingos are known to have a cycle of breeding sites, not necessarily using the same ones each year. Other breeding species include Ruddy Shelduck, Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii and, perhaps, Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris (Grimmett and Jones 1989). Together with Uygar Ozesmi, I visited this area, having been informed by locals around Hotamis that the Karapinar wetland was now perhaps amore important site. Certainly, the large number of hunters who travel fromas far as Istanbul and Syria, have, over the past two years, abandoned Hotamis Sazligi in favour of the bird-rich Karapinar Ovasi. Wespent two days here in April 1991, but the sticky mud prevented a full circuit of the lake or even making accurate counts from the southern side. We estimated the size of the lake at 6x7 km. We approached the area from the southwest, via Karapinar itself, rather than from the road to Gotoren which is east of the plain and which runs along the Karadja hills. This approach has, however, been used by most visiting birdwatchers as it allows a more complete view of the whole area. Following a small, reed-choked drainage canal (good for migrant passerines) about 5 km from Karapinar, we eventually reached an excellent reedbed Phragmites, intersected by small, apparently freshwater but possibly brackish lagoons. This area was surrounded by wet grassland and sedge Scirpus beds and was approximately 1x2 km in area. This surprised us, given the comments of Grimmett and Jones (1989). This marsh may be new, asit was not noticed in a visit in 1989 (G Magnin pers comm). The reeds may be harvested in the summer, making the marsh less noticeable in winter. During the two days we spent at Karapinar Ovasi, we recorded the following species. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 1 Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus 8 White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus 8 Bittern Botaurus stellaris 2 Possibly a pair seen, but no booming heard Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax 3 25 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides 9 Little Egret Egretta garzetta 23 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 5 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 21 White Stork Ciconia ciconia 148 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus 55 Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber 159 No signs of breeding Greylag Goose Anser anser 6 Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea 25 Principally in pairs Shelduck Tadorna tadorna 4 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 16 Garganey Anas querquedula 15 Red-crested pochard Netta rufina 1 Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus 10 Water Rail Rallus aquaticus 4 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 6 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 8 Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola 2 Kentish Plover Charadrius alaexandrinus 10 Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii 2 Lapwing Vanellus vanellus 4 Little Stint Calidris minuta c. 150 Ruff Philomachus pugnax c. 700 Snipe Gallinago gallinago 4 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa 8 Redshank Tringa totanus 1 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola 5 Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus 50 Slender-billed Gull Larus genei 50 No signs of breeding Little Tern Sterna albifrons 1 White-winged Black Tern Chlidontas leucopterus 30 Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis 15 Little Owl Athene noctua 1 Kingfisher Alcedo atthis 3 Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus 21 _ Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola 1 Migrant Whinchat Saxicola rubetra 1 Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinoides 4 Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon 10 Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus Common Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis 1 Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus c. 200 Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus 3 Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio 5 Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis c. 4,000 Roosting flock in canal reedbed Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus 10 More extensive surveys are required to clarify the ornithological importance of Karapinar Ovasi and the threats to it. Winter hunting is possibly intensive, but there appears to have been little agricultural development as yet. 26 References Berk V vd, Berk, N vd, Bijlsma, RG and Roder, FEd (1983) The importance of some wetlands in Turkey for transient and wintering birds in Turkey. WIWO Report 6, Zeist, The Netherlands. Dijksen, LJ and Koning, FJ (1986) Midwinter Waterfowl Census, Turkey, January 1986. WIWO Report 13, Zeist, The Netherlands. Ertan, A, Lilic, Aand Kasparek, M (1989) Turkiye’nin Onemili Kus Alanlan. Ikinci baski, Kasim. Grimmett, RFA and Jones, TA. (1989) Important Bird Areas in Europe. ICBP Technical Publication 9. Cambridge. Kilic, A (1988) The Eregli Marshes: A new nesting site for the Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber in Turkey. Zoology in the Middle East 2: 39-42. Kilic, A and Kasparek, M (1990) The Eregli Marshes (Turkey). Assessment of their biological importance and recommendations for conservation. Report for ICBP / WWF. Acknowledgments I should like to thank OSME for its financial support which enabled this project to run and to Uygar Ozesmi for his company in the field. Gernant Magnin (DHKD) supplied much useful discussion, as well as access to his unpublished fieldnotes on Karapinar. Guy Kirwan, 12 Carlton Avenue, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria LA13 9AU, UK Turkish IBAs: an appeal for information A list of possible additions to the Important Turkish Bird Areas has been prepared in collaboration with DHKD. Members wishing to visit these areas should contact Richard Webb or Guy Kirwan, c/o OSME, for further information. Any survey work undertaken will be used in the preparation of a new list of Turkish IBAs, which is to be compiled over the next two years. All contributions will be fully acknowledged. List of Important Turkish Bird Areas for which more information is required, and potential additions to the IBA list. IBA number ~ Abant Golu (40.370N, 31,15°E) and Yedigoller Lilli Parki (41.20°N, 31.500E)(Bolu)(Black Sea Coastlands). Forest areas. 12 Ilgaz Daglari (40.00°N, 33.40°E)(Kastamonou) (Black Sea Coastlands). Montane forest area. 27 15 13 16 50 19 32 23 30 o1 60 Kizilirmak Deltasi (40,35°N, 36.00°E)(Samsun)(Black Sea Coastlands). Coverage of western half especially. Kackar Daglari (40.35-41.10°N, 40.42-41.35°E)(Artvin)(Black Sea Coastlands). Montane forest area. Northeast Turkey (41.20°N, 41,30°E)(Artvin and Rize)(Black Sea Coastlands). Special attention to alpine habitat and remaining forest areas. Longoz Ormani (41.49°N, 27.59°E) (Kirkaleri)(Thrace). Pristine wetland and forest area with threat of tourist development. Taurus Mountains. Central part: forest areas on road Mut-Ermenek; western part: Koprulu Canyon (Antalya)(Southern Coastlands). Potentially important for vultures and forest species. Tourism may be damaging some areas. Akyatan Golu (36.39°N, 37.17°E)(Adana)(Southern Coastlands). Notes on water levels, the dunesystem and wader counts required. Topprakale (37.10°N, 36.10°E)(Adana)(Southern Coastlands). Potentially important raptor watchpoint. Amik Golu (36.23°N, 36.18°E)(Hatay)(Southern Coastlands). Drained during the 1960, but recent data lacking. Aksehir Golu (38.10°N, 31.28°E)(Konya, Ayfon)(Central Plateau). Boat required for survey. Golbek Golu (39.23°N, 32.55°E)(Ankara)(Central Plateau). Inland saline lake which initial observations suggest may be important. Tersakan Golu (38.37°N, 33.08°E)(Konya)(Central Plateau). Part of Tuz Golu complex which may be an IBA in its own right. Eregli Sazligi (37.30°N, 33.44°E)(Konya)(Central Plateau). Imminent plans for drainage. Sultansazligi (38.20°N, 35.15°E)(Kayseri)(Central Plateau). Dried up to large extent in past two years. Current extent of wetland habitat and it importance unknown. Demiryurt Goiu (39.53°0N, 37.36°E)(Sivas)(Central Plateau). Little Studied wetland. — Ceylanpinar (36.51°N, 40.03°E)(Urfa, Mardin)(Southeast). No recent data, but very important for bustards, including perhaps Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax. Nazik Golu (38.05°N, 42.20°E)(Bitlis)(East). Poorly known lake at western end of Van Golu. 28 a ———— 76 Arin Golu (38.49°N, 42.59°E)(Bitlis)(East). Potentially important for White-headed Ducks Oxyura leucocephala. - Hazapin Golu (41.11°N, 43.16°E)(Kars)(East). Potentially interesting wetland, no recent data. - Cildir Golu (41.02°N, 43.16°E)(Kars)(East). Interesting but underwatched wetland near Soviet border. More selected bird observations from Turkey, spring and summer 1990 Jonathan Eames From 29 June to 15 July 1990, I led a party of Naturetrek birdwatchers to the East and along the Black Sea Coastlands of Turkey. This note documents 23 species recorded during this period. Data are presented forall species listed by Harrapand Martins (1986), except Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus and the Lesser Black-backed/Herring Gull superspecies Larus fuscus/argentatus. All records are included for the 15 species included in Collar and Andrew (1988). In addition, records are included for selected species mentioned in Beaman (1986) and Martins (1989), where few documented records exist and the pattern of occurrence is unclear. Several breeding records are also included. Place-names and locations The spelling of place-names follows the 1:800 000map of Turkey produced by Media Print, Basim Ticaret AS, Harita ve Turistik Yayinlar, Istanbul (ISBN 975 7702 01 3), but the accents are omitted. The regional divisions used follow those of the Turkish Bird Report: Black Sea Coastlands: Dilberduzu, Kackar Dagi, Sumelas Manastiri, Yaylalar. East: Akdamar Adasi, Aygir Golu, Ahlat, Bendimaha, Caldiran, Cecirme, Dogubayazit, Ercek Golu, Golduzu Golu (Arin Golu), Gole, Golyuzu, Igdir, Ishak Pasa Sarayi, Kucuk Agri Dagi, Nemrut Dagi, Nemrut Golu, Van Golu. Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus Up to 15, Bendimaha Marsh, 5 July. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Flock of seven, near Igdir, 7 July. Velvet Scoter Melanitta nigra Six, Nemrut Golu in Nemrut Dagi, 3-4 July. One 29 pair fired on unsuccessfully by hunter, 3 July. White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala Three females or immatures, Golduzu Goiu (Arin Golu), 4 July. One female or immature, Bendimaha Marsh, 5 July. Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus One, Yaylalar, 10 July. Two or three, Dilberduzu, 11 July. One, near Dilberduzu, 12 July. All localities lie in the Kackar Dagi. Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni Up to 10 pairs nesting on Akdamar Adasi, Van Golu, 1 July. Lanner Falco biarmicus One, Aygir Golu, near Ahlat, 5 July. Saker Falco cherrug One Ercek Golu, 2 July. One, near Aygir Golu, 4 July. One, near Golduzu Golu (Arin Golu), 5 July. Caspian Snowcock Tetraogallus caspius One seen and up to four heard, near Dilberduzu, Kackar Dagi, 11 July. Great Bustard Otis tarda 23, near Golduzu Golu (Arin Golu), 4 July and 32 there on 5 July. Both sightings of single flocks on ploughed land at edge of cereal field. Caspian Tern Sterna caspia One, Aygir Golu, 5 July. White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus 30, including several first- summer individuals, Ercek Golu, 2 July. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops superciliosus Seven, 17 km east of Igdir, 7 July. Breeding suspected. Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major One female, near Gole, 8 July. Sand Martin Riparia riparia 150, drinking at small pool near Golduzu Golu (Arin Golu), 4 July. (24 *fGacew ver Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola One male, Ercek Golu, 2 July. Alpine Accentor Prunella ocularis Common around Dilberduzu, Kackar Dagi, 10- 12 July. Bluethroat Luscinia svecica One, north of Cladiran, 5 July. One, Ishak Pasa Sarayi, 6 July. Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka One male, near Golyuzu, Kucuk Agri Dagi, 6 July. Green Warbler Phylloscopus nitidus Adult feeding young, Sumelas Manastiri, 13 July. : Rock Nuthatch Sitta neumayer At least two pairs, near Cevirme, Kucuk Agri Dagi, 6 July. Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria Pair feeding young, near Yaylalar, 9 and 12 July. Two, Dilberduzu, 11 July. One, near Dilberduzu, 12 July. All localities lie within the Kackar Dagi. Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseus Many flocks of five to 50 individuals along roadside between Dogubayazit and Igdir, 7 July. 30 References Beaman, M (Ed) 1986. Turkey: Bird Report 1976-1981. Sandgrouse 8: 1-41. Collar, NJ and Andrew, P 1988. Birds to Watch; the ICBP World Checklist of Threatened Birds. |CBP, Cambridge. Harrap, S and Martins, RP 1986. Turkish Bird Report 1982-1986. Sandgrouse 11: 1-41. Jonathan Eames, 17 Brookside Drive, Oadby, Leicester LE2 4PB, UK Compiled by Simon Albrecht News and Information The aim cf this section is to inform our readers about events in the OSME region. It is not intended as a definitive report or write up of the projects concerned. Most of the projects are sponsored; such support is appreciated, but is not generally acknowledged here. The Gulf Fires out Many of the oil wells set on fire during the Gulf war have already been extinguished, and a British team, the last to join the international effort, will fly out on 15 October to help. Suleiman Muttawa, the Emir of Kuwait's special envoy, said on BBC Radio's Today programme on 2 October 1991 that all the oil well fires would be out by January 1992. We can only hope that work on the other environmental problems starts soon. Atmospheric pollution The Guardian newspaper on 2 August reported the extent of atmospheric pollution resulting from the oil well fires in the Gulf. Smoke was reported 2,400 km from buring wells, with temperature distortions noted up to 1,000 km away. It was covering anarea of 15,000 km?, and rising to 5,000 m. We can only guess at the effects on wildlife. The breakdown by country was as follows: Kuwait Smoke cloud at desest; animals reported dying in desert; inhabitants reporting asthma attacks, increased 31 lung disease and skin complaints; regional temperatures reported to be 10-15°C below normal. Iraq Black rain; fear of reduced growing season; particle fall-out and rise in water acidity affecting cropsand forests expected. Saudi Arabia Reports of smoke and black rain; changes in regional temperatures south to Riyadh. Gulf states Reports of smoke and increased air pollution. Iran Black rain reported from early March in Dexful in north and Kernan, Shiraz, Genavahand Bushehrin south; smoke in Lut desert; fears for growing season; soot dumped in mountains and washed into water supplies; threat to 2.5 million hectares of semi-arid forest along Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman. Afghanistan Black rain and smoke reported. Pakistan Black rain in Balochistan in April. India Late March, skiers in Himalayas, 3,000 km from Kuwait, reported black snow 5 cm thick in Kashmir, giving rise to fear of floods due to premature melting. Turkey Black rain and smoke reported. Early March, Governor of Adana state orders residents not to use rain water or let animals drink it; soot dumped in mountains and washed into water supplies. Bulgaria Black rain and smokereported. USSR Black rain and smoke reported in south. Great Knot in the Gulf Following the report of a Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris in Bahrain (Bull 26: 21), we now have a report of 107 at Tarut Bay, Saudi Arabia, on 9 April 1991. Asingleindividual wasalso seen therein the second week of May. These observations were made during the ICBP/RSPB/OSME assessment of damage caused by the war for Kuwait. A paper is planned on the status of Great Knot in the Middle East (east to Pakistan). If you have any records or other information that could be included, please send them to Mike Carr, c/o OSME. Turkey The Pontic Mountain forests Thelackofknowledge about the status of forests in Turkey has been a cause for concern for many years (eg Bull. 18:29). Wenow havesome preliminary observations from Guy Kirwan on forests in the Pontic Mountains, in the Black Sea Coastlands. West of Unye (on the coast between Samsun and Ordu), most of the accessible forest appears to have been felled, except in the national parks, suchas Abant.Some of this area has been replanted with deciduous trees, such as oaks, which appear to be cropped on a 15-year rotation. East of Unye, large areas of forest remain. Enquiries are continuing both in Turkey and elsewhere with a view to providing a fuller account. If you can help, please contact OSME's Turkey Officer. Dalmatian Pelicans and Greater Flamingos Dalmatian Pelicans Pelecanus crispus bred at four Turkish locations in 1991, with a total of 152 adults and 100 juveniles. They did not, apparently, breed in the Kizilirmak Delta, where a maximum of four adults were seen. Greater Flamingos bred at Tuz Golu, where 3,500 juveniles were seen. Breeding was also confirmed at the freshwater marsh of Eregli Sazligi. Hotamis Golu Guy Kirwan visited Hotamis Golu in the spring. In 1985, the Turkish Water Authority built an irrigation canal from the lake towards the Tuz Golu basin. This has resulted in over half the lake being drained. Some 7-8,000 hectares remain. This area holds small number of Pygmy Cormorants Phalacrocorax pygmeus and is important for White- headed Ducks Oxyura leucocephala and Marbled Ducks Marmaronetta angustirostris. Although some villagers continue the traditional reed harvest outside the breeding season, others burn reeds in an uncontrolled way, to provide grazing. This is a threat to nesting herons and to the traditional reed harvest. The wetland is probably safe for the _ next 10 years, as it is used to store 32 excess rainwater. After this, its use will be reviewed. Burdur Golu Burdur Golu was declared a Special Protection Area by the Turkish Government at the beginning of 1991. Among other species, the lake is important for its wintering White- headed Ducks. Some 10,927 were counted there in February 1991. Egypt Bird catching in North Sinai Sherif Baha El Dinand Waheed Salama, from ICBP, investigated bird catching activities along the north Sinai coast in autumn 1990. Probably over 200,000 Quails Coturnix coturnix were caught along 170 kilometres of shoreline during the 1990 season. In addition, over 1,000 birds of prey of 12 species were caught by a variety of sophisticated methods, plus about 30,000 passerines; so-called non-target species. The ICBP team recommended recommend a law banning trade in birds of prey in Egypt: capture and killing birds of prey is already illegal. At present, itis impossible to takeaction against anyone selling wild-caught birds of prey in the markets. The team also proposed that the ban on Quail hunting inthe Zaranik nature reserve area (about 17 kilometres of shoreline) be continued, and that it be coupled to ornithological and ecological research in the area. This proposal is both realistic and practicable, and would provide a cornerstone for future action in north Sinai. — The results of the study have been published as ICBP Study Report 45. It includes maps, diagrams and photographs, and is available (price£5 including surface mail postage) from ICBP, 32 Cambridge Road, Girton, Cambridge CB3 OPJ, UK. Maltese hunting tours Following the banning of package holiday hunting tours to Egypt from Malta (Bull. 24: 20), one of the Maltese companies involved, Spinx Tours, has now sued the Malta Ornithological Society for £52,000 loss of income. The court froze the society's assets, and it was unable to pay its bills until it was lent £20,000 by the RSPB, following appeals from ICBP. We hear that Spinx Tours failed to show up at a recent court hearing, which may be a sign that they aregoing to relent. Meanwhile the Malta Ornithological Society desperately needs more funds. If you can help or want further information, please contact Georgina Green, ICBP, 32 Cambridge Road, Girton, Cambridge CB3 OPJ, UK. Ramsar monitoring mission to visit Egyptian Wetland of international importance In October 1991, Cairo will host a meeting of the countries that have signed the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution. This includes a protocol on Mediterranean Specially Protected Areas. This has prompted the Deputy Secretary-General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, together with ICBP and WWF representatives, to visit both Egyptian Ramsar sites: Lake Burullus in the Nile Delta and Lake Bardawil in north Sinai. They will investigate the ecological state of the sites which continue to be threatened by increasing pollution, drainage, land fill and fish farms. OSME News Thirteenth Annual General Meeting The thirteenth AGM was held on 20 July 1991, at the Natural History Museum, London. Over 80 people attended the meeting and were treated to anenjoyable programme of talks; enhanced by having speakers from the Middle East. Mindy Baha El Din gave a full account of the problems and efforts towards conservation in Egypt. Charles Pilcher described a depressing picture of the state of oil pollution occurring as a result of the Gulf War. Nigel Cleere used slides and audio tapes in a comprehensive review of Middle Eastern nightjars. Finally, Nergis Yazgan presented a dynamic talk on conservation in Turkey, and showed how DHKD are putting forward reasoned arguments for the protection of wildlife-rich sites, especially in tourist development areas. In the AGM, the Chairman explained that because of the Gulf War, the OSME expedition to southern Yemen had been delayed to 1993. However, OSME was planning a major initiative to Turkey in 1992 (details to be announced). Hilary and Geoff Welch were to represent OSME at a meeting with DHKD and WIWO in Turkey in 1991, when various conservation topics would be debated. The task of gathering data for the Important Bird Areas in the Middle East, announced at the twelfth AGM, was to start in September 1991. Various changes in Council membership had taken place during the year, and the Chairman was pleased to welcome Richard Grimmett, Guy Kirwan and Stan Howe as new Council members. The nominations of Professor Abdulaziz H Abuzinada, Secretary General of the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Shaika Noora Bint Isa BinSulman Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Natural History Society, as Vice Presidents were warmly welcomed. The full list of OSME Officers is given below. Vice-presidents Prof Dr Abdulaziz H Abuzinada Sir Derek Barber ° Prof Dr W Buttiker Major MD Gallagher _ Shaika Noora Bint Isa Bin Sulman A] Khalifa Prof H Mendelssohn Dr G Tohme Sir William Wilkinson Mrs N Yazgan Council Members S Mark Andrews Publicity Officer Dr Mark Boyd Bulletin Editor Duncan J Brooks Sandgrouse Editor Major David JR Counsell Treasurer Richard FA Grimmett _ Peter C Heathcote Secretary Phil AD Hollom Stan Howe Mike C Jennings Guy Kirwan 34 Tom Nightingale Richard Porter Chairman, Conservation Research Committee Dr Michael RW Rands Chairman Richard Webb Turkey Officer Mrs Hilary Welch Co-opted Members Mrs Irene Hutson Postal Clerk Ms Chris Tucker Membership Secretary Mrs FE Warr Sales Officer Geoff R Welch Librarian Others Mike I Evans Middle East IBA Co-ordinator Rod P Martins Turkish Bird Report Co-ordinator Retiring Council members This year's AGM saw theretirement by rotationoftwolong-standing and outstanding members of OSME Council. Simon Albrecht has served the Society faithfully since its inception. For a number of years, he painstakingly and thoroughly dealt with and developed OSME's sales and throughout his time as a Council member he has always broughta great deal of original thought and perceptiveness to meetings, from which the Society has benefited. We shall miss his contributions in no small measure, but have no doubt he will remain a committed member of the Society. Geoff Welch has also made a quite outstanding contribution to OSME. His thoughtfuland considered remarks are always sharp and to the point and in his own quiet way he has contributed a great deal to the Society over the last few years. Together with his wife, Hilary, Geoff has worked wonders as joint Honorary Secretary and as Librarian, where his meticulousness and hard work have served the Society far beyond the call of duty. Council has agreed to co-opt Geoff for a further year, and he is happy to continue to look after the library for this time. Sadly, we also lost one Council member and one co-opted member this year. Chris Bowden, who was Chairman of the Conservation Research Committee, and Elizabeth Smith, who was co-opted as Membership Secretary for a while, left the UK to work on the ICBP Kupe Mountain Forest conservation programme in Cameroon. They both made lively and productive contributions to OSME, and we wish them well with their efforts in Cameroon. Weare very grateful to all these individuals for helping to shape OSME's growth and development. Mike Rands 35 Fourteenth Annual General Meeting The fourteenth OSME AGM willbe held on the afternoon of Saturday 11 July 1992, in the Lecture Theatre, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London, UK. Further details will be published in Bulletin 28. Subscription renewals Many members find it more convenient to pay their annual subscription by Bankers Order, and it certainly helps us. All UK members will have recieved a Bankers Order and Covenant form with their subscription reminder. If you can, please change to this method of payment. If youcan fill in the covenant section (UK tax-payers only), OSME will benefit even more, as we can claim back the income tax you paid on your £7. If any overseas members have a bank account in the UK and would like to pay their subscription by Bankers Order, please write to the Membership Secretary for a form. Special Gulf meeting, 14 November 1991 The Flora and Fauna Preservation Society and the British Ornithologists’ Union have joined OSME for an evening meeting considering the environmental aftermath of the war in the Gulf. The two speakers are Andrew Price, the Special Advisor to the Marine Programme of IUCN, and OSME's Chairman and ICBP Programme Director, Dr Michael Rands. The meeting will be held at the Meeting Rooms, Zoological Society of London, at 6 pm on Thursday 14 November 1991. Tickets are available at £6 each (cheques payable to FFPS) from FFPS, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR. The ticket price includes a wine and cheese buffet. Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope, and note that tickets are not available from the OSME address. OSME tour to Egypt Due to the war in the Gulf, the OSME/Sunbird tour to Egypt planned for last April had to be cancelled. We are pleased to announce that the tour will be offered again in April 1992, following the same itinerary, but on slightly later dates. The tour will run from 2-12 April and will be led by Mike Everett and Sherif Baha El Din. The tour will visit most of Egypt's _ well-known birdwatching sites, including Suez, Wadi Natrun, the Nile at Luxor and Aswan, Abu Simbel and Hurghada on the Red Sea coast. Spring migration will be at its peak, and the tour should see a good variety of migrating raptors, waders and passerines, as well as Egypt's resident birds. Egyptian specialities should include Black-winged Kite 36 ape GF ov T 08 oe OTAU OY? ae ° ene he . OVO see ° : ° 34 to eo a Te I OG a OR weet he Elanus caeruleus Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis, Senegal Thick- knee Burhinus senegalensis, Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius, Sooty Larus hemprichit and White-eyed Gulls L leucopthalmus, Swift Sterna bergii and Lesser Crested Terns S bengalensis, Senegal Coucal Centropus senegalensis and Nile Valley Sunbird Anthreptes metallicus. The tour will also visit the main historical sites, including the Valley of the Kings, the temples at Philae, Abu Simbel and Karnak, the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. OSME members qualify for a 10% discount on the tour price, reducing it to about £1,520. In addition, OSME members receive priority booking and until 1 November only OSME members may book for the tour. We hope that the tour will provide OSME members with an opportunity to birdwatch in a structured way in one of the most ornithologically famous of the Middle Eastern countries. For full details of the tour, please write to Sunbird, PO Box 76, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DF, UK. Telephone (0767) 682969. Please make sure that you mention your OSME membership when making your booking or enquiry. Cover auction The original pen-and-ink drawing for the front cover of this Bulletin, passerines flying through the Gulf war zone, by Mark Andrews, measuring 13x13 cm, is forsaleina postal auction. The proceeds will go to the Conservation Research Fund. Please send your bid (no money at this stage) to Cover Auction, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK; to arrive by 31 December 1991. If your bid is successful, we will inform youimmediately, and send the drawing onreceipt of a cheque. 37 Requests Oiled birds The massive oil slicks released in the Gulf in January and February caused large-scale mortality of wintering seabirds, waders and other waterfowl. The oil lakes and riversin Kuwait are also takingaconsiderable toll. Considerablenumbers of conspicuously oiled birds did not, however, die immediately and will have dispersed and migrated away from the war zone this spring. Huge numbers of spring migrants have also been covered in oily soot while flying through the immense smoke clouds in the northern Gulf. The same is now happening this autumn. The International Council for Bird Preservation is urgently seeking information on the impact of the Gulf War on bird populations in the region, and should like to hear of any observations of oiled or 'sooted' birds away from the immediate impact zone of Kuwait and the Saudi Arabian Gulf coast: ie central Europe, the eastern Mediterranean, the USSR, eastern Africa and other parts of the Middle East. Suchinformation will be immensely valuable in assessing the true effects of this war on bird populations. Please send information to: Mike Evans, ICBP, 32 Cambridge Road, Girton, Cambridge CB3 OPJ, UK. Telephone 0223 277318. Fax 0223 277200. Photographs for Sandgrouse If you can lend good photographs of any of the following for possible publication in forthcoming Sandgrouse papers, please send details, or the pictures themselves, as soonas possible, to the Sandgrouse Editor, Duncan J Brooks, c/o British Museum (Natural History), Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 6AP, UK. (Telephone 081 5203943 home; 0442 890125 office) Photographs will be welcomed in any form, though good quality black-and-white prints or colour slides are best; all will be returned. Unfortunately, responsibility for loss or damage cannot be accepted, though all material will be carefully looked after. Crane Grus grus showing birds and dark morph from basalt of Jordan/ wintering habitats in Israel Syria Radde's Dunnock Prunella ocularis Kruiper's Nuthatch Sitta krueperi Yemen Dunnock P fagani . House Crow Corvus splendens Black-throated Dunnock P atrogularis | Ruppell's Weaver Ploceus galbula Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleia Volunteers wanted in Turkey Volunteers are wanted for two surveys of birds in Turkey. The first, the WIWO survey of breeding birds and migration at the Kizilirmak Delta, 38 runs between mid-March and mid-June 1992. This survey is organised by WIWO, but OSME volunteers who can spend at least two weeks in the field would be most welcome. The second survey is planned for spring 1993. It will cover Great Bustards Otis tarda breeding throughout Turkey. DHKD will have close involvement with the planning and fieldwork of this project. The status of Great Bustards in Turkey in recent years is uncertain. The effects of increased hunting and agricultural change give particular cause for concern, and this survey should clarify the species’ status. If you are interested in taking part in either or both of these surveys, please write to Guy Kirwan, c/o OSME. Please include a CV stating relevant experience and skills (eg mechanic, ringer), and availability. Gazelles in Yemen and southern Saudi Arabia To clarify the taxonomy of gazelles in the Arabian Peninsula, we should like to collect information about the dark forms occurring in Yemen and the south of Saudi Arabia. Gazelles like that in the photograph are breeding at the National Wildlife Research Centre in Taif, Saudi Arabia. This taxon could be Gazella bilkis, described as a new species by Groves and Lay (1985, Mammalia 49: 27-36) on the basis of specimens from Yemen, or more probably a dark subspecies of Gazella gazella. The status of Gazella bilkis and of this uncertain subspecies is unclear, but, in view of the paucity of information, they could be endangered. G bilis or G gazella, Taif, Saudi Arabia, May 1991 (Photograph NWRC) The main sightings of Gazella bilkis were in the area of Ta'izz, North Yemen. If thisisa dark subspecies of Gazella gazella, its originis unknown. Any information about these taxa - taxonomy, distribution, sightings, photographs, contacts of people concerned - will be useful for co- ordinating international conservation measures. If you can help, please write to Arnaud Greth, National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, PO Box 1086, Taif, Saudi Arabia. 39 PG Be 9 Spy p17 hb GGL; Ney = ti /7* LB a £7 LAD y Uf, oS Announcements MEDMARAVIS Conference 1992 Next year's conference theme is Management of Island and Coastal Ecosystems in the Mediterranean. It will take place on the island of Chios, Greece, from 15-20 September 1992. There are eight conference sessions: importance of existing coastal parks and reserves; known populations of infralittoral ecosystems; management of beach and dune ecosystems; managements of coastal wetlands; ecological monitoring of small islands; plans and policies for major Mediterranean ecosystems; and projects for sustainable development. There will be specialised workshops and poster sessions which will deal with ecological research on the Mediterranean fauna, especially seabird. For conference registration and further details, please contact: Xaver Monbailliu, MEDMARAVIS, BP 2, 83470 Saint Maximin, France. Wetland and waterfowl conservation in south and west Asia, Karachi, Pakistan, 14-20 December 1991 The above conference and symposium, organised by the International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau, the National Council for the Conservation of Wildlife (Pakistan) and the Asian Wetland Bureau, will have sessions on the following topics: status of Asian wetlands and waterfowl; wetlands and waterfowl conservation and management; wetland and waterfowl management and research needs; and international cooperation and action. If you are interested in attending, please write immediately to IWRB, Slimbridge, Gloucester GL2 7BX, UK. “ee a Reviews as = ZEEE The conservation of western Lesser Kestrel populations By Jean- Pierre Biber. International Council for Bird Preservation Study Report No 41: Spiral bound 46pp. The Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni is a small, gregarious falcon which was once common in many towns and villages in the Mediterranean Basin. During the last 30 years, its population has crashed in large parts of its Western Palearctic breeding range. It has apparently disappeared as a breeding species from six countries. This concise report provides an overview of the current status of the _ western Lesser Kestrel populations. The author examines the reasons for the decline: thought to be loss of hunting habitat and nesting sites. Open grassland and shrub areas are increasingly converted to intensive agriculture or built development. Older buildings are being demolished or renovated to modern designs that no longer providenesting niches. Furthermore, the large-scale application of pesticides in modern agriculture 40 dramatically reduces prey availability. Spain is believed still to hold the major breeding population within the region. This important report summarises the biology, habitat and nesting requirements of the species, and highlights large gaps in our knowledge of its ecology. Little is known about the migration routes of the different Lesser Kestrel populations or of their ecology in their African winter quarters. The author lists a number of conservation recommendations and suggests areas requiring further research. Although the general situation revealed in this review is depressing, it is hoped that the habitat conservation measures outlined will benefit a number of other species such as White Storks Ciconia ciconia, Great Bustards Otis tarda, Little Bustards Tetrax tetrax, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata and Gull-billed Terns Gelochelidon nilotica. Nick P Williams Birds of Israel. Computerized Bird Identification System and Ornithological Data Base/ Encyclopedia. Eds Ron Frumkin, Noah Rotary and Tzila Ahariv. Published by A Sapir, 19 Dov Hoz Street, 44356 Kfar Saba, Israel. This computer database contains basic information about 464 Israeli birds: size, sexual dimorphism, distribution, nesting habits, scientific names etc. In fact, it containsas much accurate information as many bird books, butina farless usable form. Computer software has a long way to go before it can really help bird identification. The identification and encyclopediac functions of the software are accessed in different ways: looking up the characteristics of unknown birds can lead to their identification; or it can be used almost asa book by using the index screens to find details of a particular species. Unfortunately, the identification route is clumsy and has many pitfalls. I found that even if I knew the species, the software would often lead me in completely the wrong direction. The idea is that when you see a bird, you can narrow its identification down by entering the data of your observation. For example, a bird nestbuilding in July will not be solely a winter visitor to Israel, sothe programme then excludes winter visitors from your consideration. The identification can be narrowed further by a series of similar choices, with the hope that eventually you have entered enough information to lead to one species. It is, however, very easy to make the ‘wrong’ choice just because of the particular circumstances of an observation. Identification through keys can be successful for many groups, particularly plants and invertebrates, but has never proved satisfactory for birds. Books have tried the approach and at least have the advantage of being able to include pictures to confirm the identification. Even if the limitations of a keyed approach to bird identification are ignored, this software is poor. The encyclopediac side of the programme has about 70 data entries for each bird, but many of these are abbreviated and poorly laid out. 41 Despiteits being designed to run onallcomputers with DOS 2.0 or higher, I found that the programme would not operate on three out of four supposedly suitable systems, and would often ‘hang.’ The help screens are often inadequate and the documentation is poorly produced. Despite the claims in the manual, this software is neither revolutionary nor remarkably user-friendly. It is, however, supplied in a durable rigid case. Mark Boyd Zoology in the Middle East, Volume 4. 1990. Edited by Ragnar Kinzelbach and Max Kasparek. Heidelberg. DM 25. This is the fourth issue of this increasingly regular journal, it now being the stated aim of the editors to makea virtually annual publication. Previous reviews (Bull. 19:40-41; 25:36-37) have outlined the scope of the journal. Fourteen papers are presented in the 120 pages of the present volume, the contents being divided as follows: mammals (two papers), birds (four), insects (three), crustacea (one), arachnids (one), leeches (one), molluscs (one), parasites (one) and scyphozoa (one). A welcome development is the increasing number of papers submitted by Middle East nationals and residents. The subjects of the four bird papers are as follows: On the distribution and status of the Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus in Cyprus; First record of the Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus in Turkey; On the migration of the Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus in Turkey; and On the migration of the Whimbrel in Bulgaria. The paper on Black Francolins is a useful contribution to knowledge of the species’ status in the eastern Mediterranean. The Storm Petrel paper is only a short communication, and, unfortunately, only brief identification characters are presented for this important but not unexpected record. The two papers dealing with Whimbrel migration comprise the main body of bird-related material. Both are interesting and informative, although one may say with the benefit of recent hindsight that the species is distinctly more common in Turkey than Kasparek suggests. Nonetheless, the main points, including the timing and concentration of migration are correct. Two other papers will be of interest to birders: Notes on mammals (Insectivora, Rodentia) taken by the Tawny Owl Strix aluco in N.W. Turkey; and Flat-worms of two species of gull (Larus ichthyaetus and L Canus)[Great Black-headed and Common Gulls] from Basrah, Iraq. Another paper, Historical record of a Tiger Panthera tigris (Linnaeus 1758), in Iraq, also interested me. The journal continues to act as a useful vehicle for shorter papers on a range of topics that may otherwise not be published. It is typically well produced, and the material well presented, justifying its cost of just under £10. The continued preponderance of bird papers dealing with Turkish ornithology, in partno doubt resulting from the interests in one half of the editorial team, will satisfy (but never 42 satiate) the avid Turcophile. The journal will, however, be unlikely to gain the readership of OSME members with a more general interest in the region. Guy Kirwan te Around the Region This section details recent bird sightings within the OSME region. Whenever possible, the significance of the record will be included. Records are published for interest only, and their publication here neither implies acceptance nor rejection by the records committee of the relevant country. Any OSME member is welcome to contribute to this feature, and we are particularly keen to hear fromanyone resident in the Middle East who could submit records. To submit records for Bulletin 28, covering the period September 1991 to February 1992, please write to: Around the Region, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK. Closing date for records is 15 February 1992. Compiled by Guy Kirwan All dates refer to 1991, unless otherwise stated; and all records refer to single individuals unless numbers are given. Bahrain Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus Bahrain Fort, 30 January. First winter record (see Bull 26:59). E Hirschfeld Baillon's Crake Porzana pusilla Janabiyah reeds, 12 April. Rare migrant. E Hirschfeld Corncrake Crex crex Janabiyah reeds, 5 May. Rare migrant, not annual. E Hirschfeld Crab Plover Dromas ardeola ASRY, 10- 12 June, and four adults, ASRY, 4 August. Annual May to September, but uncommon. E Hirschfeld Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus Flock of 45, Muharraq,5 March. Largest flock. E Hirschfeld Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta Flock of seven, Dumistan, 16 May First record for Bahrain. E Hirschfeld Palm Dove Streptopelia senegalensis Three to four individuals, displaying and holding territory, Riffa, from April. E Hirschfeld Namaqua Dove Oena capensis Male, Sakhir, 23 March, Male, Dadan Farm, 9 43 May, male Muharraq, 12 March. E Hirschfeld, N Chapman Small Skylark Alauda gulgula Wintering flocks, Badan Farm and Muharragq (Bull 26:23), last seen 1 April and 15 March respectively. E Hirschfeld Richard's Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae Wintering flock, Muharraq (Bull 26: 23), last seen 14 April. E Hirschfeld Eversmann's Redstart Phoenicurus erythronotus Male, Arad, 15 February, possible same as January individual. This makes possibly fiveduring winter 1990/91 (see Bull 26: 24). E Hirschfeld Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha Female, Gebel Dukhan, 10 March Rare winter visitor. M Adlam, N Chapman, E Hirschfeld Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon Janabiyah reeds, 9 March. Third record, previous ones, September 1969 and December 1974. E Hirschfeld Grey Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus Male Hamed town, 24 March. First spring record of this locally common autumn migrant. E Hirschfeld, N Chapman Pale Rock Sparrow Petronia brachydactyla At least five, Jasra Farm, 13 March, two Refinery wadi, 8 April; and three, Hamad town, 28 April. Scarce, not annual spring migrant. Dr WRP Bourne, E Hirschfeld Cinereous Bunting Embiriza cineracea Seven recorded between 10 and 23 April with flocks of Ortolan Buntings E hortulanus. Probably overlooked spring migrant. E Hirschfeld Israel Ethiopian Swallow Hirundo aethiopica Beit-Shean, March, trapped and ringed with Swallow H rustica roost. First Israeli and West Palearctic record da (details will be published in Sandgrouse in due course). per Ron Frumkin Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides Metsuba, northern Israel, 21 April, trapped and ringed. Third record, others were in April 1982 and April 1983. per Yakov Langer Qatar Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis Seen with young, Slawa Pools, 12-14 May. Casual breeder. RJ Shepherd Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyrocaUmm Said, March. Uncommon winter visitor. RJ Shepherd Garden Warbler Sylvia borin Doha, April 12. Uncommon passage migrant, early in comparison with UAE. RJ Shepherd Saudi Arabia : Arabian Red-legged Partridge Alectoris melanocephala Pair, Jebel Figrah (Between Yanbu and Medina), 4-5 April. Reconfirmation of northerly range extension, prior to 1989 known only south of Taif. BS Meadows Little Tern Sterna albifrons Four, Wadi Rabigh, 31 May. Status uncertain in western Arabia; All breeding littleterns appear to be Saunders’ Little Tern S saundersit. BS Meadows Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinit Three Hadirah (140 km north of Medina, 23 May. First record from this locality. BS Meadows Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles exustus Rabigh, 31 May. First record here since Bates (1936). BS Meadows Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata Four, Hadirah, 24 May. First located here in 1990 (Bull 25: 45). BS Meadows Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur Breeding ‘colony' of 20 pairs, Hadiah, 23-24 May. Hitherto unrecorded from this locality. Species has been noted breeding at several isolated localities innorth-west Arabia over the past three years, the sub-species is St arenicola. BS Meadows 45 Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius Yanbu al Sinaiyah, 24 February. First spring record; Two previous autumn records form the Western Province. per L Vickers Striated Scops Owl Otus brucei Four showing characters of this species, Yanbu al Sinaiyah, 2 January-11 February. Note that Scops Owls Otus scops resembling Striated Scops have wintered here in recent years. BS Meadows Hume's Tawny Owl Strix butleri Yanbu al Sinaiyah, 25-26 January. New locality. BS Meadows Nubian Nightjar Caprimulgus nubicus Wadi Rabigh, 25 July. New locality. BS Meadows Arabian Woodpecker Dendrocopos dorae Jebel Fignah, 5 April. New locality, one two other sites known north of Taif. BS Meadows Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis Up to four, Yanbu al Sinaiyah, 24-31 January. First winter records from this locality. BS Meadows Stonechat Saxicola torquata Yanbu al Sinaiyah, 13 January. First winter record at Yanbu of regular passage migrant. BS Meadows Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens Two pairs (Ol lugens?), between Doha and Tabuk in sandstone outcrops (Hisma formation), 1-2 May. New breeding locality, only found in this biotope in 1986 (Bull 26:63). BS Meadows African Reed Warbler Acrocephalus baeticatus Up to 30 pairs in mangroves, Yanbu al Sinaiyah, March to April. This species was discovered here in 1984, with specimens obtained in 1986 (see Bull BOC 109: 36-43). BS Meadows Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis Eighteen, Fort Farrah, 15 February; up to 150 Yanbu al Bahr, 21 February to 3 March. Only second winter influx in 11 years recording around Yanbu. BS Meadows Pale Rock Sparrow Petronia brachydactyla Four hundred, Wadi Rabigh, 1 March. Only two previous records by this observer in the Hejaz since 1984, and the largest flock to date. BS Meadows Rtippell's Weaver Ploceus galbulaTwo colonies nest-building, Wadi Qudah (near Masturah), 22 March; nine nests, Rabigh, 35 July Previously unrecorded north of latitude 22°N. BS Meadows United Arab Emirates Greylag Goose Anseranser Two, Zabeel eater treatment plant, Dubai, 22 March to 9 April. Larger wild flock reported in palace grounds near Dubai during - same period. C Richardson, K Hyland Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea Two, Ramtha tip, Sharjah, 10 May. Seventh UAE record. S Turner, C Richardson, J] Bannon Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus Three young (second year) males, summering in fodder fields, All Habab, 19 July to 9 August. Only fifth positive record of males in UAE. C Richardson, E Hirschfeld et al . Sooty Falcon Falco concolor Flying over alfalfa field, Digdaga, 21 March. First mainland record for seven years. C Richardson Quail Coturnix coturnix Up to six, calling in field at Digdaga, 22 March to 5 April, but not after harvest in mid- April. First breeding evidence. C Richardson,] Bannon | Corncrake Crex crex Saffa park, 23-27 March; another there, 13 May; Sir Bani Yas Island, 2-3 May; and one with injured leg, Emirates golf course, 7 May. Less than 10 previous records. J Bannon, C Richardson Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus New Dubai creek golf course, 20 August, and two there, 27 August. Rare, seldom lingering on passage in UAE. C Richardson Dotterel Charadrius morinellus Emirates golf course, 18 July. Thirteenth UAE record. C Richardson Sabine's Gull Larus sabint Summer plumaged individual, Ramtha tip, 24 June to 26 July. First record for UAE and probably Arabia. C Richardson Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur 240 feeding onalfalfa stubble (with c. 7,000 Collared Doves S_ decaocto), Hamraniyah, 16 May. Noteworthy numbers. C Richardson Namaqua Dove Oena capensis Asab, 3- 29 April; Digdaga, 19 April; and Bu Hasa, 6 May. Only five previous records, butapparently becoming more common. L Reaney, J] Bannon, C Richardson - Long-billed Pipit Anthea similis Up to 46 three, Masafi, 15-22 February; one in song there, 4-16 April. First breeding record since 1972. C Richardson, ] Bannon Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni Bu Hasa, 14 April. Fifth UAE record. D Robinson Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia Bu Hasa, 3 April; Saffa park, 23 April and 10-11 May; Emirates golf course, 25 April. Less than 10 previous confirmed records. D Robinson, J Bannon, C Richardson Whinchat Saxicola rubetra Sixty, Abu al Abyadh, and 13, Emirates golf course, 17 May (sites 170 km apart). Exceptionally heavy passage. R Morris, C Richardson Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus Bu Hasa, 23 April. Scarceand probably overlooked. D Robinson Starling Sturnus vulgaris Two adults with three juveniles, in field at Hamraniyah, Ras al Khaimah, 28June. First evidence of breeding in Arabia. C Richardson Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis Flocks of upto 10 at Hamraniyah fields, 5 Apriland 28June;two juveniles there with House Sparrow P domesticus flocks, 16 August. First breeding evidence for UAE. C Richardson, J] Bannon Pale Rock Sparrow Petronia brachydactyla Heaithy passage, 10 March to mid-April; 60 in one flock in foothills near Ras al Khaimah, 5 April. C Richardson, J] Bannon, L Reaney Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus Asab, in Western desert, 8 April. Only spring record. L Reaney Correction Bull 26: 50 para 3: for 'taxidermists' read ‘taxonomists.’ 47 cite 3° Ze 7 Bs lly a. Advertisement DUTCH BIRDING Quarterly journal forevery keen O) Latest news on rare birds in the Netherlands and QO InEnglish or with English summaries. Well produced with numerous high quality photographs. For information write to: Dutch Birding, Postbus 5611, 1007 AP Amsterdam, Netherlands. Advertisement British Ornithologists' Union Check-list No. 6 (Second Edition) THE BIRDS OF CYPRUS by Peter R. Flint & Peter F. Stewart 224 pages, hardback. 4 Figures, 16 colour and 24 black and white plates, 11 maps This is the second of the successful check-lists published by the British Omithologists' Union that has been completely revised. Introductory chapters cover the History of Cyprus Omithology, its Geography, Geology, Climate, and Vegetation; others deal with Migration, Breeding, Bird Killing and Conservation. 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Payment may be made by credit card (Access, Master Card or Visa) or by Eurocheque (with supporting Eurocard No. on reverse). If payment is not in sterling please add the equivalent of £4.00 to cover bank charges. Overseas despatch will be by sea mail unless air mail is requested and paid for in advance (min. £3.00). ORDER FORM Please send me.......... copy/copies of the Birds of Cyprus Nate. sep fe Oca cin scones ctceartessene ener certo et eect 5 «es ac 70) SRR er ee ny Renn a aE a AR ce SOCKS SOHO HOHE ETOETESESES ES EEE ESEHVESSO SEES ST HEHEE EEE EEE EESESEE SEE ESE SEES EEE eeEEEEEeSEEEeS neeeseas aucted veGGaeue va we ceecdk ckae bonus se cea ae SERRE RRR Me crc Gach was ek mee Post Code: 23.c38). 28 Please complete and send this order NOW together with your remittance to: Administrative Secretary, BOU, British Museum (Nat. Hist.), Sub-Department of Ornithology, Tring, Herts, HP23 6AP. ji 48 ISSN 0959-6739 Ornithological Society of the Middle East c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK The Ornithological Society of the Middle East was formed in April 1978 as a successor to the Ornithological Society of Turkey. Its aims are as follows: To collect, collate and publish ornithological data on the birds of the Middle East. Toencourage an interest in and conservation of birds of the Middle Fast. To develop a mutually beneficial working relationship with all environmental and conservation bodiesand natural history societies in and concerned with the Middle East. Membership is open to all and spans over 40 countries. Current membership subscription is £7 individual, £10 family; airmail £10 individual, £13 family. Life membership £150. Publications Sandgrouse is the Society's journal and contains scientific papers on all aspects of the ornithology of the Middle East. The OSME Bulletin, issued twice yearly to all members, covers all aspects of birdwatching and conservation within the Middle East. For further details, please write to: The Secretary, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK. Charitable regisration number 282938. Advertising rates: Full page £60; half page £40; quarter pases £25. Inserts from £75. Contents 1 Impact of the Gulf War on birds MI Evans, CWT Pilcher and P Symens 6 Blue Tits in Jordan Jan J] Andrews 8 Birds and conservation in Egypt, past, present and future Mindy Baha El Din 11. Important Bird Areas in the Middle East: the new OSME/ICBP project MRW Rands and MI Evans 13. = Is Azragq still an oasis? Ian J Andrews 19 Turkey Bird Report: a request for records and notes for contributors Rod Martins and Richard Webb 24 Karapinar Ovasi, a little-known Turkish IBA Guy Kirwan 27 Turkish IBAs: an appeal for information . 29 More selected bird observations from Turkey, spring and summer 1990 Jonathan Eames 31 Newsand information Compiled by Simon Albrecht 33 OSME news Thirteenth Annual General Meeting Retiring Council members Fourteenth Annual General Meeting Special Gulf meeting, 14 November 1991 OSME tour to Egypt Cover auction 38 Requests for information 40 Announcements 40 Reviews 43 Around the Region Compiled by Guy Kirwan OSME C/O THE LODGE, SANDY, BEDFORDSHIRE SG19 2DL, UK