Ney d Hh iy) . lat » n iN eo BULLETIN 35 AUTUMN 1995 OSME Bulletin 35 Autumn 1995 Editor: G. Kirwan Design: H. I. Scott All records in this Bulletin are subject to acceptance by the relevant records committees of the country concerned. 3 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. For fur- ther details on submitting articles, please refer to Sandgrouse 14(2) or 15. New look Sandgrouse As from 1996, Sandgrouse and the Bulletin will be merging into one journal, published twice a year - spring and autumn. To give the publication a broader appeal there will be more colour photographs than at present, and we will be adding some new features to the current mix of news and seri- ous ornithology. These will include regular items on some of the region’s key birds and birdwatching sites, a photospot giving photographers an opportunity to exhibit some of their best work, and profiles of individuals and organisations active in the region. Amongst all these changes the new editorial team will strive to maintain the Sandgrouse reputation for high standards of presentation and authoritative content. Contributions to OSME'’s journals from members are always welcomed, please submit any material for publication to the Sandgrouse Editorial Team, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK. Illustrations We are grateful to the following artists for the illustrations used in this Bulletin: per R.S.P.B. D. Powell: Pin-tailed sandgrouse, Great bustard and Bee-eaters (Cover) Lesser Whitethroat 13 Trapping of spring migrants on Qummah Island, Farasan archipelago in the Red Sea Dr Hassan M Felemban Introduction The trapping of migratory birds is well known as a serious problem in several Mediterranean countries eg. in Malta, Italy, Cyprus and Spain. In Egypt passerines are taken in large numbers: an estimated 270,000 to 540,000 are captured for food each autumn along the Mediterranean coast alone (Goodman & Meininger 1989). In Saudi Arabia birds are caught for economic reasons in a small number of areas along the Red Sea coast (Buttiker 1988) and on Qummah island in the Farasan Islands (Juniper 1988). Study area and methods The Farasan archipelago comprises about ninety islands, located in the southern Red Sea, off the western coast of Saudi Arabia (see figure 1). The islands vary in size from about sixty kilometres in length (Farasan Al-Kebir) to islets of a a few square metres. They are formed of fos- silised coral and are low, barren and rather sparsely vegetated. Only a few small bushes and several palm trees occur on Qummah (16°14’N 42°02’E) which is six kilometres south of Farasan Al-Kebir (see figure 2). About 300 people inhabit its 10km’. This study was carried out during three consecutive spring migrations in order to observe the average number of species and individuals caught on Qummah. Most trapping was performed by local fishermen, with women and children regularly checking the traps between 0600 and 0900 each day. Fewer birds were collected during the rest of the day. Birds were identified and counted at a gathering spot near the houses. The birds from all traps on the island were counted on a daily basis between April 10th and May 6th. The total numbers recorded are likely to be an underes- timate as some birds were probably not brought to this central point. Most birds were identified by reference to Heinzel et al. (1979) and Hollom et al. (1988) but it was not always possible to separate close species pairs once counting started due to the limitations of time; the birds are cooked soon after capture. Therefore it is possible that among those birds identified as Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus 1 Saudi Arabia Sudan i =~ a = a oo" pases e = ‘ E PS ee ee ARN ! =o a 8 oe I ee ’ : SS SR ORS J : : Ses i ctwen 1 Com ’ Eritrea So B § ( 7 } Dip en Sein . » = - Near i ! s Q / = ae @ ) rl a U ~ . fe ~ ¢ x © N yl . * ->: <> . Ethiopia ee : ’ 300km Fa DJibouti- é So = ¢ Yemen GULF F ADEN SAUDI ARABIA 41°30'E 42°00'E 43° 30'E Figure 1 (left): A map of the Red Sea with the Farasan archipelago. Figure 2 (above): Map of the Farasan archipelago, showing the location of Qummah Island (The study area). there may have been Marsh Warblers A.palustris, and among the Great Reed Warblers A.arundinaceus some Clamorous Reed Warblers A.sten- toreus may have gone unnoticed. Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita were separated from Willow Warbler P.trochilus solely on leg colour, and thus some birds may have been incorrectly assigned to species. Two types of trap were in use: the Samus and the Mihnab (see figure 3). The Samus is a small trap (a metre high) made of dry mangrove sticks and usually used for catching lone birds. About thirty such traps were counted on the island. The Mihnab trap is two to four metres high and completely covered by a fishing net. It has a single front entrance. Much of the area inside the trap is filled with Araak Salvadora persica and other dry bushes or sticks. Children chase birds towards the entrance. Once inside the birds are grasped by hand through the back of the net. At least 350 such traps were found on the island. Similar traps have been used in Kuwait (Dickson 1939). 17°00'N 16 30'N strong thread small hole -— node atthe thread end Small twig inserted Small twig inserted into a hole inthe stick | § to form an artificial perch 3 dislodged by an alighting bird whose feet are then caught by the string ~~ mangrove stick -—— strong rope A- Trap sprung B - Trap set Figure 3: The Samus trap for catching a Ione bird. Results Migrants of 33 species were identified during the project, of which 25 were passerines and eight non-passerines. The total number of indi- viduals collected was 8,214 in 1990; 8,305 the next year and 11,140 in 1992 (see appendix 1). The daily occurrence of the fifteen most abun- dant species during spring 1990-1992 is displayed in tables 1-3. Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus proved to be the commonest species caught on Qummah, constituting 15% of the total number of birds captured. Most arrived between 20-25 April (see figure 4). Red- backed Shrike L.collurio constituted between 8-12% of the total catch in the three springs. This species acts as a signal to the villagers of the beginning of the massive arrivals of other migrants In consequence a special ceremony, where the local people gather to dance and recite chants, is held upon the first day of this species’ arrival. The phenolo- gy of the Red-backed Shrike was similar each spring despite the low total numbers in 1991 (see figure 5). The Great Grey Shrike L.excubitor and the Lesser Grey Shrike L.minor showed no overlap in their arrival; ~ Figure 4: Phenology of Isabelline Shrikes during Spring 1990-1992. 150 125 100 Number of birds 75 (1990) 50 Number of birds 75 (1992) 50 25 Figure 5: Phenology of Red-backed Shrikes during Spring 1990-1992. 100 80 Number of birds 60 (1990) 40 20 10 15 100 80 Number of birds 60 (1991) 40 20 0 100 80 Number of birds 60 (1992) 40 20 10 15 20 25 30 5 Figure 6: Phenology of Great and Lesser Grey Shrikes during Spring 1990-1992. 50 40 Number of birds 30 (1990) 10 15 20 25 30 5 April May Great grey shrike ——o-—— Lesser grey shrike ----. a----- trapped on les Table 1 The numbers of individuals of the most abundant spec Qummah Island during April 10—May 5 of 1990 Ble) Gl Ol eee Ol Oc ec OR Ge ce “Or ae Gh 17 0l- f= et ee ee oc Aeoneeia ey Wie pe eS Eee Gl GL GL Oy ne SMO Se qa Qv0L » ZL vl OZ G2 Or ¥E OF OE 9/ 0B 09 OL OL 98 09 19 OF Sg S9 19 0S 6z 02 eMUUSPeYoEG-peYy EL rel SG LL bl OZ SE QP 0S EZ G6 9S 9Il 9¥l 06 LB IL 26 €9 €9 6S 19 Sh QF OF GI EL exuYg euleqes| ZI Sie te Ol; «ee = «el ie 8 Ge 8) le Ger el a Ve Oreic = siecle Won 2 eg 2p us 7 © Ol lve ec el Sh. eraGr Gr cy le ce mee Ganec yeUdyIUD OL [Ge Gg Gee OP Om Olu og ce 0 deoyorig 6 Iso - - - 9 8 6 G 6 OZ OL SL BY 95 09 » ZL OE Oh SF SF SY SE Sz OE OE eO.UIIUM 8 99 - - - 02 8 BE 9E Sh 9E 0S 09 - EF Oh B ME OF ZE OE 0 02 vl 02 0% OL JeIqIeMpecyieaD J We ee ee) A) eee 5 Wl dolb sy le|qIeM PEeH 9 a 6 oe a =e Ga cena Glad GF tuda © Gs ta Ol Gk Glo ot Of C relqiem eBpag. 929 - - - Of 2b OL 9 OL SI QL 02 SZ Sz 06 S 09 GE EF 0S 0S Sh OP Sr OF oF ueIspey + bog | on oe Gc onl ee OY 06 (hh 0m Oy. Ge Vice. - ee Se ey onl Grol afeBuNUBIN € We ee et sO Ol Ol oe Oc Gl = «Ge Gl Brtor gluco ch oc ol 9 © 1eUalengsnemuie VO ee ee ee be ee GI OOF 0) ee meno | Sy oO ho Wp Ge Gd Je Ga Gate Ge ee We od Ch oe a en ek otal eT je}OL Aew judy saieds The numbers of individuals of the most abundant species trapped on Qummah island during April 10—May 5 of 1991 Table 2 Ov Ol Ol Sl Gp 08 SZ LLL OLL ZE 61 9€ Sv oS 09 8Y ee ce Lt €2 0€ 59 0S 6¢ SI AZ 67 et ol bh 02 02 € Sv SS 9 Sl 44 SS vS O€ cc QI 0S SO lY ELL Zt cB bt 44 ev 0€ S Ov Lv le 9S 0€ 14 Sc 0€ Ge 6? Sv Zt € fe ¢ O€ 62 82 Le 96 SC He £2 ce Ile OC BL Bt Zt St ék Sees i Ol Gi FE EL el judy L L OyUS Aeld }Bal5 OyUS Aeld Jesse} @YUYS pexoeq-poy BYUYS eul||eqes| J9|GJEM MOll|M YEYIIYD deoyoeig JEOIUJ OVUM JO|QIEM Peey yea JE\QUe A Peay Jejquej, eBpes URIspey ayeBunyBin yey ysng snojny ENO saiseds trapped on ies The numbers of individuals of the most abundant spec Qummah Island during April 10—May 5 of 1992 Table 3 PO Levee GG Ge: Ove aye OCus LE OP IMS OMY ClO \cBat gee et ton = MME can Cope sa oe ayUUS Aeld yeals ea oe ee es =a Be Gl ogee. Ob, Ch. Be) Ges OgeyluiclmOhme.. sl ae eae OU CYACIC) IGS a0 x ap GS 09 €¢ vB SZ 09 98 IZ Sh Lb ch Ib EC St - SUS pexoRq-pey El ' ' oO Ww [o>) tp) — Ww N (@) N iV) ise) ite) ~~ - 2 Lt Ob 6L CE €S thy O9 CB SZ bel OGL S¢lLOZ SvLOVL EZ SG G9 GG 0S EE €2 Ol - OYUYS eul|jeqes| cl -G 1 PP he Om Ger Ole Om cle 6levt Ob cr iol ES, Go Vere Gee ty evel eC 10S JOIQIEM MOM LL G02 8 106.4 cemtc Ol Ob Ol ECS TE Bae Sys OGM Loe She BMG ay SiO Gen 90 at YEYNNUD OL Soe eee ae eG Fae oan Os alee. OG, Ol al AL OR Gls VEASB OPES Cee” Boor oe 4 ae es deoyorjg 6 - 1 G pl 6 SE-6k Sta Zo yes ee 306 op C9 .ich 2S: Sy Ly. BV. CE SE. cL SE 6c OY YEOIUJOVUM 8 - vl €L GE ZL 02 Bl 1e@ 6E El SE 6e Ol Ze cl vl BE OF 92 EC Ll vl ZL 62 vy | JEIQIEM Poo JeoIe) 7 Ae ye eee GN Gace LOREV LOY ELL IcSwor cy -an cle 2ONOn eyaGt oO shige JO|QIeEM Peay 9 - - = = 6 [bh €b €¢ St Bl vl 92 ey SE 12 2b Be 62 Ge E2 El Ol OL ZL -. - sequen e6peg s - = » $i Bl te ee eg 62 82 OC ch Ze Le bh GE BS GY 1G 8S ES OF Zl. OZ CE SI We\spay y Se poe Gai cor ean eG, Gs als ca al OG | 63 as 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 OOE. grounds (B. Gubin & E. Mukhina pers. comm.). From the information presented here a polygynous or promiscuous mating system seems the more likely but further data are needed to determine this. Acknowledgements The study was sponsored by HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The authors also thank Mr Mohammed Al] Bowardi and our colleagues at the National Avian Research Center for their support and Drs B. Gubin and E. Mukhina for their help dur- _ ing the expedition. References ALI, S. & RIpLey, S.D. (1983) Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan. Compact Edition. Oxford University Press. COLLINS, D.R. (1984) A study of the Canarian houbara (Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae), with special reference to its behaviour and ecology. M. Phil. thesis, University of London. 16 CRAMP, S. & SIMMONS, K.E.L. (eds) (1983) Handbook of the birds of the Western Paleartic. Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. DEMENT’EV, G.P. & GLADKOV, N.A. (1951) Birds of the Soviet Union. Vol. 2 (translated 1968 from Russian by the Israei Program for Scientific transla- tions, Jerusalem). U.S. Dept. of the Interior and National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C. JOHNSGARD, P.A. (1991) Bustards, Hemipodes, and Sandgrouse. Birds of dry places. Oxford University Press. LAUNAY, F. (1989) Behavioural ecology of Houbara bustard. Preliminary report (January to June 1989). Internal Report, Taif, Saudi Arabia. LAUNAY, F. & PAILLAT, P. (1990) A behavioural repertoire of the adult houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii). Rev. Ecol. 45: 65-88. PONOMAREVA, T.S. (1983) Reproductive behaviour and distribution of houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii) on the nesting ea Zool. Zhurn. 4: 529-602. Frédéric Launay & Ronald Loughland, National Avian Research Center, PO Box 45553, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates What do you know about Limicola? | Since 1987 the german birdwatcher's magazin presents detailed articles on identification and occurrence of birds in the Western Palaearctic, seasonal reports for Central Europe, photo sequences, the annual rarities commission's report, with rich colour illustration, English summaries and English captions. Papers of the past years (and still available) include e.g. identifi- cation of rails and crakes, Great Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Syrian Woodpecker, eastern Stonechats, Isabelline Wheatear, eastern Acrocephalus warblers, bee-eaters, eagles, as well as behaviour and voice of Lesser Sand Plover. For more information please write to: Limicola Verlag, Christine Barthel, Uber dem Salzgraben 11, D-37574 Einbeck, Germany. Fax +49 (0) 5561-82289. 17 Anecdotal reports on the status of Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata macqueentt in Syria D A Roshier Introduction Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata, of the race macqueent is a long distance migrant over much of its range. It breeds in the former Soviet Union, migrating to Pakistan, India and the Middle East in winter (Cramp and Simmons 1983). Small resident and/or nomadic popula- tions also exist in the Middle East: in Israel, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. Very little information has been published on the status of any of these latter populations and the reasons for their decline. The marked reduction in numbers throughout its range has been attributed to excessive hunting (Cramp and Simmons 1983). During a recent trip to Syria I was able to talk to sheep herders and bedu about the occurrence of Houbara in their area. They were also asked why they thought Houbara numbers had declined. Collar (1980) records that Houbara occurred in Syria “throughout the Aleppo/Esiye/Raqqgah area...in spring 1943.” Kumerloeve (1968) stat- ed that the species occurred east of Dayr-Az-Zor. A dramatic decline has become noticeable in the last fifty years (Baumgart, Kasparek & Stephan 1995). The last documented sighting of a Houbara in Syria was by MacFarlane (1978) in May 1976 at Khan Abu Shamat. However the Houbara is thought to survive in a small number of areas; all present and past localities are documented in Evans (1994). I travelled north-east from Aleppo through marginal cropping country to Manbij, then east across the Euphrates River to the steppe of north- em Syria, thence south to Rassafah via Al-Raqqah (Raqqah) before returning to Aleppo, a total distance of approximately 500 km. The species is known among locals as “houbari”, as opposed to “hubrum”, which is the name accorded to Great Bustard Otis tarda which arrives in northern Syria each spring from Turkey. Despite the comment by Collar et al. (1994) that the Great Bustard was “probably extinct” in Syria it is apparently still quite common in this region, 18 often being seen in cultivated areas. Unfortunately the situation is not as favourable for the Houbara as villagers and herdsmen all related the same story of a drastic decline in numbers since the region became permanently inhabited. The following notes from the interviews give some insight into the reasons for the decline of the species in Syria, its habits in this region and the attitudes of local people to wildlife (inter- viewees comments are paraphrased and given in quotation marks). Sheep herder, Al Bab area, 36 km north-east of Aleppo “Not seen in this area since I was a youth [estimated age was 65]...the problem is lack of water”. Apparently it is a common complaint amongst farmers and herders that it does not rain as much now as in previous years. “The birds arrived in winter and were seen in one’s and two’s throughout the season. No idea where they went in summer. Birds were not hunted. I don’t care what they do in the Guif, these birds are nice to look at”. Sheep herder, Al Bab area, 39 km north-east of Aleppo “Birds arrived in winter. Climate has now become too arid (for Houbara). No birds have been seen in the area since habitation increased over 15 years ago. The birds were seen three or four at a time and stayed in the raddish fields. They were hunted by people from Damascus”. Sheep herder, 118 km east-north-east of Aleppo “Saw a few four to five years ago in the steppe north of Al-Raggah. They lay eggs at this time of year (May). The birds were resident all year and seen in small groups. They ate grass and grain from the fields. The numbers decreased because too many people moved into the area”. Kurdish villager, 143 km east-north-east of Aleppo “Saw one a long time ago north of Al-Raqqah. The wildlife has disappeared since people moved into the area”. Sheep herder, north of Al-Raqqah “Never seen a bustard”. Villager on road to Rassafah, south of Al-Raqqah “Last saw a Houbara 15 years ago. The birds were resident in the area and bred there. The birds ate an unnamed herb (Chenopodacaea). Birds have disap- peared due to the increase in habitation. The locals did not hunt the bird, but there have been foreigners hunting in the area”. Bedu family, 5 km north of Rassafah “Saw one on the steppe to the south four to five years ago. The birds were numerous 40 to 50 years ago. Grazing forced most of them out and hunting 19 removed the rest. The same thing happened to the gazelle. The last one seen here was 12 years ago. The birds were resident and ate grass, seeds and grain”. Discussion Large areas of the steppe regions of Syria have only been permanently settled since the 1950s (B.Wedeman pers.comm.). Prior to this bedu pastoralists were the principal land users. The advent of motor vehi- cles and mechanised farming has brought an influx of people onto these marginal lands and the establishment of crops (predominantly barley). Subsequent cultivation and grazing have caused severe soil degradation and areas that once supported crops no longer do so (G. Gintzberger pers.comm.). The natural vegetation of many areas has been reduced to a sparse cover of annual grasses (Hordeum sp. and Schimus barbatus) and weeds (mainly thistles). Whilst habitat destruction is probably the main cause of the decline in Houbara numbers in Syria, hunting has become an increasing prob- lem, especially as hunters have become more mobile, aggravating the decline. Many Syrians are keen hunters and a variety of birds are sought as quarry, including Houbara. Omar, a Syrian hunter for much of his life has shot two Houbara. One was in the Safar area, south-east of Damascus in 1958, where they commonly occurred in a rocky area between the lava fields and steppe. The other he shot in the Bir Al- Kasab area, 60-70 km east of Damascus, in late August 1962. According to Omar, the last Houbara was seen in this latter area in 1973. Gazelle were also observed in this area until 1957. Omar stated that, according to bedu, Houbara in the latter area migrate to Saudi Arabia during the winter months. Despite a life-long passion for hunt- ing he has now elected to stop as, in his opinion, most Syrians are indiscriminate in their hunting practices. Another trip was made to the steppe around Palmyra, central Syria, where further enquiries were made as to the species’ status. Although there appear to be few, if any, Houbara in the area, I was able to visit the Al Talila Nature Reserve, a 20,000 ha wildlife reserve, 30 km south-east of Palmya. A deep trench surrounds the area, which has not been grazed for three years (A. Assa’ad pers.comm.). Vegetation in the reserve is significantly taller than in outside areas although in the section visited it is dominated by Anabasis sp., an unpalatable shrub. One of the aims of establishing the reserve was to attract 20 Houbara to the area from nearby populations in unprotected areas in southern Syria and Jordan. The status of these populations is unknown. The border region between Syria and Iraq is a military zone and apparently one of the better areas for steppe wildlife in this region. There have been no recent, confirmed sightings of Houbara in the reserve, however the presence of falconers in an area south of the reserve suggests that Houbara, their main quarry, may still occur. While it is probable that the Houbara Bustard still occurs in Syria, its numbers are presumed to be very small. The combined effects of habi- tat destruction and hunting have reduced numbers dramatically dur- ing the past 40 years. That some Syrians now recognise the extent of the decline and are taking steps to remedy the situation provides some hope for the future. Acknowledgements My thanks go to Scott Christiansen for his hospitality during my stay in Syria, Ben Wedeman for ably acting as my interpreter, Guy Manners for his enthusi- asm and knowledge of the local avifauna, Abdul Khalek Abdulaa Assa’ad for his assistance and Gus Gintzberger for his insights and contacts. References COLLAR, N.J. (1980) The world status of Houbara: a preliminary review. Symposium papers on the Great Bustard and Houbara Bustard, Athens, Greece, May 24, 1979. Fondation Internationale de la Chasse/Game Conservancy. COLLAR, N.J., CROSBY, M.J. & STATTERSFIELD, A.J. (1994) Birds to watch 2. The world list of threatened birds. BirdLife Conservation Series 4, Cambridge. _BAUMGART, W., KASPAREK, M. & STEPHAN, B. (1995) Die Vogel Syriens: eine Ubersicht. Kasparek Verlag, Heidelberg. CRAMP, S. & SIMMONS, K.E.L. (eds) (1983) Handbook of the birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol.2. Oxford University Press. EVANS, M.I. (1994) Important bird areas in the Middle East. BirdLife Conservation Series 2, Cambridge. KUMERLOEVE, H. (1968) Recherches sur l’avifaune de la Republique Arabe Syrienne essai d’un aperercu. Alauda 36:1-26. MACFARLANE, A.M. (1978) Field notes on the birds of Syria. Army Birdwatching Soc. Per. Publ, 3:47-94. D A Roshier, National Avian Research Center, P.O.Box 45553, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Present Address: 14 Dalton St, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 2650 Australia. 21 Status of Upcher’s Warbler Hippolais languida in Egypt Mindy & Sherif Baha el Din There have been a number of recent reports of Upcher’s Warbler Hippolais languida from Egypt, but no formal description has been pub- lished. Goodman & Meininger (1989) did not admit the species to the Egyptian list, since the only evidence for its occurrence was an unsub- stantiated statement by Hovel (1987) that “Upcher’s Warbler is a scarce passage visitor to Sinai”. Recent observations however indicate that Hovel’s comment was cor- rect. There are now seven records of the species from Egypt, all but two from Sinai. The first record was of one observed at the Sheraton Hotel, Hurghada on 10 August 1987 (A.Grieve pers. comm.). Subsequently an individual was found in Wadi Rishat, south of Qusaima, north Sinai on 4 May 1990 (S. Baha el Din in Anon. 1990) and three were at Sharm el Sheikh, south Sinai on 24 August 1991 (H. Kahl in Anon. 1991). The fourth, fifth and sixth records were all by the authors: one at Wadi Geraffi, near Ras El Nagab, north Sinai on 8 April 1992, another at Qusaima on 25 April 1992 and one at St Katherine airport, south Sinai on 7 August 1992. The most recent record was one at Bulag, Kharga Oasis in the Western Desert on 20 March 1993 (A. Riad pers. comm.). The following is a description of the bird at Wadi Geraffi on 8 April 1992. It was observed for over 45 minutes as it foraged in bushes of Lygos raetum along the wadi. Comparisons were made between.this individual, a Bonelli‘’s Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli and a Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca which were feeding in the same area. Subsequently a number of field guides and identification papers were consulted, particularly Hollom et al. (1988), Harrap (1990) and Fry (1990). Size and structure A large hippolais; much larger than Bonelli’s Warbler and marginally bigger than Lesser Whitethroat, with a steep forehead and crown peaking just behind the eye. Stocky structure sim- ilar to a sylvia, but overall appearance was typically hippolais in charac- ter, especially the elongated head and bill. Tail fairly long, longer than in Olivaceous Warbler H. pallida. 22 Plumage Distinct whitish supercilium and thin dark eyestripe. Upperparts grey with a visible pale wing panel. Tail feathers darker grey in comparison to the rest of the upperparts. Whilst difficult to discern, the white outertail feathers were noted on several occasions. Underparts whitish, except for the underside of the tail, which was oo) Bare parts Relatively long, thick bill: upper mandible grey, lower mandible flesh coloured. Eye dark with a distinct pale eye ring. Legs grey with some flesh tones. Behaviour An active feeder, although appearing relatively sluggish in comparison to the other two warblers nearby. It exhibited the charac- teristic tail wagging movement of Upcher’s Warbler (Fry 1990). This tail movement was very different from that of Olivaceous Warbler, which is less conspicuous and more of a flicking motion. Voice Call frequently repeated, similar to Olivaceous, and not unlike that of Lesser Whitethroat, but louder. Upcher’s Warblers passing through Egypt are presumably from Near Eastern populations breeding in Israel, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey; and wintering in east Africa. In Israel the species is also recorded as a passage migrant: in early autumn between July-August and in late spring from the end of April to early May (Paz 1987). It is also regu- larly recorded on migration in eastern Arabia, but this probably con- stitutes birds from breeding populations further east. It is to be expected that some Upcher’s Warblers migrate through Egypt, given the country’s strategic location on Western Palearctic migration routes. In the past the species has probably been overlooked due to a lack of observers and difficulties with identification. Acknowledgements We would like to thank Andrew Grieve who supplied a description of Upcher’s Warbler and reviewed the first draft of this article. Special thanks to Ahmed Riad for providing additional information. References ANON (1990) Western Palearctic News. Birding World 4:307-308. ANON (1991) Western Palearctic News. Birding World 5:181-183. Fry, H. (1990) Foraging behaviour and identification of Upcher’s Warbler. Brit. Birds 83:217-221. 23 GOODMAN, S.M. & MEININGER, P.L. (eds) (1989) The birds of Egypt. Oxford University Press. Harrap, S. (1990) Identification of Hippolais warblers. Birding World 3:268- 272: HOLLoM, P.A.D., PORTER, R.F., CHRISTENSEN, S. & WILLIS, I. (1988) Birds of the Middle East and North Africa. T.& A.D. Poyser, Calton. HOVEL, H. (1987) Checklist of the birds of Israel. Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, Tel Aviv. Paz, U. (1987) The birds of Israel. Christopher Helm, London. Mindy & Sherif Baha el Din, 4 Ismail El Mazni St, Apt. 8, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt. eee SONGBIRDS OF TURKEY : ee u Turkey So ngpirds a AN ATLAS OF BIODIVERSITY OF TURKISH PASSERINE BIRDS C. S. Roselaar canon ae et as -@® Covers all passerine species occurring in Turkey, with Rare full details of all subspecies found in Turkey or its sur- rounding countries. | @ 145 two-colour maps plot the distribution of virtually every Turkish passerine species. \ -@ 3 new subspecies of birds from Turkey are described for the first time. \ | @ Turkish non-passerine species and subspecies are included as an appendue — Turkey is a key area for the study of geographical - variation in Western. Palearctic birds and this important new book is a major contribution = our knowledge ofTu urkish birds. Available now fain major booksellers. In case of difficulty please write to: Pica Press, The Banks, Mountfield, nr. Robertsbridge, East Sussex TN32 5JY PRESS 24 The Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri in Jordan Coppelia Hays Introduction The Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri is the only psittacine regu- larly recorded in Jordan (there is a recent record of Alexandrine Parakeet P. eupatria from Amman, F. Khoury in litt.). A feral popula- tion has only recently become established: the first record was of two -at Aqaba in October 1979 (Wittenberg 1988). This paper is based on incidental observations collected between 1987 and 1989, whilst resi- dent in Jordan. - Status and distribution The original distribution of this species is through central and north- eastern Africa, and in Asia from Afghanistan, Teheran, Iran (Kinzelbach 1986) and western Pakistan east through India and Nepal to central Burma and Sri Lanka (Forshaw 1978). It has been intro- duced in many countries where it has readily adapted. In Arabia it now occurs principally in the coastal urban areas of Kuwait, Bahrain, Oatar, United Arab Emirates, the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia (Bundy & Warr 1980), northern Oman (Walker 1981) and locally in Yemen (Brooks et al. 1987) and western Saudi Arabia (Hollom et al. 1988, Stagg 1984). In Israel a stable feral population has become estab- lished (Paz 1989, Wittenberg 1988). Escapes have also been recorded in Damascus, Syria, but the species is apparently now extirpated in Iraq, at least north of Basra (Wittenberg 1988). It was reported twice in Turkey prior to 1992 (Kasparek 1992) but since then has become well established in Ankara, with smaller populations in Burdur, Gaziantep, Istanbul and Izmir (G.Magnin and M.Yarar pers.comm.). The species is resident and widely distributed in Jordan, having been recorded from Amman, Marga, Madaba, Azraq, Irbid, Aqaba, Shaumari and the Jordan Valley (figure 1). Records from Azraq and Shaumari apparently relate to local introductions or wandering birds (Andrews 1995). It is found in areas with substantial tree cover and agricultural areas adjacent to human settlements. The country’s main agricultural sector is in the Jordan Valley. Ring-necked Parakeets have, thus far, only been recorded from the southern part of this val- 25 Figure 1: Location of sightings for Ring-necked parakeets (Psittacula krameri) in Jordan from 1987 to 1989. an oo “A Beit \ a \ ay TY pe \ € % mee \ ar - iz rae et * ~~" mirbid ~~ - ; i Ae See ts ee \ . ; BS it t Ss ae = S @ Marga ic a ee AMMAN -~ 2|| @ - oe B Azraq toes > mw Madaba ara ley. In Amman it is common in residential areas where there are trees, being most frequently seen at the top of cypress Cupressus semperivens, pinus and eucalyptus trees. It is also seen perched on tall TV antennas. | There are no confirmed breeding records from Jordan, although Wittenberg (1988) records that Amman newspapers described the species as breeding within the city in 1987. 26 The Ring-necked Parakeet is an introduced exotic. The subspecies in Jordan is P.k.borealis. The existing feral population most probably originates from escaped captive birds. It has been imported in large numbers for the commercial pet trade (see below). Currently it is pre- sent in relatively small numbers. Table 1: Trade records of Ring-necked Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) imported into Jordan for the live pet trade during 1987 and 1988. Quantity Country of Origin 3000 | United Arab Emirates and Pakistan 3000 Pakistan 2000 Pakistan 5000 Pakistan 3000 Pakistan 500 Pakistan 2500". Pakistan 250 Pakistan 3000 Pakistan 22250 | Notes on biology The Ring-necked Parakeet is gregarious being most often seen in small flocks. Average flock size in Amman was between three and ten individuals. The species roosts communally, when larger num- bers occasionally congregate. The largest group I encountered con- sisted of 65 birds roosting in a cypress tree at Jebel Amman on 27 November 1989. In Amman I have often seen it feed on cypress cones, as well as the fruit of Melia azedarach, a fruit also found in the species’ stomach contents in the Punjab (Forshaw 1978). Although the species is a native of subtropical regions it has survived Amman’s cold winters, where temperatures can sometimes reach below 0° C. International Trade Its bright green plumage makes the Ring-necked Parakeet an attrac- tive species to keepers of cagebirds. A total of 22,250 birds were imported into Jordan during 1987 and 1988. All importations, with the exception of one, were from Pakistan, where the species is native. In the other case, that of the United Arab Emirates, the species was introduced in 1976 and has subsequently multiplied successfully. In fact its numbers increased so dramatically that in 1986 it was declared 27 a pest and hundreds were shot (Ramadan-Jaradi 1988). In Jordan some birds have already been killed. A flock which descended on fruit trees in Madaba were shot by farmers. Conclusions Although the species has only recently become established in Jordan it is important to monitor its numbers and establish whether it breeds. It may become necessary to prevent it reaching pest proportions espe- cially in the Jordan Valley; the country’s agricultural heartland. Moreover, if this exotic establishes a successful breeding population, it could pose a serious threat to native bird populations, as the feral Ring-necked Parakeets could potentially compete with native bird species for food and other resources. References ANDREWS, I.J. (1995) The birds of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Andrews, Edinburgh. BROOKS, D.J., EVANS, M.I., MARTINS, R.P. & PORTER, R.F. (1987) The status of birds in North Yemen and the records of the OSME expedition in autumn 1985. Sandgrouse 9:4-66. BUNDY, G. & WARR, E. (1980) A checklist of the birds of the Arabian Gulf States. Sandgrouse 1:4-49. FORSHAW, J. (1978) Parrots of the world. Melbourne. HOLLoM, P.A.D., PORTER, R.F., CHRISTENSEN, S. & WILLIS, I. (1988) Birds of the Middle East and North Africa. T. & A.D. Poyser, Calton. KASPAREK, M. (1992) Die Végel der Tiirkei: eine Ubersicht. Kasparek Verlag, Heidelberg. KINZELBACH, R. (1986) New records of Alexander’s Parrot, Psittacula krameri, from Egypt and the Levant Countries. Zool. Middle East 1:69-72. PAZ, U. (1989) The birds of Israel. Croom Helm, London. RAMADAN-JARADI, G. (1988) Notes on some breeding birds of the United Arab Emirates. Sandgrouse 10:81-84. STAGG, A.J. (1984) Birds of S.W. Saudi Arabia: an annotated checklist. Stagg, Riyadh. WALKER, F.J. (1981) Notes on the birds of northern Oman. Sandgrouse 2:33-35. WITTENBERG, J. (1988) Additional records of the Ring-necked Parakeet, Psittacula krameri, from Egypt and the Middle East. Zool. Middle East 2:49-51. Coppelia Hays, 3493 Cemetery Rd, Bowling Green, Kentucky 42103, USA 28 Some comments on the distribution of the Rook Corvus frugilegus in Turkey Guy Kirwan Kasparek (1989) summarised the breeding status and distribution of the Rook Corvus frugilegus in Turkey: 60-65 colonies were identified in eastern Anatolia (where the majority of sites are located), central Anatolia and Thrace. Although sightings during the breeding season come from most parts of the country, the species is not, as yet, known to breed in any of the other regions of Turkey. During the summer’s of 1992 and 1993 I was able to travel widely in both central and eastern Anatolia. Particular attention was paid to locating and counting the number of nests in rookeries. This note seeks to update information presented in Kasparek (1989); both in respect of documenting new colonies (indicated thus *) and those already known. In order to facili- tate comparison with the earlier paper records are presented accord- ing to province. Afyon Afyon (38° 45’N 30°32’E): 2 colonies with 111 nests in the town, 20 Apr 1992. Degirmendere (38°38’N 30° 47’E): c.30 occupied nests, 7 May 1992. Agri Agri (39° 43’N 43°02’E): at least 1200 nests, perhaps not all occupied, 26 May 1993; a further 18 occupied nests, 5 km west of the town, 26 May 1993. Eleskirt (39° 48’N 42°41 E): at least 70 nests, 26 May 1993. (*)Gecitveren (39°39’N 43° 20’E): colony of 12 occupied nests near the village, 26 May 1993. (*)Guvence (39° 45’N 42°50’E): c.120 occupied nests, 26 May 1993. (*)Tasligay (39°38’N 43° 23’E): colony of 435 nests, perhaps not all occupied, 26 May 1993. Bitlis (*)Ahlat (38° 45’N 42°29'E): 126 occupied nests in the village, 18 May 1993. Erzurum Askale (39°55’N 40°42’E): at least 350 nests, mostly occupied, 26 May 1993. Cobandede (39°59’N 41°52’E): 100 nests, perhaps not all occupied, 26 May 1993. 29 Erzurum (39° 54’N 41°17’E): two colonies, with 200 nests and 170 nests, appar- ently all occupied, 26 May 1993. ; Horasan (40°3’N 42°10’E): c.100 nests, perhaps not all occupied, 26 May 1993. Pasinler (39°59’N 41°41’E): c.230 nests in the town, perhaps not all occupied, 26 May 1993; a further 820 nests along the roadside between Pasinler and Erzurum, perhaps not all occupied, 26 May 1993. (*)Pirnakapan (39° 58’N 40° 34E): 10 occupied nests, 26 May 1993. Konya Argithani near Ilgin (38° 18’N 31° 43’E): small colony, 23 May 1992. (*)Between Kadinhani and Ilgin (38° 15’N 32° 14): c.30 nests, 3 May 1992. Doganhisar (38° 39’N 31° 41’E): small colony, 23 May 1992. Van Bendimahi (38° 56’N 43° 41’E): colony with 229 occupied nests, 22 May 1993. Ercek (38° 39’N 43° 39’E): large colony with 495 nests, possibly not all occu- pied, 23 May 1993. Muradiye (38° 59’N 43° 46’E): colony with c.100 occupied nests, 24 May 1993. Van (38° 30’N 43° 23’E): four colonies; one by ferry terminal with c.58 occupied nests, 19 May 1993; one by the castle with 119 nests, 21 May 1993; another in the town with 144 occupied nests, 19-20 May 1993; (*)a small colony with seven occupied nests at Bes Y6l, 20 May 1993. (*)Yumakli (38° 56’N 43° 47’E): colony with c.70 nests, perhaps not all occu- pied, 24 May 1993. A total of 27 colonies in six provinces were identified during the field- work of which eight were not mentioned by Kasparek (1989). Furthermore accurate counting of other colonies meant that a clearer idea of the number of nests contained therein was reached. Observers are urged to make counts of Rook colonies that they find, and in par- ticular search for new colonies in regions of Turkey where no nesting sites have yet been identified. Acknowledgments The Bird Exploration Fund, DHKD and OSME jointly funded my work in Turkey. Neil Aston, Chris Bradshaw and Mick Davies shared some of my observations. Reference : KASPAREK, M. (1989) Breeding distribution of the Rook Corvus frugilegus in Turkey. Sandgrouse 11:89-95. Guy Kirwan, 6 Connaught Rd, Norwich NR2 3BP, U.K. 30 Sica haakeal eat Partially albinistic Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis in eastern Turkey Guy Kirwan Neither BWP (Cramp & Simmons 1977) or HBW (del Hoyo et al. 1992) record albinism in the Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis. At the Bendimahi Delta, Van province, eastern Turkey on 22 May 1993, together with Mick Davies, I observed a partially albinistic individual of this species. It was watched at close quarters for nearly thirty min- utes. Although exhibiting the normal colour pattern of a summer plumaged bird on the head and neck: wholly glossy black with gold- en-yellow filaments emanating from behind the eye; the rest of its plumage was almost entirely pure white, with the exception of the tail and tertials which were both stained buffish. This individual was apparently unpaired, although many of the other Black-necked Grebes at this locality, and at other sites visited during the same period, were obviously paired. I have observed many hundreds of this species, especially in Turkey but have never encountered any other albinistic birds and can find no reference to such an individual in the literature. Bauer and Glutz von Blotzheim (1966) Koop (1994) and Verroken and Verroken (1987) have placed on record a red-necked mutant of this species, in which the lower half of the foreneck and breast were chest- nut-red, as in Slavonian Grebe P.auritus. References BAUER, K.M. & GLUTZ VON BLOTZHEIM, U.N. (1966) Handbuch der Vogel Mitteleuropas 1. Frankfurt am Main. CRAMP, S. & SIMMONS, K.E.L. (1977) Handbook of the birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol.1. Oxford University Press. DEL Hoyo, J., ELLIOTT, A. & SARGATAL, J. (eds) (1992) Handbook of the birds of the world. Vol.1. Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Koop, B. (1994) Rothalsige Schwarzhalstaucher Podiceps nigricollis in Schreswig-Holstein. Limicola 9(4): 223-225. VERROKEN, L. & VERROKEN, D. (1987) Black-necked Grebe with chestnut-red neck and breast. Dutch Birding 9(1):15-16. Guy Kirwan, 6 Connaught Rd, Norwich NR2 3BP, UK 31 New information on the birds of the Western Desert of Egypt Ahmed M Riad © Introduction | Egypt's Western Desert comprises about two-thirds of the country’s total area yet is rarely visited by ornithologists, principally due to the harsh environment, its remoteness and lack of good roads. There is a paucity of information concerning the fauna of the Western Desert in general, compared to other areas of Egypt such as the Nile Valley, the Red Sea coastline and Sinai. Between 20-27 March 1993 I visited the oases of Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra and Baharya in the Western Desert. A second trip from 1-3 June 1993 visited Siwa Oasis. In addition I made several trips in 1992 and 1993 to the desert c.120 km south of Al Alameen (approximately 100 km west of Alexandria), reaching as far as the north-eastern part of the Qattara Depression. My point of refer- ence for the birds of the Western Desert is Goodman & Meininger (1989) which included all available bird records from this region. The recent expansion of several species from the Nile Valley to some of these oases is recorded here. Species mentioned here are necessarily selective but are considered to be of especial significance. My trips have also revealed that the Dakhla Oasis is the most interesting ornithologically and that the Farafra and Siwa Oases are the most dis- sapointing. All observations are by the author. Systematic List Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Several at Dakhla Oasis 22-24 March 1993 were the third record for the oasis. Osprey Pandion haliaetus One at Dakhla Oasis 22-24 March 1993 was the first record for the oasis. The only previous record from the Western Desert was of two or three birds south-east of Al Moghra on 13 April 1977 (Goodman & Ames 1983) Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus Two pairs at Dakhla Oasis 22-24 March 1993. The first record from the Western Desert oases, indicating fur- ther expansion of the species away from the Nile Valley and Delta regions. The species is now also found on the new farms along the Cairo-Alexandria desert highway, in Wadi Natrun and along the north coast as far west as Al Hammam (60 km west of Alexandria). 32 ee Lanner Falco biarmicus One 20 km south of Baharya Oasis 25 March 1993 with two at Baharya Oasis 26 March 1993. Although Lanners can be found in many localities in the Western Desert they are scarce. Sooty Falcon Falco concolor Two at a nest, 80 km south of Al Alameen in the Western Desert 26 September 1992. The first record for the area although it has been seen several times since. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus Over 400 at Dakhla Oasis 22-24 March 1993. Black-winged Stilts were found in all suitable areas in the oasis. It seems possible that it may breed here, although the species is a fairly com- mon passage migrant and only a rare breeder in Egypt. White-tailed Plover Vanellus leucurus Six at Dakhla Oasis 23-24 March 1993 with fifteen at the same locality in March 1995 (Riad 1995). The first records for the Western Desert (Goodman & Meininger 1989). Spur-winged Plover Vanellus spinosus Common at Kharga and Dakhla Oases 20-24 March 1993. The only previous records were three at Dakhla 3 October 1980 and one at Kharga 23 April 1981 (Goodman et al. 1986). It appears well established in these two areas. Sociable Plover Vanellus gregarius One at Dakhla Oasis 23 March 1993. Increasingly rare; the last record in Egypt was in 1984 (Goodman & Meininger 1989). Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis Two at Kharga Oasis 20 March 1993 and two at Dakhla Oasis 22-24 March 1993. The first records for the Western Desert oases but possibly a breeding resident. Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus Common at Dakhla Oasis 22-24 March 1993 and fairly common at Baharya Oasis 25-26 March 1993. Birds in Dakhla were singing and displaying, suggesting breeding. Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus Abundant in suitable habitat in Dakhla Oasis 22-24 March 1993. There are a few previous records from the area, all of singletons (Goodman et al. 1986). It is now a common resident in the oasis. Fan-tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis Several at Bulaq, Kharga Oasis 20 March 1993. The species was reported from the oasis in 1980 and 1981 (Goodman et al. 1986). It should be noted that, even though suitable habitat exists in Dakhla Oasis, on my most recent trip there I did not record the species. oo Upcher’s Warbler Hippolais languida One at Bulaq, Kharga Oasis 20 March 1993. The first record for the Western Desert; there are six previous records for Egypt, the majority from Sinai (Baha el Din & Baha el Din 1995). Robin Erithacus rubecula Common at Baharya Oasis 25-26 March 1993 and one at Dakhla Oasis 23 March 1993. These records represent the first for Dakhla and the second for Baharya. The only previous record from the latter (in 1983) was, at the time, the only known occurrence from the Western Desert oases. Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens Recorded in the area from c.60 km south of Al Alameen to the Qattara Depression (80 km south of Al Alameen) 26 September 1992. Since then it has been recorded on several occasions, throughout the year, from the same area. Probably a breeding resident. Several were seen between 40-70 km south Marsa Matruh, on the Matruh- Siwa road 2 June 1993. Mourning Wheatears were previously rarely recorded west of the Nile; these records confirm their occurrence at several localities in the northern part of the Western Desert. Blackbird Turdus merula One at Kharga Oasis 21 March 1993, common at Dakhla Oasis 22-24 March 1993, fairly common at Baharya Oasis 25-26 March 1993 and several at Siwa Oasis 2-3 June 1993. These records represent the first records for the Western Desert oases. Blackbirds are also found in the new farms along the Cairo-Alexandria highway and in Wadi Natrun. A pair had also taken up residence in a garden 77 km west of Alexandria on the north coast. Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Small flocks at Baharya Oasis 22-26 March 1993. A rare winter visitor to the oases. Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis Very common throughout Dakhla Oasis 22-24 March 1993. Nests were found in the oasis; the first confirmed breeding record in Egypt (Riad 1995). House Sparrows P.domesticus were not found in this oasis; though they had been recorded previously in Dakhla (Goodman et al. 1986). Acknowledgements I would like to thank Tom and Anne Moore for allowing me to accompany them on their trip to the four southern oases. Special thanks to Sherif and Mindy Baha el Din who were of constant assistance and have always supplied much encouragement. MEDI ER ANEAN Alexandr Saudi Arabia Farafra Western Oasis Desert Dakhla Oasis Wa aa Gilf ~ Plateau Darb El-Arbain Uwainat Mountain ——— Abu Simbel « Sudan References BAHA EL DIN & BAHA EL DIN (1995) GOODMAN, S.M. & AMES, J. (1983) A contribution to the ornithology of the Siwa Oasis and Qattara Depression, Egypt. Sandgrouse 5:82-96. GOODMAN, S.M. & MEININGER, P.L. (eds) (1989) The birds of Egypt. Oxford University Press. GOODMAN, S.M., MEININGER, P.L. & MULLIE, W.C. (1986) The birds of the Egyptian western desert. Misc. Publ. Univ. Mich. Mus. Zool, No.172. RIAD, A.M. (1995) The first breeding record of Spanish Sparrow Passer hispan iolensis in Egypt. Orn. Soc. Middle East Bull. 35:38 Ahmed M. Riad, 2 Granada St, Apt. 17, Roxy Square, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt. 35 First record of Seebohm’s Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe seebohmi in Egypt Ahmed M Riad Sahl Zayat is a vegetated wadi midway between the Kharga and Dakhla oases in the Western Desert of Egypt. On 16 March 1995 there were many migrants in this area: Grey Heron Ardea cinerea, Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans, Yellow Motacilla flava and White Wagtails M.alba and several species of wheatear Oenanthe sp. were among those present. A solitary wheatear on the edge of a rock caught my atten- tion. I noted that it exhibited the same general wing colouration and pattern as Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, but the face was sooty black with a well defined white supercilium. Since a Black- eared Wheatear O.hispanica of the black-throated form was present, comparison was easy. The bird appeared identical to the seebohmi race of Northern Wheatear, which breeds in Algeria and Morocco and migrates southwards as far as Mauretania, Senegal and Mali. This record represents the first for Egypt, although there are records from the Libyan desert (Cramp 1988). Description A Seebohm’s Wheatear Northern Wheatear 36 In many respects identical to male Northern Wheatear; greyish crown, mantle and back with blackish wings contrasting with white rump, black and white tail pattern and a clear buffish breast. Striking white supercilium contrasts with forehead colour. The sooty black throat was reminiscent of Desert Wheatear O.deserti, but the general coloura- tion and the tail pattern was quite different (Desert Wheatear has a wholly black tail). In contrast to Black-eared Wheatear, which has a clear-cut distinction between the black throat and wings, Seebohm’s exhibits a narrow blackish line linking its black throat and wing. In addition, the Seebohm’s had a striking supercilium. References | | CRAMP, S. (ed) (1988) Handbook of the birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol.5. Oxford University Press. GOODMAN, S.M. & MEININGER, P.L. (eds) (1989) The birds of Egypt. Oxford University Press. Ahmed M. Riad, 2 Granada St, Apt. 17, Roxy Square, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt. 37 The first breeding record of Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis in Egypt Ahmed M Riad During a previous visit (20-26 March 1993) to Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra and Baharya Oases in Egypt’s Western Desert, I noted that House Sparrows Passer domesticus were fairly common in the Kharga and Baharya Oases, whilst large numbers of Spanish Sparrows P.hispan- lolensis were found throughout the Dakla Oasis. There were a number of nests and birds were also seen gathering nesting material, display- ing, courting and mating. The Farafra Oasis held no sparrows at all. On a recent trip to the four oases (14-20 March 1995) my earlier obser- vations were confirmed. Spanish Sparrow was numerous in Dakhla Oasis, where hundreds of nests were found chiefly in casuarina, euca- lyptus, ficus and acacia with some trees having more than 30 nests. Birds breeding in acacia were gathering nesting material from other tree species. Interestingly no House Sparrows were seen. Spanish Sparrows nest in various types of tree, but not usually in houses. This constitutes the first definite breeding record of the species in Egypt (see Goodman & Meininger 1989). The reason why this particular oasis was chosen for breeeding and why there is now such a marked absence of House Sparrows remains intangible and requires further investigation. The same visit also confirmed other earlier records, particularly the expansion of breeding birds into the Dakhla Oasis: Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus (Dakhla and Farafra), Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus (abundant), Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus (com- mon), Clamorous Reed Warbler A. stentoreus (very common at Dakhla and Farafra), Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida (abundant), Blackbird Turdus merula (very common), White-tailed Plover Vanellus leucurus (winter visitor, maximum 15 Dakhla) and the unexpected Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus (one pair Dakhla). References | GOODMAN, S.M. & MEININGER, P.L. (eds) (1989) The birds of Egypt. Oxford University Press. Ahmed M. Riad, 2 Granada St, Apt. 17, Roxy Square, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt. 38 The Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris in Bulgaria Dimitar N Nankinov Previously the Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris plausibly bred in Bulgaria. The species is mentioned by many authors who dis- cussed Bulgarian bird distribution and status (Klein 1909, Boetticher 1927, Patev 1950a, Patev 1950b, Peshev & Boev 1962, Boev 1984, 1986). The few recent records of the species are given below: A pair in Garvan marsh on 9 June 1979 (Michev 1979, Michev 1985, Michev & Simeonov 1985). One with a mixed flock of Garganey Anas querquedula, Mallard A. platyrchynos and Shoveler A. clypeata in the northern part of Atanasovsko Lake on 28 March 1982 (Nankinov 1992). P.Yankov recorded a lone bird at Atanasovsko Lake on 7 November 1985 (Green 1992). A single was observed by G.Tucker and P.Yankov at Arkutino Lake on 16 May 1991 (Neophron 1:34, 1994). M.Waterhouse recorded a single at Atanasovsko Lake at the begin- ning of December 1993 (Neophron 1:34, 1994). The species has been observed in Bulgaria throughout the year: Unfortunately most of the, once vast, Bulgarian wetlands have been drained. Marbled Teals recorded in Bulgaria in recent years presum- ably originate from Turkey. The species periodically migrates north- westwards, reaching the Balkans and even central Europe. In order to (re-establish the Marbled Teal in Bulgaria the following measures are required: conservation of existing wetlands; education of hunters, who fail to distinguish Marbled Teal from other duck species which they shoot, and an artificial rearing programme. Areas apparently suitable for introduction are: Kalimok Marsh, Lake Srebarna, Malak Preslavets marsh, reed islands in the Danube, marshes at Durankulak, Shabla, Alepu, Arkutino, lakes around Burgas (Atanasovsko, Vaya and Mandrensko) and perhaps elsewhere. The reintroduction of the Marbled Teal is quite feasible. The Institute of Zoology already pos- sesses a Biological Experimental Base, designed specifically for rearing rare species. At present financial difficulties obstruct attempts to rein- troduce the Marbled Teal. Hopefully in the near future these prob- lems can be solved. 39 References BOETTICHER, H.v. (1927) Kurzer Uberblick iiber die Wasser-und Sumpfvégel Bulgariens. Verh. orn. Ges. Bayern 17:180-198. Boev, N. (1964) Wildfowl and wildfowling in Bulgaria. Wildfowl Trust Ann. Rep. 16:58-63. BoEV, N. (1986) Dekorativni ptici. Zemizdat, Sofia. GREEN, A. (1992) Recovery plan for the Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angu- stirostris: a world endangered species. WWT, Slimbridge. KLEIN; E. (1909) Nashi ptici. Plovdiv: 1-186. MIcEV, T. (1979) Marbled Teal. In European News Brit. Birds 72:590. MicevV, T. (1985) Anas (Marmaronetta) angustirostris. In Red Data Book of the PR Bulgaria Vol.2. MIcEV, T. & SIMEONOYV, S. (1985) Changes in bird fauna of Bulgaria over the last thirty-five years (1950-1984). Int. Symp.Protection of natural areas and the Genetic fund they contain. Sofia. NANKINOY, D. (1992) Checklist of bird species and subspecies in Bulgaria. Avocetta 16:1-17. PATEV, P. (1950) Pticite v Bulgaria. BAN, Sofia. PETROV, A. (1950) Nashite louni ptict. Sofia. PESHEV, T. & BOEV, N. (1962) Fauna na Bulgaria (kratak opredelitel). Sofia. Dimitar N. Nankinov, Institute of Zoology, BAS, Boul Tzar Osvoboditel 1, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria. A BIRDWATCHERS’ GUIDE : TO TURKEY by lan ae and Nigel Moorhouse ~ AVAILABLE FROM wi Your local bookshop = OSME Sales c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL UK FS] Natural History Book Service 2 Wills Road, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5XN Tel: 01803 865913 Fax: 01803 865280 Price £10.75 Prion Ltd. 40 Raptor migration in north-east Turkey, autumn 1994 Vojtech Mrlik, Miroslav Bobek, Frantisek Pojer, Jaroslav Skopek & Jiri Formanek Between 24 September and 5 October 1994 we counted migrating rap- tors in the vicinity of Borcka, north-east Turkey. Published observa- tions from this locality are available only from 1976 (17 August-10 October), 1977 (11-25 October), 1978 (18-27 September), 1980 (20 September-2 October) and 1990 (16-28 September) (Andrews et al. 1977, Beaman 1977, Kok & Ongenae 1994). Our short census provides supplementary and more recent information about this little studied flyway. The migration route usually follows the deep north-south canyon of the Coruh river. The habitat is partially described in Andrews et al. (1977) and Bijlsma (1987). The Coruh valley at Borcka is more than 1000m deep. The river canyon is immediately enclosed by the steep slopes of the Pontic mountains which reach over 2000m here and are covered by woods, pasture lands and plantations of hazel. There are many small villages in the area. Domestic livestock graze the pastures: chiefly cattle with smaller numbers of horses, don- keys, sheep and goats. It is difficult to locate the best spots for census- ing migrating raptors and other soaring birds. Our group counted at points south-east and north-east above Borcka at: a) Ibrikli Esentepe (the ridge 1000m above the river); b) Alkakoy (1200m) and c) the slope north of Artvin (600m). Our results are presented in comparison with those of the two earliest of the previous surveys (see table 1). Approximately 100,000 migrat- ing raptors of 24 species were observed during the study (figures 1 & 2). The number of migrating raptors reached its peak on 26 September when 23,124 birds passed. Two conspicuous waves of birds were ev1- dent on most days: between 0800 and 1000 and again between 1400 and 1600, although the latter peak was usually less pronounced (see figures 3 & 4). Compared to the most recent published data from this region in autumn 1990 our research revealed the following: a) higher totals of Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus, Black Kite Milvus migrans, Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga and Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus, but lower totals of eg. Honey Buzzard Pernis 4] Bird of prey migration, Turkey 1994 400 zh elie 80 n = 96077 60 % 40 20 1.57% 0 2 > Buzzards Others 50 n= 1269 wn ®” w n = ” ci) x ® = Se ® De 2 > a Sh es ee Cae eee w © x = nL = =) = = uu Se G o s © ro) mo = > nee 42 | Bird of prey migration, Turkey 1994 n = 23124 30 | ve) N 20 spuesnoy| % 15 10 30 25 20 % 15 Table 1: Author Mrlik ef al. Andrews et al. Observation days 24.09.-5.10. 17.08.-10.10. Year 1994 1976 Number of days 12 55 Species But. but. vulpinus 94,736 205,000 But. rufinus Per. apivorus Aqu. chrysaetos Aqu. nipalensis Aqu. pomarina Aqu. clanga Aqu. species Hie. fasciatus Hie. pennatus Cir. gallicus Neo. percnopterus Gyp. fulvus Mil. migrans Cir. aeruginosus Cir. pygargus Cir. macrourus Cir. species Acc. gentilis Acc. nisus Acc. brevipes | Fal. peregrinus Large Falcon species Fal. subbuteo Fal. vespertinus Fal. tinnuculus Fal, naumanni Small Falcon species Pan. haliaetus Hel. albicilla Aqu. heliaca Cir. cyaneus Fal. cherrug ‘Fal. columbarius . : Acc. species . 159 Per. apivorus/But. buteo 20,561 Total 236,888 Number of birds of prey per day 4,307 Number of species 28 Beaman 11.-25.10. 1977 15 apivorus and Sparrowhawk Accipter nisus. b) eight Bonelli’s Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus, of which there are only two previous published records (Kok & Onengae 1994). c) other soaring migrants included 30 Black Stork Ciconia nigra and 2 White Stork C. ciconia. Among other species recorded the following were particularly note- worthy: Quail Coturnix coturnix (migrant), Scops Owl Otus scops (migrant), Long-eared Owl Asio otus, Tawny Owl Strix aluco, Bee-eater Merops apiaster (migrant), Roller Coracias garrulus (migrant), Green Woodpecker Picus viridis, Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopus minor, Stonechat Saxicola torquata, Treecreeper Certhia familiaris and Red-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus. Acknowledgements We would like to thank the Bohemian Express travel agency and the Universal Banka, Usti nad Labem for their support. References ANDREWS, J., BEAMAN, M., FISHER, P., HEREWARD, T., HEUBECK, M., MORTON, M., PORTER, R. & ROUND, P. (1977) A new raptor migration route through N.E. Turkey. Bull. Orn. Soc. Turkey 14:2-5. BEAMAN, M. (1977) Further news on raptor migration in the North East. Bull. Orn. Soc. Turkey 15:9. BIJLSMA, R.G. (1987) Bottleneck areas for migratory birds in the Mediterranean region. An assessment of the problems and recommenda- tions for action. ICBP Study Report 18, Cambridge. Kok, M. & ONENGAE, J.P. (1994) Raptor migration in the north-east of Turkey, September 1990. Orn. Soc. Middle East Bull.34:8-11. Vojtech Mrlik, Institute of Landscape Ecology, Academy of Sciences, 675 02 Studenc, Czech Republic Miroslav Bobek, Czech Radio Prag, Edition of Science, Vinohradska 12, 120 99 Praha 2, Czech Republic Frantisek Pojer, National Museum Prag, Dept. of Zoology, Vaclavskeé namesti 68,115 79 Praha 1, Czech Republic Jaroslav Skopek & Jiri Formanek, National Museum Prag, Ringing Centre, Hornomecholupska 34, 102 00 Praha 10 - Hostivar, Czech Republic Aktas Golu: a new pelican breeding site on the Turkish-Georgian border by Murat Yarar On 14 and 15 July 1995 with the permission of the General Staff in Ankara I visited Aktas Golt, Ardahan province, on the Turkish border with Georgia. Aktas Golu (or Hozapin lake) is a shallow, lava wall lake of volcanic origin situated in a closed basin at an altitude of 1794 metres (Environmental Foundation of Turkey 1993). The lake covers 2700 ha, of which 1400 ha lie within Turkey. There are 12 unhabited islands, all on the Turkish side, partially reed-fringed. There are also some reedbeds along the shoreline, elsewhere the lake is bordered by grassland and fields. There are several other lakes in the vicinity, the largest of which is Cildir Golt, 15 km to the south. Several others are within Georgian territory e.g. Hanceli, Sargamo and Paravani lakes. Since the lake is situated in a restricted border area under military control, it is relatively undisturbed. There are only three villages on the Turkish side, with one directly beside the lake. From an ornithological point of view the lake is poorly known. The site is not included in the inventory of Important Bird Areas (Ertan et al. 1989). The late Nihat Turan mentions breeding pelicans (not identi- fied to species), Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea, Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca and Common Crane Grus grus at the lake, whereas White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus is mentioned as occurring there (in Environmental Foundation of Turkey 1993). All these observations probably date from the 1960s and 1970s. The only foreign birdwatch- ers known to have visited the area are van der Ven and Gheyselinck. Their observations from autumn 1980 and 1981 include numerous Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis, White Pelican, Ruddy Shelduck, various ducks Anas sp. and Velvet Scoter (120 birds). Four hours were spent in the evening and afternoon of 14 and 15 July at the lake, birdwatching solely from the lakeshore. The most out- standing observation was the discovery of breeding Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus with White Pelicans on two of the islands. 46 White Pelican A total of 75 individuals was present, mainly at the breeding colony on one of the islands. A single chick was observed, but many adults were sitting on nests. The breeding population was conservatively estimated at 50 pairs. White Pelican is regularly observed at Cildir Golu during the breeding season, these presumably involve birds from the Aktas colony. The only other colonies currently known in Turkey are at Seyfe Golt and Eregli Marshes. Dalmatian Pelican 35 birds were present on two islands. Five appeared to have nests on the same island as the White Pelican colony. The total number breeding was estimated at 20 pairs. Other known colonies of this globally threatened species in Turkey are at Manyas Golu, Buyuk Menderes and Kizilirmak Deltas, Camalti Tuzlasi and most probably at Aksehir Golt. Velvet Scoter A total of 725 individuals including many immatures was seen. The site probably holds the largest breeding population of Velvet Scoter in Turkey. Three other breeding localities are known at: Nemrut Dagi crater lake (Tatvan), Balik Golu and Cildir Golu. Other significant bird species recorded at or around the lake included: Greylag Goose Anser anser, Pochard Aythya ferina, Tufted Duck A.fuligula, Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus, Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus, Common Crane and Armenian Gull Larus (argenata- tus) armenicus. The lake is obviously of outstanding ornithological importance; the pelican colony is apparentiy the highest known above sea level in the Palearctic (A. Crivelli pers. comm.). There is no doubt that under cur- rent conditions there is no immediate threat posed to the area and its birds, but negotiations between Georgia and Turkey to open the bor- der at Aktas have recently started. This may result in dramatically increased human activity around the lake, if appropriate measures are not taken beforehand. DHKD has therefore approached the relevant authorities with the proposal to declare the area as a National Park. Acknowledgements Iam most grateful to Gernant Magnin, Sancar Baris and Guy Kirwan for their comments on this article. I would also like to thank the military and forestry staff in Ardahan, Kars and Cildir for their permission and assistance in visit- ing this area. This visit was one of a series of systematic field surveys of the Turkish Important Bird Areas project, sponsored by Garanti Bank, Turkey 47 and undertaken by DHKD within the framework of BirdLife International’s European IBA programme. References | ENVIRONMENTAL FOUNDATION OF TURKEY (1993) Wetlands of Turkey. Environmental Foundation of Turkey, Ankara. 3 ERTAN, A., KILIC, A. & KASPAREK, M. (1989) Tiirkiye’nin Onemli Kus Alanlari. DHKD, Istanbul. MAGNIN, G. & YARAR, M. (1994) Some notes on the breeding of Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber and White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus in Turkey. Orn. Soc. Middle East Bull. 32: 28-30 VAN DER VEN, J.A. & GHEYSELINCK, G.F. (1981) Birds in Eastern Turkey II, 26 September-13 October 1980. Utrecht. VAN DER VEN, J.A. (1982) Birds in Eastern Turkey III, 18 September-4 October 1981. Utrecht. Murat Yarar, clo DHKD, P.K. 18, 80810, Bebek, Istanbul, Turkey. 48 Guest Editor: Yossi Leshem Bird Migration covers all aspects of the subject, from surveillance techniques, through the mechanics and energetics of flight, to physiological, ecological, and . evolutionary mee aspects, and a section on radar studies suedijad aytym Jo aduanbas YsII} €661 Yiuus -d sowel of bird migration in Israel. With 8 pages of color plates. International Conference on Bird Migration, The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, April 1994, Elat, Israel. Israel Journal of Zoology, Vol. 41, No. 3 ¢ Over 310 pages ¢ 8 pages of color plates ¢ Softcover ¢ due September 1995 ¢ Price $59 Personal price* $29.50 Order form = Please send me Bird Migration (/srael Journal of Zoology, Vol 41, No. 3, 1995). 0 Institutional price: US $59 inc. airmail. © Personal price*: US $29.50. GO lenclose my check for US $ (To Laser Pages Publishing (1992) Ltd) 0 Send a pro forma invoice. 0 Debit my Visa /MasterCard / Eurocard Card No. Expiration date__/___ Amount $ Name Signature SS. | Address City State Zip al Country Tel. (day) Dates yp. * For those who pay by personal check or credit card. OSMV/07/95 | RETURN TO: MARKETING DEPT., LASER PAGES PUBLISHING, on (OD P.O. BOX 50257, JERUSALEM 91502, ISRAEL. OR FAX TO: + 972 2370625 _ || 49 News and Information July 1995 Compiled by Simon Albrecht The aim of this section is to inform readers about events in the OSME region. It relies on members and others supplying relevant news and information. If you have any any information concerning birds, con- servation or development isssues in the OSME area please send it to News and Information, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, U.K. This section 1s not intended as a definitive report or write up of the projects concerned. Many of the projects are sponsored; such support is appreciated but is not generally acknowledged here. SOCOTRA CORMORANT The Socotra Cormorant - Phalacorocrax nigrogularis is endemic to Arabia with all but one known colony in the Arabian Gulf. There are possibly now only 11 extant colonies compared with an historical minimum of 28. Despite a world population of between 500,000 and 1 million individuals there are grave fears for the conservation of the species due to the small number of colonies, continuing persecution and the loss of breeding sites due to develop- ment. Starting in the winter breeding season of 1994/5, an international effort is being made by Gulf states to census those remaining colonies and to moni- tor breeding performance. (Source: Network News 3 (1).) UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Survey of western Abu Dhabi islands - Vastly more seabirds than were expected were found on the western Abu Dhabi islands in the summer of 1994 by the National Avian Research Centre based in Abu Dhabi. Results included: Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus (over 40,000 pairs), White-cheeked Tern S. _repressa (over 21,000 pairs), Lesser Crested Tern S. benghalensis (24,500 pairs) and Swift Tern S. bergii (1,256 pairs). In addition new breeding sites for Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis were found and a new Sooty Gull Larus hemprichii colony was discovered. The outstanding islands were Quarneyn, Ushsh, Ghasha, Muhaiyimat and Dayina which were all internationally important for their seabird colonies. However several islands which had been important for seabirds in the past were found to be completely abandoned. Known losses include 15-20,000 pairs of Socotra Cormorant. 50 While the data arrived too late for inclusion in the Important Bird Areas in the Middle East, they are to be included in the forthcoming Directory of Wetlands in the Middle East. It has been suggested that most of Abu Dhabi’s islands and coast be proposed as a World Heritage site. (Source: Network News 3 (1).) PALESTINE Children for the Protection of Nature - a new organisation in Palestine has started an adventurous programme aimed at strengthening the relationship, appreci- ation and bond between children and their homeland in Gaza and the West Bank. Their magazine Shaqee’g al-nuoma’n (Anemone corinaria) has been widely distributed to schools. Their 1995 Action Plan includes running teachers’ train- _ ing workshops and field trips, and the organisation of awareness campaigns. Included are campaigns on the preservation of the woodland Wadi Al Duff in Hebron and highlighting the water pollution problems on the Gaza Strip. (Source: Network News 3 (1).) JORDAN Dana Reserve - Jordan’s Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) have carried out a series of surveys in the 250km2 reserve of Dana in southern Jordan. The area includes limestone and sandstone mountains and stony desert. The surveys have found the largest known population of the Syrian Serin Serinus syriacus (probably over 800 pairs) and a healthy population of Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni (probably over 20 pairs) in the reserve. Other resident birds include Sinai Rosefinch Carpodacus synoicus, Eagle Owl Bubo bubo, Hume’s Tawny Owl Strix butleri, Bonelli’s Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus, Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha, Dunn’s Lark Eremalauda dunni and Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus. It is also on the Israeli-Jordan Rift Valley migration route for birds of prey. It is hoped that a management plan for Dana being prepared by RSCN will be completed this autumn. Badia Desert - RSCN, together with Durham University, U.K., have received funding from the Darwin Initiative for a biodiversity study of the Badia Desert in eastern Jordan. The study will concentrate particularly on the area of Burqu’ which is one of the few permanent water bodies in the Jordan desert. During a brief spring survey of the area a significant concentration of Bimaculated Larks Melancorypha bimaculata were found in the area, the first time the species has been recorded breeding in Jordan. (Source: Network News 3 (1&2).) Red Sea to Dead Sea canal - proposals to refill the Dead Sea with water from the Red Sea via a canal generating electricity and bringing water to the desert are examined in a paper in New Scientist (21 July 1995). Water resources, exploita- tion and management in the whole area including the impacts on the Azraq Oasis are discussed. 51 YEMEN A conservation workshop was held in Sana’a in mid March on Yemen’s biodiver- sity. it was hosted by the Environmental Protection Council (EPC) and chaired by Mr Al-Hamdani, EPC’s chairman. The workshop was well attend- ed by officials from various ministries who heard presentations on Yemen’s Important Bird Areas, the conservation of endemic birds, threats to birds caused by land-use changes, and a programme for the conservation of the Leopard Panthera pardus. Particular attention was drawn to the need for con- servation of the highland terrace ecosystem, which has 12 endemic birds, and the island of Socotra, which has six endemics. (Source: Network News 3 (2).) Socotra - a recent article in the New Scientist (29 July 1995) highlights the chal- lenge between development and conserving the island’s unique flora. OMAN Convention on Biological Diversity - Congratulations to the Omani Government, who have now signed and ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity. There are now three Arab countries in the region that have ratified the Convention (the others are Lebanon and Jordan). (Source: Network News 3 (2).) Rhinoceros horn - Oman banned the import of rhinoceros horn as from 18 October 1994 and plans to prohibit the sale of rhino horn in due course. This is a very welcome move particularly in view of the cultural importance of dag- ger handles. Currently Oman is not a party to CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) and has no other legislation to control trade in CITES-listed species. However Oman is examining the possi- bility of joining CITES. (Source: Oryx 29:2 from Traffic Bull. 15 (1).) Oryx reintroduction complete - Seven Oryx Oryx leuceryx from the USA are to be released in Oman to join the estimated 288 currently living in the wild. These are the last captive born Oryx that it is planned to release. (Source: Oryx 29 (3).) SAUDI ARABIA Reintroduction of Ostrich - Saudi Arabia’s National Commission for Wildlife - Conservation and Development (NCWCD) has started a programme to rein- troduce the Ostrich Struthio camelus into the former range of the subspecies syriacus. Seven from Sudan (S. c. camelus) were released in the Mahazat As Sayd Protected Area in western Saudi Arabia in June 1994. They are being monitored to see if they will survive and breed without supplementary food and water. (Source: Oryx 29 (3) from Re-introduction News No.9) Fauna of Saudi Arabia - Volume 14, containing 400 pages and covering marine fishes, scorpions and Branchiopoda amongst others, will be available shortly (price 159 Swiss Francs), whilst Volume 15 is in active preparation. Orders 52 and enquiries should be addressed to: Karger Libri AG, P.O. Box, CH-4009 Basel, Switzerland. EGYPT Lake Nasser, which was created as a result of the completion of the Nile High Dam in 1969, is one of the largest freshwater bodies in Africa. However, large- ly due to its inaccessibility, it has remained almost unknown to ornithologists. A recent week-long visit, conducted as part of the BirdLife Important Bird Area (IBA) programme, managed to survey about 25% of the lake. Over 55,000 waterbirds were counted including 19,000 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula, 9,500 Shoveler Anas clypeata, 6,000 Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis and 1,157 White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus. This is likely to be but a fraction of the number the lake actually holds and it is probable that Lake Nasser is absorbing birds that used to winter in other Egyptian wetlands that are now shrinking. The lake clearly qualifies for listing in the Egyptian Important Bird Areas inventory due to be published in the autumn. (Source: World Birdwatch 17 (2).) MEDMARAVIS | Alghero Convention (1995) on Coastal and Marine Biodiversity in the Mediterranean - In the previous Bulletin we reported that the conference produced the above convention. The Aighero Convention (1995) urges all Mediterranean countries to give special consideration to island ecosystems, accord full protection sta- tus to all marine mammals, establish an enlarged network of terrestrial and marine protected areas, and give protective status to every remaining niche of biodiversity outside protected areas. The Convention has 10 annexes proposing a set of biodiversity criteria and also proposes biological criteria for, among others, the Black Sea region and the eastern Mediterranean. Medmaravis hopes to produce a declaration booklet in several languages which will be sent to various authorities and institutions as well as to Medmaravis members. Further information from Medmaravis, BP 2 - 83470 Saint Maxim, France. Fax: (33) 94 59 47 38. (Source: Medmaravis News 17.) Medcoast 1995 October 24-27 - The Second International Conference on the Mediterranean Coastal Environment is being organised by the Medcoast Permanent Secretariat at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey an the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, in Barcelona, Spain. The main topics include conservation issues, biodiversity, endangered species, habitat protection, specially protected areas, and coastal and marine parks. A two-day short course on “Coastal Zone Management in the Mediterranean” will be organised on 22-23 October, prior to the conference. For further infor- mation write to: Miss M. Ruiz, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Gran capita s/n, modul D-1, 08034 Barcelona, Spain. 53 TURKEY Rising water levels on Lake Van (over 2.5 metres) in the past two years have brought about the destruction of at least four Important Bird Areas - Bendimahi Delta, Celebibag marshes, Gorundti (Horkum) G6lti and Edremit marshes. Both Ahlat and Van marshes have been reduced in size and many smaller areas of marshland completely inundated as a result. Due to the uncertain political situation in eastern Turkey it is not presently possible to adequately assess the full effects of this currently unexplained phenonomen. - OSME News A chance to get things done! In the membership survey many of you made suggestions for improving OSME - so Council is going to make it possible for you to make some of them happen! OSME has urgent need of people who have the time to take on self- contained priority projects for the Society. These could include setting up a flier mailing, getting a new T shirt designed and printed, writing an article for Sandgrouse on a birding site in the region which you know well, organising a joint meeting between OSME and your local bird group, taking copies of OSME publications and membership forms out to a country in the region on your next visit... the possibilities are many and by making greater use of our widely spread membership we can achieve far more than Council can ever do on its own. All projects will be coordinated by Council so there will always be help at hand! With this system we hope to be able to make use of all our active members - even those who live in the remotest of locations, can’t attend meetings or would like to assist but feel they cannot make a long term com- mitment. If you’d like to know more, please contact the Chairman, Geoff Welch. We look forward to hearing from you. Seventeenth OSME AGM At this year’s AGM, Phil Hollom retired from Council after the completion of -his 5 year term of service. Phil has a long association with the Society having been both a Vice-President and a Council member, and over the years he has had an impeccable record for attending meetings. Phil’s long association with the region and extensive knowledge of its birdlife have meant that his contri- butions at meetings have always been pertinent and tempered with the benefit of a long term perspective of ornithology in the Middle East. This has been particularly valuable in curbing some of the more adventurous suggestions put forward by some of us ‘Young Turks’! The other major contribution Phil has brought to meetings has been a sense of decorum - his gentlemanly pres- ence always ensuring things never got out of hand. 54 I am extremely grateful to Phil for all of the time and effort he has put into assisting OSME over the years and find it very reassuring to know that we can call on him for a few wise words of advice should the need arise in the future. The other changes on Council which took place this year were the premature retirement of John Armitage, Mike Jennings, Hew Prendergast and Rob Morris due to pressure of work or, in Rob’s case, an overseas posting. To all I extend my sincere thanks for their work on behalf of OSME. On the plus side, we welcome Pete Davidson: who will be developing the Turkey Officer role into that of a wider Regional Information Officer, and Tony Morris who has taken on the key role of Secretary. Geoff Welch, Chairman of Council telephone: (0)1728 648298; fax: (0)1728 648529 or write c/o The Lodge. 1995 Summer Meeting. Due to arrive in London...at...10....43.. On the day after the first rail strike of the summer the guard’s announcement seemed rather hesitant but in the event I did arrive in good time at the new venue - the pleasantly appropriate School of Oriental and African Studies. Richard Porter opened with a succinct account of recent conservation news from the OSME region. Several countries have important projects in various stages of development and there appear to be many moves in the right direc- tion. The importance of baseline conservation studies being published in the local languages, especially Arabic, was stressed as was the necessity for gentle yet firm encouragement for countries to not merely sign international agree- ments but to ratify and begin to implement them. The hope was fervently expressed that countries such as Iran will soon be easier for birdwatchers to Visit. Steve Parr thanked OSME for a modest grant which helped support his Lesser Kestrel survey in Turkey. I enjoyed the slides of the Turkish landscape and being familiar only with this species on migration was surprised to see slides of its nest sites beneath roof-tiles and down chimneys of remote rural villages. The assistance of Turkish students seemed essential to the successful imple- mentation of this project. The business of the AGM was efficiently dealt with (particularly the Statement of Accounts!) and was succeeded by a tasty pseudo-ethnic luch with the finest glass of hot, sweet tea I’d tasted since | left Egypt a year ago. The selection of Middle Eastern bird books for sale, some just published, proved, alas irresistible. OSME’s multi-talented Chairman, Geoff Welch, then electrified the audience from its siesta with a 20 slide mystery bird quiz. Shrieks of incredulity at a raptor that turned out to be a Marsh Harrier were exceeded only by a Little Green Bee-eater which was identified by one as ‘an out-of-range Rufous- sided Towhee’ and described by another as ‘photographed from the Moon’. Fortunately Geoff did not enquire as to our personai scores. Baz Huges brought us back down to earth with an erudite and dispassionate account of the problems facing the White-headed Duck. Never before had I seen so many maps of the British Isles in an OSME lecture but these were necessary since the spread of the Ruddy Duck through the Western Palearctic from its English base now impinges directly on the future of its threatened relative. This is a pity because when | used to count Ruddy Ducks in north Shropshire I always found them rather cute - as ducks go. Robin Chittenden rounded off the afternoon perfectly with a photographic meander through Egypt which brought back many memories. There were some excellently crisp shots of wheatears in particular. Due to hard work and careful preparation by a group of Council members this Summer Meeting at a new venue and with a fresh schedule proved a most enjoyable and stimulating day. I am already planning my next visit to the region! Derek J. Evans The OSME Summer Meeting and Eighteenth AGM will again be held at the School of Oriental and African Studies, Russel Square, London on Saturday 20th July, starting at 11.30am (subject to confirmation). Make a date in your diary now! Turkey Bird Report 1987-91: an apology to contributors As a result of technical difficulties in Sandgrouse production a series of names of contributors was omitted from the most recent Turkey Bird Report (Sandgrouse 16 part 2, 1994). The editors, Guy M. Kirwan and Rodney P. Martins, would like to sincerely apologise to those whose names were omit- ted, the reasons for this were entirely beyond their control. The omitted observers are: M.A.S.Beaman (1991), U.Ozesmi (1990-91), D.Page (1989), G.Paulson (1988 & 90), J.M.Pearson (1988), C.Petersen (1989), M.C.Powell (1987), M.Raes (1988), M.Renner (1991), D.Richardson (1989), R.A.Richardson (1989), D.Ridgely (1989), M.H.Rodgers (1987), M.van Ronzelen (1987), D.Ross (1990), J.A.Rowlands (1989), M.Roxby (1990), D.A.Rushforth (1988), G.Sandve (1989-90), A.Sezer (1991), K.Shaw (1988), B.Shipley (1990), G.Shorrock (1989), D.Showler (1988), R.Simonsson (1987), J.Skinner (1989), R.Slack (1989), S.P.Smethurst (1989) and J.Wolstencroft (1991). 56 Guy M. Kirwan & Rodney P. Martins, 6 Connaught Road, Norwich NR2 3BP, Norfolk, U.K. Recently Received Oldfield, C. & J. (1904) A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Qatar. Published by the authors, Doha. 111 pages with illustrations throughout. Available from OSME sales £6.50 including post and packing. Divided into three sections this is the perfect complement to birding in this underwatched Gulf State. There are sections covering a month by month account of the birds to be seen, the key birding sites, with access details and sketch maps and finally a tabulated checklist of all species currently recorded in Qatar. Requests for Information Wanted - a home for Sandgrouse OSME has back copies of Sandgrouse for which it is seeking good homes with individuals or organisations in the region where they can provide a useful source of reference and encouragement for future ornithologists work. OSME itself is compiling a list of suitable recipients but if you know of anyone in the region who would benefit from receiving a selection of Sandgrouse or if you would be prepared to take a pack out when next visiting the region, please contact Gary Allport, Chairman Conservation & Research Committe, OSME, c/o The Lodge. Your Help Urgently Needed. DHKD continues with its work to produce an updated version of the Turkey Important Bird Areas inventory. During the last five years much support has been received from foreign birdwatchers who submitted their observations on standardised recording forms to DHKD, or designed their itinerary according to the needs of the project. There are still some sites for which there is a short- age of recent bird information. We would like to close these gaps with your help. 57 DHKD would be grateful to any birdwatcher who can send us observations from the following sites from the period 1989-1995: Ilgaz mountains (IBA No 012), Yenigaga Gélu (017), Yesilirmak Delta (018), Eber Golui (022), Karapinar plain (025), Todiirge Gol (031), Tuzla Golu, Kayseri (033), Giilluk marshes (037), Karamik marshes (039), Ktictik Menderes Delta (040), Kéycegiz-Dalyan (055) and any site from southeastern and eastern Turkey (IBAs 060 to 078). Data from sites in the east which are not described in the current IBA invento- ry are also welcomed. Most welcome is the data presented on the Special Recording Forms which can be obtained from Guy Kirwan, 6 Connaught Road, Norwich NR2 3BP, United Kingdom. Send your notes, forms or reports to: Murat Yarar, DHKD Bird and Wetland Section, P.K. 18, 80810, Bebek, Istanbul, Turkey. Your help will be fully acknowledged in the forthcoming revised IBA publica- tion. Thank you in advance for your assistance. Gernant Magnin and Murat Yarar New Middle East Checklist. A new checklist covering the entire Middle Eastern region from Egypt in the west, Socotra in the south and Aghanistan and Iran in the north and east is currently in an advanced state of preparation. Each country receives individ- ual treatment, with codes detailing each species’ status. Recent records of vagrants where documented are listed and references for all species supplied. If you have, as yet, unsubmitted or unpublished records of vagrants from any part of the Middle East please contact the authors at the address below as soon as possible. All help will be fully acknowledged, both in the relevant country section and in the book’s introduction. Guy Kirwan & Pete Davidson, 6 Connaught Road, Norwich NR2 3BP, UK . Reviews Andrews, I.J. (1995) The birds of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Andrews, Musselburgh (U.K.). 185pp. £18.50. Available from Ian J. Andrews, 39 Clayknowes Drive, Musselburgh, Midlothian EH21 6UW, U_K. This is a very well planned and executed book on the status of Jordan’s birds, which fills a long standing gap in the ornithology of the Middle East. As Ian Andrews comments, many of the species range maps published in BWP and 58 other recent tomes contain remarkably Jordan-shaped holes in them. As one of the major countries straddling the ecotone between the Mediterranean and the Saharo-Sindian desert zones, and thus containing many species at the edge of their world ranges, the often obscure distribution and status of birds in jordan has remained a problem for many a researcher. This book now pro- vides answers to many of these questions. To place the book in context it is worth summarising the state of previous knowledge. Two other English language books have also been recently pub- lished on the birds of Jordan. One (Disi & Bouran 1987) was the first annotat- ed checklist ever compiled for the country, but it contained often inadequate or misleading information on status (see review in OSME Bulletin 21:33-34). The other was coffee-table type book designed as a vehicle for the author's photographs, and thus covered only a minority of the species known from Jordan (Birds of Jordan, Ramadan Bakig & Horani 1992), with little hard infor- mation on status (see review in OSME Bulletin 33:31-32). There are two other relevant works in Arabic. Jordanian Wild Birds (Disi & Bouran 1990) is a paper- back in the ICBP Small Bird Book series, designed to promote interest in birds and birdwatching amongst schoolchildren of the Mediterranean region, cover- ing only a selection of the commoner species and with a standard text and for- mat across all Mediterranean countries. As such the book is not particularly useful or informative for the confirmed birdwatcher in Jordan. The second, Wild Birds of Jordan (Shafei 1988) is based on the author’s wide experience both in the field and as curator of the Jordan Natural History Museum at Yarmouk University. It bears the stamp of authority that the other books discussed have lacked, and I know that it has certainly proved very useful to Jordanians carrying out bird surveys. Now we have Ian Andrews’ privately published book, based mainly on his wide travels in the country during three years residence between 1989 and 1992, but also incorporating all previously published literature known to him as well as many unpublished observations, most notably those by Jorg Wittenberg. The design, layout and overall ‘look’ of the book is explicitly modelled on Colin Richardson's superbly user-friendly Birds of the United Arab Emirates. There are all the special sections that a birdwatcher on a short holi- day or a newcomer to Jordan could want: good country maps, a selection of birdwatching itineraries covering a representative spectrum of habitats and species, with details and sketch maps of routes; a chapter on the different habitats found in Jordan, supported by high quality photographs; a full check- list with tick boxes and a gazetteer of all localities mentioned in the text. Of course the main body of the book is the species accounts which summarise the distribution, abundance and monthly occurrence pattern of all species recorded in Jordan, often with additional short comments on other interesting subjects such as taxonomy or field identification. The book does not, however, cover the latter specifically or systematically, this being best left to the several 59 modern field guides that now cover the Near East. Rarities are well covered with dates and localities, though no information in the book is specifically ref- erenced to source publications or observers - something of a problem for the more serious birder or conservationist, but probably the correct decision for a book designed to gain wide popular appeal. If in any doubt, one can always write to the author, since he states that he is willing to continue as a collater of past and future bird data from Jordan, given the lack of any other willing vol- unteer. Having already had the opportunity to make extensive field use of the book, I can state that the species accounts are concise yet authoritative and always helpful. Each account has an accompanying diagram showing the monthly pattern of occurrence (for non-vagrant species) and a map of the breeding dis- tribution (where relevant). Many of the species are illustrated by colour pho- tos, the great majority taken by Ian Andrews and Tim Loseby in Jordan itself; these are often of a very high standard. The whole book is further enlivened by John Busby’s vibrant sketches of many of the species, habitats and localities - a great visual asset for any bird book. There is a good section on bird conser- vation in Jordan, describing the ees faced by certain rare or threatened species or habitats. For bird conservationists in Jordan the hard work put into researching, writing and designing the book should greatly facilitate future fieldwork. As Ian Andrews says, there is still a lot to be discovered about Jordan’s avifauna - he often outlines such loose ends which require tying up, species whose status is unclear, localities or habitats that need further exploration and projects that deserve to be carried out (e.g. a survey of Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni colonies, a national breeding bird atlas) - and this publication will surely act as a catalyst along these lines. To summarise, the book looks and feels great and is a pleasure to own and use. With the signing of the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, travel between the two countries by Western tourists has now become fast, straightforward and hassle-free. The many birders visiting Israel will be able to add a whole new dimension to even the shortest of trips, for Jordan assuredly has many unique natural facets compared to Israel. In this sense the book could not have been published at a better time. It deserves all the sales’ success that it will surely get. Mike Evans Winkler, H., Christie, D.A. & Nurney, D. (1995) Woodpeckers, Piculets and Wrynecks of the World. Pica Press, Mountfield, Sussex (U.K.). Hardback. 406 pp, 64 colour plates. £30. | The Picidae, comprising Jynginae, Picumninae and Picinae, total 214 species 60 worldwide. of these 96 occur in the Neotropics, but there is a representative of at least one of these three families in almost every part of the globe, being absent only from the majority of desert regions, Australasia and many islands, most significantly Madagascar. As a result few forested areas in the world are without a woodpecker, and there is even one species, the Andean Flicker Colaptes rupicola that occurs high above the treeline. This book, published by Pica Press, follows a very similar approach to the popular and highly success- ful series of family guides pulished by Helm. With Christopher Helm involved in both series’ it is urisurprising that the two are similar and invite comparison. The usual introductory chapters include sections on relationships and taxonomy, distribution, morphology and mechanics, plumage and moult, food and foraging, ecological and sexual dimorphism, behaviour, reproduction and sociality, and woodpeckers and man. As woodpeckers are such a spe- cialised group these opening sections provide fascinating reading. Gaps in our knowledge are highlighted and areas where future research could usefully be undertaken pointed to. Some of these sections cuuld have been expanded, in particular that on woodpeckers and man could have included a more detailed discussion of the conservation issues facing this group. The species accounts include sections on identification, distribution, move- ments, habitat, detailed description, geographical variation, measurements, voice, habits, food, breeding and references. In general they have a slightly broader and more detailed coverage than some of the Helm titles. Hans Winkler is one of the world’s foremost authorities on woodpeckers, so it comes as no great surprise to find all the texts for species with which I am familiar accurate and apparently error free. The length of the accounts vary, with the well known species receiving quite detailed coverage, whilst those for the poorly known species are rather brief. Clearly a book of this scope cannot go into exceptional detail, but all the texts appear comprehensive and up to date. For example the number of pairs of White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopus leucotos breeding in Sweden in 1994 is included. A reasonably comprehensive reference section for each species points to those sources to which the interest- ed reader should next turn. The maps also appear up to date and accurate, with no obvious errors that I could detect. Unlike the Helm series, where colour maps appear opposite the plates, the maps here have been placed with the relevant species text. They are monochrome and use different types of shading to show breeding and non-breeding areas. This approach allowed greater freedom in the sizing and therefore a clearer depiction of the range of some species has resulted. I do however prefer the Helm series’ use of colour maps since it facilitates easy interpretation, especially for migrants. Helm’s placing of the maps with the plates makes it easier to compare the differing ranges of one or more similar species. However a brief summary of range is included in the text adjacent to the plate. A scattering of line drawings, mainly depicting woodpeckers in flight, accom- pany the species accounts, although more could have been usefully included. 61 The plates are of a very high quality. All species, including a number of dis- tinct races, have been illustrated. Some racial variants have never been paint- ed previously. David Nurney has done an excellent job in accurately depicting all the species with which I am familiar. However some species have a rather lifeless feel, perhaps reflecting a lack of field experience on the artists behalf. With a seemingly never ending supply of new titles appearing on the market and the inflated prices charged for books these days it is difficult, even for the more affluent among us, to continue finding the funds to keep up to date with each new publication. So, with only 27 species of woodpecker occurring in the Palearctic (and some of those only just!), those birders who do not regularly travel outside the Palearctic will probably not regard this book as an essential purchase. Nonetheless this excellent book is an authoritative piece of work on a fascinating group of birds that will doubtless find its way onto many birders’ bookshelves throughout the world. I thoroughly recommend it. Chris Bradshaw Baumgart, W., Kasparek, M. & Stephan, B. (1995) Die Vogel Syriens: eine Uber- sicht. Max Kasparek Verlag, Heidelberg, pp 124, price DM 28. At last! A concise but still relatively detailed introduction (in German) to the ornithology of this fascinating, yet little known Arab republic. This is the sec- ond of a series of annotated checklists covering Middle Eastern countries; Turkey has already appeared (see Bull.32:41-42) and others are envisaged, cov- ering Jordan and Yemen. It is attractively designed; a scattering of black-and- white photographs of both birds and their habitats helping to relieve the text, and, for travelling birders, will fit very easily in the daypack. Introductory chapters address issues suchas history of ornithological research, geography and climate, general characteristics of the Syrian avifauna, a discus- sion of status, threats and conservation. The latter includes details of Important Bird Areas. Of the books’ 124 pages, 93 are given over to the systematic list, which describes the status and distribution of the 354 species the authors consider to have been reliably recorded in Syria. Of these 161 have bred (16 only in the past), while a further 33 plausibly do so. Latin, German and English names are given for all species (although Limosa limosa is the Black-tailed Godwit, not Black-winged) as are abbreviated status symbois; which are also translated into English in the introduction to the list. Species accounts vary from two lines for vagrants such as Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus, to nearly a page for better known and more obvious species like White Stork Ciconia cico- nia. For many species details remain scant, thus the authors include many observations which in time may prove unremarkable. Whereas the Turkey list was supported by a number of maps and figures illustrating migration timing, 62 general distribution and ringing recoveries, the severe lack of such studies in Syria meant that this type of additional data could not be presented. A map showing localities mentioned in the text and a full bibliography complete the work. In conclusion no visitor to Syria should be without this book. The final word on Syria’s ornithology it may not be, but as an introduction and a baseline upon which future works will doubtless be forced to build, this is a creditable achievement. Guy Kirwan Meininger, P.L. & Atta, G.A.M. (eds) (1994) Ornithological studies in Egyptian wetlands 1989-90. FORE report 94-01, WIWO report 40, Zeist, the Netherlands. After eight years living in Egypt I assumed that this report would reveal little that I did not already know. How wrong! was! Its 400 pages contain a mass of fascinating new information. Never before have Egypt’s wetlands been examined in as much detail as this. The report provides a benchmark by which our success or failure in preserving these areas can be judged. An overview of the environmental status of the major wetlands makes for depressing reading with more threats than any site can reasonably be expected to withstand. Sewage from the Cairo megalopolis is pumped 150km north to pollute Lake Manzala - a classic ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind’ solution, wetlands of international importance are carved up by new roads or filled with rubbish and while some of the bird-catching techniques rather quaintly date back to 2300 B.C., others involve the use of binoculars, mistnets and tape lures! What always amazes is that Egypt, with its burgeoning 60 million human pop- ulation encroaching relentlessly onto these prime ornithological sites, manages to remain so bird rich. The report reveals that the total number of waders using Egyptian wetlands in winter and spring may exceed half a million, 53,000 Little Gulls Larus minutus winter in the Nile Delta lakes, Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber arrive from three separate breeding localities in Kazakhstan, Iran and France, whilst the second ever spring survey of raptor migration at Suez counted over 68,000 birds of prey. The comprehensive systematic list of 296 species observed during the survey adds Blue-winged Teal Anas discors, Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos and Brown-throated Sand Martin Riparia paludicola to the Egyptian list. More importantly it summarises significant changes, both positive and negative, in the status of many duck, wader and raptor species. 63 The Survey of waterbirds in Egyptian wetlands published by WIWO in 1982 is now unavailable. Any serious student of Middle Eastern ornithology or any- one concerned by the crisis affecting the Mediterranean ecosystem should order their copy of this new report now. Derek J. Evans Zoology in the Middle East Volume 11 (1995) edited by Ragnar Kinzelbach and Max Kasparek. Heidelberg. DM 27. This attractively produced journal will be of value to both amateur naturalists and professional biologists with an interest in the Middle Eastern region. It covers a broad range of animal classes and a variety of topics, and is liberally sprinkled with good quality and informative line drawings and black-and- white photographs; an attribute from which other journals could learn a great deal. This particular issue (120 pages) contains sixteen short papers and notes on mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, lampreys, insects, molluscs, leeches and catfish parasites. The authors are generally professional biologists based at Middle Eastern universities, although a wider interest in the region’s zoology is indi- cated by a number of papers from aficionados resident outside the region. Of interest to ornithologists are papers on breeding observations of the birds of the Yemeni Tihamah; the migration of the Common Crane Grus grus in southern Turkmenistan; Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea breeding on Skyros (Greece) and recent records of rare birds in Turkey. These include evi- dence for a western breeding range extension in the case of Cinereous Bunting, adds to our scant knowledge of Yemen’s breeding birds and provides an update to the Turkish bird list. All papers are clearly and concisely written throughout, with an abstract and keywords to facilitate use for the hurried reader. Any biologist or amateur naturalist heading to the Middie East should consult it. Tony Stones De Nobel, W.T. (ed.) (1995) Birds of the Messolonghi wetlands. Eastern Mediterranean Wader Project, spring 1990. WIWO Report 53, Zeist, the Netherlands. f25. This report covers the results of a survey in Greece as part of the Eastern Mediterranean Wader project carried out during spring 1990 and coordinated with projects in Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia. The study concentrated on the Messolonghi wetlands in western Greece, with additional fieldwork within the Gulf of Amvrakikos 60km to the north. These areas had both been previously 64 identified as supporting important wintering and breeding bird populations, but the study illustrated the importance of the sites for migrants, particularly herons and waders, in the spring and also provides up to date information on the breeding bird community of the area. The report details the habitat types within the area; includes the results of reg- ular bird counts, wader ringing sessions and breeding bird surveys; and pro- vides the results of invertebrate sampling and observations of wader foraging behaviour within the study area. The final chapter summarises the signifi- cance of the area for birds and details the anthropogenic threats to the wet- lands, including plans for a European Community supported scheme to divert the Acheloos river thus reducing the input of freshwater to the main study area. There follows a set of recommendations for the future protection of the conservation interest of the area. The main report is entirely in English, but a seven page Greek summary is also included. Adam Rowlands LR > Around the Region Records in Around the Region are published for interest only, and their inclusion does not imply acceptance by the records committee of the relevant country. To submit records for Sandgrouse, covering mainly the period September 1995 to March 1996, please write to Around the Region, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, U.K. Compiled by Guy Kirwan Records refer to 1995 and to single birds unless otherwise stated. CYPRUS Akhna Dam, 30 October 1994. Unless otherwise stated all records Seventh record. were submitted by J. Sadler on behalf Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus of COS (1957) and have been accepted three adults, Spiro’s Pool, 5 December by the Cyprus Records Committe. 1994 (cf.Bull.34:33); two adults, Larnaca airport north pool, 18-19, 26 Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena & 28 December 1994. Second and Potamos Liopetri, 15 November 1992. third records. Fifth record. Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis Dalmation Pelican Pelecanus crispus Spiro’s Pool, 22 December 1994. Third 65 record. Scaup Aythya marila two males, Akhna Dam, 16 January 1993. Fifth record. Lanner Falco biarmicus Akna Dam, 16 October 1994. First record for Cyprus. Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum Phassouri reedbeds, 23 April 1993. Accepted as first record for Cyprus. Greater Sand Plover Chardrius leschenaultn Potamos Liopetri, 9 & 18-19 March 1994; Ayia Thekla, 30 July 1994. First records for Cyprus of the race cras- sirostris. Herring Gull Larus argentatus Cape Clea, 5 March. First record for Cyptus. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis Polis beach, 27 April. O & G Roberts. Little Swift Apus affinis Kiti Dam, 1 April. Second record. , Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti Phassouri reedbed, 8 April 1994. First record for Cyprus. White-throated Robin Irani gutturalis Cape Greco, 25 April 1993; male, Ayia Napa, 29 April 1994; male, Paphos Lighthouse, 29 April 1994. Third to fifth records. Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens Paphos Lighthouse, 9-10 April 1993. First record for Cyprus. Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha Ayios Georgios: 21 April; female, 23 April. Fourth and fifth records. Desert Warbler Sylvia nana Amathus beach, 16 November 1994. Fourth record. Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus Paphos lighthouse, 5 May 1995. O & G Roberts. Only two previous records so far accepted. Pale Rock Sparrow Petronia brachydactyla Paphos Lighthouse: 22 & 26 April 1994; 7,6 March and 4,20 March 1995. First to third records for Cyprus. Red-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus three, south of Kathikas, 13 March 1994; Akhna Dam, 4 December 1994. Third and fourth records. EGYPT Unless otherwise stated all records were submitted by Mindy & Sherif Baha el Din. Long-tailed Cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus 2, Abu Simbel, 21 & 23 November 1994. D Murdoch. Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis Alexandria Harbour, 26-27 February. D A Ewbank. On island 10 km off Ras El] Hikma, 3 March. Perhaps further indication that the species breeds in this area (cf.Bull.34:33). Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber Adult, Gezira Tawila, 10-11 June 1994. First summer record for Egyptian Red Sea coast. R Hoath, D Russell. Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea Zaranik, north Sinai, 12 October 1994. Rare visitor. A Grieve. Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus Salhiya, near Ismaila, 30 December 1994. Only second winter record. M Baha el Din. Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga between Sharm el-Sheikh and Naama Bay, 7 January. Scarce winter visitor. D & S Robel. Hobby Falco subbuteo Lake Qarun, Faiyoum, 3 December 1994. First winter record. R Hoath, D Russell. Sooty Falcon Falco concolor Cairo, 2 February. Rare in winter. Great Snipe Gallinago media Lake Maryut, 18 January. Scarce in winter. D A Ewbank. Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus Port Said: 16 December 1994; 2, 28-29 January; 2, 7-9 February. Rare winter visitor. M & S Baha el Din, A Riad. Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus immature flew west, Ras E! Hikma, Marsa Matruh, 2 October 1994; imma- ture flew west, Zaranik, north Sinai, 6 October 1994. A Grieve. 2, Port Said, 20 February. M & S Bahael Din. Rare and irregular in recent years. Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus 2 subadults, Gezira North Geisum, 12 June 1994. First summer record for Egyptian Red Sea coast. R Hoath, D Russell. Audouin’s Gull Larus audounit 3 immatures, Montazeh, Alexandria, 25 December 1994. Rare winter visi- tor. A Riad. Sabine’s Gull Larus sabini 77 km west of Alexandria, 2 March. Third record for Egypt. Common Gull Larus canus Port Said, 16 December 1994. Rare winter Visitor. A Riad. Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Ras Abu Galum, Sinai, 3 January. A rare winter visitor. D & S Robel. African Collared Dove Streptopelia roseogrisea 7, Abu Simbel, 21 November 1994; 2, Shallal, Aswan, 25 November 1994. D Murdoch. Abu Simbel, 10 April. Namaqua Dove Oena capensis 2, Sharm el Sheikh, south Sinai, 14 October 1994. Rare in Sinai. A Grieve. Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata Zaranik, north Sinai, 17 October 1994. Very rare autumn visitor. A Grieve. Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti 8, 48 km south of Marsa Matruh, 27 September-2 October 1994. A Grieve. Many, south and west of Marsa Matruh, 12-14 June. .Thick-bilied Lark Ramphocoris clotbey 15, 48 km south of Marsa Matruh, 28 September 1994. A Grieve. Two, south of Marsa Matruh, 12 June, with three there, 14 June. Last recorded in 1969. Temminck’s Horned Lark Eremophila biphola 2, Abu Sir, 25 km south of Cairo, 27 February 1994; one there, 11 January. Possible southerly range extension. R loath. Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithit north of Wadi Hagul, between Cairo and Suez, 30 March. First record for Egypt and the Western Palearctic. A. Rosier. Richard’s Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae Sharm el-Sheikh: 30 December 1994, 11 January; 4, Naama Bay, 6 January. Scarce winter visitor, only three pre- vious records from southern Sinai. D & S Robel. Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola male, Sheikh Zweid, north Sinai, 30 March. Scarce passage migrant. African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp 5 pairs, including a pair feeding young, near Abu Simbel, Lake Nasser, 2 May 1994. The first con- firmed breeding in the Western Palearctic (see Baha el Din 1994); Abu Simbel, 23 November 1994. D Murdoch. Cyprus Pied Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca Zaranik, north Sinai, 17 October 1994. Rare visitor. A Grieve. Upcher’s Warbler Hippolais languida Sharm el-Sheikh, 11 January. Eighth record and first in winter (cf. Baha el Din & Baha el Din 1995). D & S Rotel. Cyprus Warbler Sylvia melanothorax Male, Sharm el-Sheikh refuse dump, 9 Janury; male, between Sharm el- Sheikh and sewage farm, 10 Janury. Vagrant. D & S Robel. Desert Warbler Sylvia nana 2, Wadi Hagul, 4 March. Rare winter Visitor. Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva 1-3, Sidi Abd el Rahman, 30 September-3 October 1994; El] Arish, north Sinai, 7 October 1994. Scarce passage migrant. A Grieve. Isabelline Shrike Lantus isabellinus male, 50 km west of Quseir, 13 April. Second record since 1984. Pale Rock Sparrow Carpospiza brachydactyla 2, Bir Beida, 13 April. Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea female, 10 km east of El] Arish, 30 March. Syrian Serin Serinus syriacus Pair, Orabi Farm, 25 km east of Cairo, 17-19 October 1994. Rare winter visi- tor. A Riad. Siskin Carduelis spinus Montazeh Gardens, Alexandria, 25 December. Scarce winter visitor. A Riad. ISRAEL Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis Tel Aviv port, January. Third record. per H Shirihai. 7 Mascarene Shearwater Puffinus atrodorsalis Record previously attributed to Little Shearwater P. assimilis at Eilat on 18 and 21 June 1992 (cf.Bull. 29:39 and Shirihai & Sinclair 1994) now consid- ered referrable to this newly described taxon (Shirihai, Sinclair & Colston 1995) which is apparently locally abundant in the western Indian Ocean. Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita 3, flying north over Arava Valley, 8 April. Formerly very scarce passage migrant. First recent record since demise of Birecik, Turkey population in 1989. per H Shirihai. Black-headed Plover Hoplopterus tectus Filat, 11 April. One previous record from Jordan is the only other record for the Middle East. H V Bellerby, K O Pierce. Great Black-headed Gull Larus ichythaetus at least 2000, Bet She’an valley, last week of December 1994. Exceptionally high numbers. per H Shirihai. Rufous Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis Eilat, 27 April. Second record, only previous occurrence was one trapped at Eilat in September 1984. F Jiguet (see photograph in Birding World 8(7):252). Small Skylark Alauda gulgula 5 overwintered Eilat. per H Shirihai. Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni two overwintered Eilat. per H Shirihai. Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus japponicus one wintered Bet She’an valley in January-February. One reported, Shizafon, 60km north of Eilat, March. Up to 10 now regularly winter at Eilat. per H Shirthai. Black Bush Robin Cercothricas podobe Eilat: 23-26 March at least; 24-25 April. E Dansette, K Mullarney/Sunbirder, H Shirihai. Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe xanthoprymna at least two overwintered at Eilat; also, male, Wadi Schlomo, Eilat, 10-13 March; second-year male, Eilat, 17-21 March at least. K Mullarney/Sunbirder, per H Shirthai. Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens two of dark morph, km 76 Arava Valley, 23 December 1994. First record of the so-called ‘Basalt Wheatear’ from Israel. per H Shirthat. Menetries Warbler Sylvia mystacea male, between Eilat and Ovda, 3 April. Very scarce passage migrant. V Bellerby, K O Pierce. Snow Bunting Plectrophenax ntvalis female, Newe Yam ponds, south of Haifa, 6 December 1994. First record for Israel. H Hovel. JORDAN Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus Aqaba, 19 April. Fourth record. I J Andrews/Naturetrek. Tropicbird sp. Phaethon sp. 2, Aqaba, 14 April. No previous records of tropicbirds from Jordan. A Schuster. Brown Booby Sula leucogaster Aqaba, 26 January. | Tafforeau. Bittern Botaurus stellaris 10 flew west, Aqaba, 4 April. A Schuster. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis 230, Kafrayn dam, 9 April. Largest ever flock in Jordan. R.F.Porter. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus 49, Aqaba sewage works, 19 April. Largest flock ever recorded in Jordan. 4, same place, 8 June. I J Andrews/Naturetrek, F Khoury. Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca four pairs, Aqaba sewage works, 19 April. I J] Andrews/Naturetrek. Goshawk Accipter gentilis Mobbing Bonelli’s Eagle, Dana Wildlife Reserve, 27 February, with perhaps same bird, 10 March. Rare winter visitor, seven previous records, all in spring. M Evans/RSCN. Shikra Accipter badius two probables, Dana Wildlife Reserve, 9 March. No previous records from Jordan. M Evans/RSCN. Golden Eagle Aguila chrysaetos Dana Wildlife Reserve: pair, 5 April; sub-adult, 25 April. Not known (as yet) to breed in this area. M Evans/RSCN. Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni at least 20 pairs, Dana Wildlife — Reserve, April. This species urgently requires surveying in Jordan. M Evans/RSCN. Baillon’s Crake Porzana pusilla Suwayma resthouse, Dead Sea, 30 March. Unusually early record. R. vd Vliet. Coot Fulica atra six pairs with young, Azraq, 8 June. First confirmed breeding record. F Khoury. Crane Grus grus _ at least 500, Azraq area, 11 February. M Evans/RSCN. Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo Aqaba, 20-21 March. First record for Jordan but actually seen from Eilat (Israel). Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta 105, including 30 paired birds dis- playing and building nest scrapes, Bga’aweah. Possibly the only breed- ing site in Jordan. R.F.Porter. White-tailed Plover Chettusia leucura Azraq: six, 12 April; three pairs with one juvenile, 15 June. I J Andrews/Naturetrek, F Khoury. Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus near Safawi, 15 April. R.F.Porter. Woodcock Scolopax rusticola Dana Wildlife Reserve: 2, 27 February; 11-15 March. Third and fourth records for Jordan. M Evans/RSCN. Little Tern Sterna albifrons Pair breeding, Azraq, 15 June. Second breeding record. F Khoury. Stock Dove Columba oenas 60, Wadi Rajil, 16 February; 160, between Burqu and Azraq, 22 February. Uncommon winter visitor. M Evans/RSCN. Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria Amman, 1 April. First record of this escapee. F Khoury. Scops Owl Otus scops 5 calling, Dana Wildlife Reserve, 26 February. Early record. M Evans/RSCN. Cuckoo Cuculus canorus 3 calling males and two females, Dana Wildlife Reserve, 27-28 February. Early record. M Evans/RSCN. Little Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis two, northeast corner of Dead Sea, 9 April. Most northerly record in Jordan. I J Andrews/Naturetrek. Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata total of 20, Wadi Selma/Wadi Hashad/ As Safawi area, mid April; 14, Burqu’ area, mid April. Pairs singing, displaying and nestbuilding. First evidence of breeding in Jordan. I ] Andrews/Naturetrek, R.F.Porter. Wood Lark Lullula arborea family parties, Dana Wildlife Reserve, 27 April & 24 May. First breeding records for Jordan. M Evans/RSCN. 70 Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola 12, Azraq, 14 June. Possibly breeding. F Khoury. Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris 2, Dana Wildlife Reserve, 26 February. First record for Jordan. M Evans/RSCN. Dunnock Prunella modularts Dana Wildlife Reserve, 26 February. Scarce and local winter visitor. M Evans/RSCN. Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus 10, Dana Wildlife Reserve, 11-17 March. Second record for Jordan. M Evans/RSCN. Fieldfare Turdus pilaris 33, Azraq, 10 February. Dana Wildlife Reserve, 11-15 March. Uncommon winter visitor. M Evans/RSCN. Song Thrush Turdus philomelos large numbers wintered, Dana Wildlife Reserve, until last third of , March e.g. 96, 10 March. M Evans/RSCN. Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus 10, Dana Wildlife Reserve, 20 March. M Evans/RSCN. Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens 4, of the dark morph, 50 km east of Al Safawi, 23 February. M Evans/RSCN, dark morph, southeast of Mafraq, 4 April. A Schuster. Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha Pair, with female seen carrying food, Wadi al Mhash, 20 May. Breeding not previously recorded in Jordan. F Khoury. Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus four, Suwayma resthouse, Dead Sea, 30 March; Azraq, 2 April. Earliest records ever in Jordan. Rv d Vliet. Upcher’s Warbler Hippolais languida breeding at high density, Dana Wildlife Reserve, 21 April onwards. Second known breeding locality in Jordan. M Evans/RSCN. Ruppell’s Warbler Sylvia ruepelli Qasr Amra, 7 April. Scarce passage migrant. F Khoury. Menetries Warbler Sylvia mystacea Qasr Amra, 7 April. Very rare pas- sage migrant. F Khoury. Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala 3, Dana Wildlife Reserve, 1 May. Perhaps breeding (not previously known this far south). M Evans/RSCN. Orphean Warbler Sylvm hortensis breeding at high density, Dana Wildlife Reserve, April. Previously unknown to breed this far south. M Evans/RSCN. Cyprus Warbler Sylvia melanothorax Male, Azraq, 12 February. Second record for Jordan, first was at Dana Wildlife Reserve (cf.Bull.34:37). M Evans/RSCN. Jackdaw Corvus monedula two, South Shuna, 9 April. Rare, especially in spring. I J Andrews/ Naturetrek. Pale Rock Sparrow Carpospiza brachydactyla two singing, 10km east of As Safawi, 13 April; total of 11, including pair displaying and pair carrying nesting material, Burqu’ and Bga’aweah, mid April. Only one previous breeding record in Jordan. I J] Andrews/ Naturetrek, R.F.Porter. Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus 60, near Safi, 23 January. J Tafforeau. Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs male, Jarash, 2 April. Late record. R v d Vitet. Brambling Fringilla montifringilla Male, Dana Wildlife Reserve, 8 February. Uncommon winter visitor. M Evans/RSCN. Syrian Serin Serinus syriacus 4 Dana Wildlife Reserve, 27 February. Up to 800 pairs were esti- mated breeding in Dana Wildlife Reserve in mid April, with at least one nest found. First breeding record for Jordan. M Evans/RSCN. Rock Bunting Emberiza cia 35, in six flocks, Dana Wildlife Reserve, 27-28 February, with some remaining until 15 March. Scarce win- ter visitor. M Evans/RSCN. OMAN Demoiselle Crane Anthropordes virgo Salalah, 16 March. Scarce passage migrant. G & V Thompson. SAUDI ARABIA Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus Yanbu, 2 December 1994. J-O Hedin, K Rannikko. Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis 28,000 breeding pairs, Judaim, October 1994. This count represents twice that of 1993. P Symens. Greylag Goose Anser anser Sabkhat Al Fasl, Jubail: 13 November 1994; 2,20 November 1994-15 January; 3, 16 January-4 February. BS Meadows, P Symens. Shelduck Tadorna tadorna 885, Sabkhat Al Fasl, Jubail, 24 January. Largest flock ever recorded in Arabia. P Symens. Cotton Teal Nettapus coromandelianus drake, Riyadh, 8-10 May. Second record for Saudi Arabia. I Saville. Chukar Alectoris chukar Wadi Lakus, near Jebel al Lawz, 8 April 1994; Wadi Ash Shifa, 8 April 1994. M C Jennings, HS A Yahya. Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris Malaki Dam, 15 September 1994. J-O Hedin. Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus exhausted juvenile, Raydah escarp- ment, near Abha, first week of October 1994 was picked up and taken into care at NWRC, Taif, hope- fully to be released at Raydah in April; another, Wadi Maraba, 5-10 km north of Raydah escarpment, 11 October 1994. First and second records for Saudi Arabia and third and fourth for the Middle East (cf. Bull.34:33-44). P Symens et al. Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina Riyadh, 14 July. First record for the Central region. I Saville. Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni 4-5, Al Sharkiyah agricultural devel- opment area, 50 km south-west of Jubail, November 1994-February 1995. P Symens. 3, 50 km west of Uray’irah, 13 January. B S Meadows. First wintering records from Eastern Province. Demoiselle Crane Anthrpoides virgo 253, Medina airport, 14 September 1994. Additional to records already published from same period (cf.Bull.34:39) J-O Hedin. Lapwing Vanellus vanellus 170, Al Sharkiyah agricultural devel- opment area, 50 km south-west of Jubail, 21 January; still 28 there on 16 February. P Symens. Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva 2, Wadi Al Lith, 10 November 1994. J- O Hedin, K Rannikko. Sociable Plover Chettusia gregaria Riyadh, 6-7 January. Three other recent records (1980 & 1989) from this area. 1 Saville. Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta juvenile, Medina airport, 22 September 1994. J-O Hedin, K Rannikko. Great Snipe Gallinago media Medina airport, 22 September 1994; 15 km north of Medina, 22 September 1994. J-O Hedin, K Rannikko. Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus Riyadh, 7 April. Second record for the central region in the last ten years. I Saville. Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius Sabkhat Al Fas], Jubail, 21 December 1994-5 January. P Symens. Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica 12 pairs, Zakhuniyah island, October 1994. First breeding record for Saudi Arabia. P Symens. Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus Riyadh, 1 January-23 April. First record in winter in this area. | Saville. Striated Scops Owl Otus brucei Found dead, Jubail, 18 December 1994; trapped, Deffi Park, Jubail, 9 February. B S Meadows, P Symens. First confirmed records from Eastern Province. Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus 3, Yanbu, 2 October. First record for this locality. B S Meadows. Arabian Woodpecker Picoides dorae Wadi Milhah al Janubi, 70 km north of Medina, 1 October 1994, with male at nesthole there, 25 October 1994. Male, Angara, 30 km south of Khamis Mushayt, 13 October 1994. J-O Hedin. Wood Lark Lullula arborea Holiday Inn, Jubail, 22-25 December 1994. Apparently the first record for Saudi Arabia, the only previous record mentioned in the literature (Bundy & Warr 1980) having been subsequently withdrawn (Bundy et al. 1989). B S Meadows, P Symens. Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni Holiday Inn, Yanbu: 30 September 1994; 3 November 1994. First records for western Saudi Arabia. J-O Hedin, K Rannikko. Robin Erithacus rubecula up to 6, Deffi Park, Jubail, December 1994-January 1995. B S Meadows, P Symens. Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus Male, Deffi Park, Jubail, 19 December 1994. P Symens. Blackbird Turdus merula Male, Deffi Park, Jubail, 22 December 1994. P Symens. Yemen Thrush Turdus menachensis As Soda, 14 October 1994. J-O Hedin. Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva 1-3, Deffi Park, Jubail, December 1994-January 1995. P Symens. Haii Al- Huwaylat, Jubail: 2, 14 January; 3 February. B S Meadows. 73 Shining Sunbird Nectarinia habessinica two, Wadi Milhah al Janubi, 70 km north of Medina, 7 October 1994. J-O Hedin. Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis 20, near Al Hanakiyah, 90 km east of Medina, 28 October 1994, 18 & 25 November 1994. J-O Hedin. 700, Abu Hadriyah, 13 January. B S Meadows. at least 1000, Al Sharkiyah agricultural development area, 16 February. P Symens. Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Jubail, early December 1994-end February, with maxima of 16 at Holiday Inn and 12 at Deffi Park. BS Meadows, P Symens. Brambling Fringilla montifringilla 2, Light Industrial Park, Jubail, 22 December 1994. B S Meadows. several, Deffi Park, Jubail, December 1994- January 1995, max.6, 4 January. P Symens. Red-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus First-winter, Deffi Park, Jubail, 31 December 1994. First record for the Arabian peninsula. P Symens. Linnet Carduelis cannabina Jubail, 9 & 18 December 1994. First records for this area. B S Meadows. Desert Finch Rhodopechys obsoleta near Al Hanakiyah: 3-4, 18 November 1994; 11-13, 25 November 1994. J-O Hedin, K Rannikko. Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes Light Industrial Park, Jubail, 27 December; same or different bird there 7-28 February at least. First record for the Arabian peninsula. BS Meadows. Pine Bunting Emberiza leucocephalus female, Deffi Park, Jubail, 22 December 1994. P Symens. Corn Bunting Militaria calandra 100, Abu Hadriyah, 13 January. 70, Safwa, December 1994-January 1995. B S Meadows. at least 300, Al Sharkiyah agricultural development area, 21 January, with at least 50 singing males there, 16 February. P Symens. SYRIA Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris Lake Jabbul, 12 November. G Manners. Great Black-headed Gull Larus ichythaetus correction to record previously listed (OSME Bull.33:41) locality is in Turkey, not Syria as stated. per G Manners. TURKEY Bewick’s Swan Cygnus columbianus Burdur Golti, 24 December 1994. Seventh record, first was as recently as 1983. K.Boyla, A Tireli. Smew Megus albellus Male and two females, Apolyont G6lu, 27 May. Third summer record, previously recorded at this season in 1969 and 1987. G Magni, M Yarar. White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala 350, Burdur Gol, 23 July. First exact count attempted at this locality in July. M Yarar et al. Little Bustard Tetrao tetrax Gamalti Tuzlasi, 5 February. Ninth record since 1966 and only fourth since 1982. G Aydemir, G Eken & M Yarar. Hume’s Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus (inornatus) humet Topkapi Palace gardens, Istanbul, 28 December 1994. Fourth record for Turkey, but first confirmed humei. E Ebels. Redpoll Carduelis flammea 10, Uzung6l Trabzoy, July. Only two other recent records, in 1987 and 1992. per M. Yarar. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Records were submitted by Colin Richardson on behalf of the UAE Records Committee. Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus Kalba, 30 April; Fujeirah, 11 May. First and second records. Persian Shearwater Puffinus lhermeri lucidus 907, past Ras Dibba, 23 June. Exceptional numbers. Lesser Spotted Eagle Aguila pomarina Khor Dubai, 7 February. Second record, first was in late February 1990 (Richardson 1990). Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga up to 12, Khor Dubai, until 15 March. Little Crake Porzana parva Emirates Golf Course, 29 March. Ninth record (fifth to eighth were at same locality in September 1994, cf.Bull.34:41). Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria Al Ghar lake, 15 February. Third record; all in recent years. Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris 54, Murawah Island, 18 January; 25, Khor al Beidah, 3 March onwards. Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus 509, Khor Dubai, 19 January. Sabine’s Gull Larus sabini Fujeirah, 6-19 May. Second record. Sooty Tern Sterna fuscata Sweihan, mid May. Second record and first inland. Common Noddy Anous stolidu probable, Ras Dibba, 16 June. Alpine Swift Apus melba Al Ain, 12 February. Ninth record. Most recent, in September 1994, was also there (cf.Bull.34:42). Little Swift Apus affinis Al Wathba, 2 March. Seventh record. Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata 80, Al Ain, 26 February. Exceptional numbers. Bar-tailed Desert Lark Ammomanes cincturus 3, Al Wathba, early April. First record since 1993. Blyth’s Pipit Anthus godlewski Al Wathba, 23 April. Latest ever record in spring. 74 Grey Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus 60, Al Wathba, 1-15 March, with 30 until 4 April. Black-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis Arzanah Island, 21 January. Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus Al Wathba, 15 April; Emirates Golf Course, 16 April. Fifth and sixth records. Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Dibba, 13 February. Second record, first was in January 1987 (Richardson 1990). Red-headed Bunting Emberiza brunniceps male, Emirates Golf Course, 18 April. Two previous records, in 1975 and 1990 are both assumed to relate to escapes. Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea Emirates Golf Course: 2,29 March-1 April; 7 April; Al Jazeerah Khor, 15 April. Twelfth to fourteenth records. Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla Hamraniyah, 4-8 March. Ninth record. Most recent were on Das Island in October 1994 (cf.Bull.34:44). YEMEN Lesser Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber 1250, Katib Bay, 16 March. Large numbers. R Porter/BirdLife International. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Perhaps nesting, Al Luhayya man- groves, 17 & 22 March. R Porter/BirdLife International. Goliath Heron Ardea goliath 4, one on nest, Al Luhayya and off- shore islands, mid March. R Porter/BirdLife International. Black Kite Milvus migrans 500, Ta’izz, 15 March. R Porter/Bird Life International. Gabar Goshawk Melierax gabar Al Kadan, mid March. R Porter/BirdLife International. Great Black-headed Gull Larus ichthyaetus 21, Tiqfash Island, 20 March. R Porter/Bird Life International. Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia Bar Baryd Island, 21 March. First record for Yemen. R Porter/BirdLife International. African Reed Warbler Acrocephalus baeticatus Common, Al Luhayya mangroves and Tiqfash Island, 17-22 March. R Porter/BirdLife Internaticnal. ] am most grateful to the following for their help in compiling this review: Ian Andrews (Naturetrek), Liz Bailey, Arnoud B. van den Berg (Dutch Birding), Enno Ebels, Willie Erksine, Mike Evans, David Ewbank, Julian Francis, Steve Gantlett (Birding World), Tony van Gastel, Phillipe Gaucher, Andrew Grieve, Jan-Olov Hedin, Richard Hoath, Haim Hovel, Mike Jennings, Frances Khoury, Gernant Magnin, Guy Manners, Brian Meadows, Dominic Mitchell (Birdwatch), John Muddeman, David Murdoch, Stephen Newton, John Peacock, Richard Porter (BirdLife International), Ahmed Riad, Detlef Robel, Owen & Glynis Roberts, Iain Robertson (African Bird Club), Jean Sadler (COS (1957)), Alexander Schuster, Peter Symens, G & V Thompson, Roland van der Vliet, H.S.A. Yahya, Murat Yarar. References BAHA EL Din, M. (1994) African Pied Wagtail breeding at Lake Nasser, Egypt. Birding World 7(5):186. Bunby, G., CONNOR, R.J. & HARRISON, C.J.O. (1989) Birds of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. H. F. & G. Witherby & Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Bunpy, G. & WaRrR, E. (1980) A checklist of the birds of the Arabian Gulf States. Sandgrouse 1:4-49. : KIRWAN, G. (1995) Recent records of rare birds in Turkey. Zool. Middle East 11:37-46. KIRWAN, G. & KONRAD, V. (1995) Little known Western Palearctic birds: Mongolian Trumpeter Finch. Birding World 8(4):139-144. RICHARDSON, C. (1990) The birds of the United Arab Emirates. Hobby Publications, Dubai & Warrington. SHIRIHAI, H. & SINCLAIR, I. (1994) An unidentified shearwater at Eilat. Birding World 7:274-278. SHIRIHAI, H., SINCLAIR, I. & COLSTON, P.R. (1995) A new species of Puffinus shear- water from the western Indian Ocean. Bull.Brit.Orn.Club 115(2):75-87. Guy Kirwan, 6 Connaught Road, Norwich NR2 3BP, U.K. -— BIMONTHLY JOURNAL ON FIELD ORNITHOLOGY a O 0 Excellent papers on identification, distribution, occurrence, movements and behaviour of Palearc- tic birds CO Regular contributions on Asian-Pacific birds O Latest news on rare and interesting birds in the Netherlands and the Western Palearctic 0 Well produced with numerous high quality colour photographs 0 Yearly report on rare birds in the Netherlands CX In English or with extensive English summaries For information or a free sample issue, write to: Dutch Birding, Postbus 75611, 1070 AP Amsterdam, The Netherlands : Subscribers to Dutch Birding can claim 25% off a British Birds subscription 76 ISSN 0959-6739 Ornithological Society of the Middle East c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, U.K. 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. To encourage an interest in and conservation of birds of the Middle East. To develop a mutually beneficial working relationship with all environmental and conservation bodies and natural history societies in and concerned with the Middle East. Membership is open to all and spans over 40 countries. Membership sub- scriptions are: £10 individual, £15 family; airmail supplement £1.50 Europe, £3 rest of the world. Life membership £200. Publications. Sandgrouse is the Society’s journal and contains scientific papers on all aspects of the ornithology of the Middle East. It 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, U.K. Charitable registration number 282938. Avertising rates: Full page £60; half page £40; quarter page £25. Inserts from £75. Contents 1 Trapping of spring migrants on Qummah Island, Farasan archipelago in the Red Sea Dr H. Felemban 14 Breeding system of Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata macqueenit: preliminary observations F. Launay & R. Loughland 18 Anecdotal reports on the status of Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata macqueenti in Syria D. A. Roshier 22 Status of Upcher’s Warbler Hippolais languida in Egypt M. & S. Baha el Din 25 The Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula kramert in Jordan C. Hays 29 Some comments on the distribution of the Rook Corvus frugilegus in Turkey G. Kirwan 31 Partially albinistic Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis in eastern Turkey G. Kirwan 32 New information on the birds of the Western Desert of Egypt A. M. Riad 36 First record of Seebohm’s Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe seebohmi in Egypt A. M. Riad 38 The first breeding record of Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis in Egypt A. M. Riad 39 The Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris in Bulgaria D. N. Nankinov 41 Raptor migration in north-east Turkey, autumn 1994 V. Mrlik et al. 46 Aktas Golu: a new pelican breeding site on the Turkish-Georgian border M. Yarar 50 News and Information Compiled by Simon Albrecht 54 OSME News 57 Recently Received 57 Requests for Information 58 Reviews 65 Around the Region Compiled by G. Kirwan O S ME C/O THE LODGE, SANDY, BEDFORDSHIRE SG19 2DL, U.K.