Bulletin / Ornithological Society of the Middle East

ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
OF THE MIDDLE EAST

BULLETIN 25
AUTUMN 1990

OSME Bulletin 25

Editor: Mark Boyd

All records in this Bulletin are subject to accep-
tance by the relevant records committee of the
country concerned.

Details of expeditions, availability of expedition reports, news of
members, other societies, ornithological events, letters and any other
items of interest to birdwatchers and conservationists concerned
with the OSME region may be printed free of charge, subject to the
discretion of the Bulletin Editor. Accompanying photographs and
line-drawings will also be welcomed. Bird names follow Birds of
the Middle East and North Africa. Contibutions for the next
Bulletin should be received by 15 February 1991.

Illustrations We are grateful to the following artists
for the illustrations used in this Bulletin:

S M Andrews: Cover; Nile Crocodile 5; Great
Black-headed Gull 10; Dunn's Lark 27; Greater
Flamingos 35; Great Knot 42; Broad-billed Sand-
_ piper 43; Terek Sandpiper 45.

P J Powell: Caspian Plovers 44.

Hilary Welch: Egyptian Geese 3; Djibouti Green-
winged Pytilia 18; Bankouale Palm 19.

The Abu Simbil experience
Sherif and Mindy Baha El Din

Despite the relatively large number of birdwatchers and ornithologists
visiting Abu Simbil, primarily for its famous temple, only a few
manage to spend any time to look around for birds. Indeed, Abu Simbil
should be of special interest to any visitor to Egypt because of the
opportunities it provides for catching a glimpse of African birdlife.

Location, ecology and habitats

Abu Simbil is the southernmost Egyptian settlement along the Nile
Valley, situated approximately 20 km north of the Sudan border on the
western shore of Lake Nasser.

bos
eotlmre
eels
Cow aed
fe: wee
COQ)
DIRS EPR Ort

AO TES ie po tae
Cov? HOR OF THE PELicANs LAKE ER
CrroMiwENT) = filo“ STR |

.

| Wy,
wi oa Z
~ ~-

4 -

‘

1p orat

[|| A@RICULTURE = ___- Pave D ROAD am, ROGE OR CLIFF
| MAP OF ABU SIMBIL

The nearly 25-year-old man-made lake has created many new habitats
for birds in the Nile Valley between Aswan in the north and Wadi
Halfa (Sudan) in the south. On the other hand, it has destroyed natural
habitats which has lead to the disappearance of several breeding spe-
cies, such as Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus and Fulvous Babbler Turdoi-
des fuluus (Goodman and Meininger 1989).

The shores in the vicinity of Abu Simbil (and around most of the lake)
are steep and rocky, offering little suitable feeding habitat for most
birds, although many nesting species, such as Black Kite Milvus
migrans, Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus and Pale Crag Martin
Ptyonoprogne fuligula have been most successful here. Numerous khors
(bays) and islands are found throughout the lake, and the suitability of
these for birdlife is governed strictly by the constantly changing water
level in the lake. Generally speaking, the innermost shores of the khors
are the most interesting because they usually slope gently and tend to
have the richest vegetation.

The fluctuating water level is the single most important factor influ-
encing the ecology of the lake. The water level reaches its highest
during the winter months, then gradually recedes to its lowest levels
during the summer. Another larger pattern is determined by the cycles
of rainfall and drought in the Abyssinian region and other Nile
sources. At the gently sloping inner khors, the shoreline is very mobile.
Between November 1989 and June 1990, the shoreline of one of the
khors to the north of Abu Simbil receded by at least 3 km, leaving
extensive grassy banks and muddy pools behind.

The natural vegetation along the shore of the lake in the vicinity of Abu
Simbil consists almost exclusively of Tamarisk Tamarix nilotica. This
appears to be the only plant capable of tolerating being nearly com-
pletely submerged for part of the year and exposed to the scorching
heat and drought of the Nubian Desert for the other part. Extensive
growths of aquatic vegetation are found in the shallow areas. This
forms a thick and biologically rich layer along the inner khor shores
when the lake water recedes.

All attempts at establishing agriculture along the shores of Lake
Nasser have been only marginally successful because of the fluctuating
water levels. However, around the temple and the town at Abu Simbil
there are many trees and gardens, as well as cultivated plots, and to the
east of the airport along the lake, the Lake Nasser Development
Authorities have created a large and successful agricultural area.

2

The birdlife

Because of its southerly location, many African species such as African
Collared Dove Streptopelia roseogrisea, Abyssinian Roller Coracias abyss-
inicus, Yellow-billed Storks Mycteria ibis, Pink-backed Pelican Pele-
canus rufescens, and Bataleur Terathopius ecaudatus have been reported
at Abu Simbil. Other species found in northern Sudan and which reach
Wadi Halfa could be expected as well.

During spring and autumn, there is an influx of migrants, particularly
passerines, into vegetated areas; and a visible passage of waterbirds,
such as White Pelicans Pelecanus onocrotalus and gulls and terns along
the lake. In November 1989, during a visit sponsored by the Egyptian
Ministry of Agriculture to study the problem of Egyptian Geese as
pests to agriculture in the Lake Nasser region, a large number of
wintering waterbirds were found, including Spoonbills Platalea leu-
corodia, Grey Herons Ardea cinerea, Gull-billed Terns Gelochelidon nilot-
ica, White-winged Black Terns Chlidonias leucopterus, Black-winged
Stilts Himantopus himantopus, White-tailed Plover Chettusia leucura,
and many waterfowl species (primarily dabbling ducks) such as
Wigeon Anas penelope and Teal Anas crecca (Baha El Din et al. 1989).
While it was true that Egyptian Geese caused some damage to crops,
they were seen feeding, along with other wintering waterfowl, amongst
the partly submerged Tamarisk bushes. This was a favourite habitat
for most waterfowl: during June 1990, Egyptian Geese were seen
feeding exclusively on grassy banks of the inner khors.

In summer, a visitor to Abu Simbil Temple might have the impression
that there is very little birdlife of interest in the area. The reason for that
is the lack of any suitable habitats in the vicinity of the temple itself. An
excursion to neighboring khors might prove more beneficial. During a
survey of the khors to the north of Abu Simbil on 17 June 1990, 114
Yellow-billed Storks and 64 Pink-backed Pelicans were seen. These are
the largest numbers of both species recorded in Egypt. There was some
evidence of a regular northward movement of both species, when
small flocks were observed flying over the town or occasionally low
over the waters of Lake Nasser. A total of 266 Egyptian Geese, some

with broods ranging between recently hatched to recently fledged
young, were also counted during this survey. Grey Herons, Little
Egrets Egretta garzetta, and Night Herons Nycticorax nycticorax were
widespread along the lake shore, but no evidence of their breeding was
obtained.

On the same day, 12 pairs of African Skimmers Rhynchops flavirostris
were found breeding on a low sandy island to the north of Abu Simbil
(one additional pair was seen nesting on a nearby island farther north).
Six pairs of Little Terns Sterna albifrons (perhaps S. a. guinea) were
discovered breeding on the same island, representing the southern-
most breeding record in Egypt. Around 20-30 pairs of Kittlitz’s Plovers
Charadrius pecuarius and a similar number of Spur-winged Plovers
Hoplopterus spinosus were found in the vicinity with chicks and fledglings,
along with two pairs of Senegal Thick-knees Burhinus senegalensis.

In addition, during the summer visit (14-18 June 1990) an interesting
number of late migrants were observed, including Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striata, Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica, Wheatear
Oenanthe oenanthe, Black-eared Wheatear O. hispanica, Isabelline Wheatear
O. isabellina, European Bee-eater Merops apiaster and Masked Shrike
Lanius nubicus.

The non-aquatic breeding avifauna of Abu Simbil resembles, to a large
extent, that of the Western Desert Oasis, described by Goodman et al.
(1986). The most common breeding birds are White-crowned Black
Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga, Pale Crag Martin, Crested Lark Galerida
cristata, Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida, Graceful Warbler Prinia
gracilis, Palm Dove Streptopelia senegalensis, House Sparrow Passer
domesticus, Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis and Black Kite. Rufous
Bush Robin Cercotrichas galactotes, Hoopoe Upupa epops, Spotted
Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus, Eagle Owl Bubo bubo, Egyptian Vulture
Neophron percnopterus, Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus and Sooty Falcon
F. concolor were also found breeding in smaller numbers.

Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis are seen at Abu Simbil all year round, but
their breeding status is unknown. Ospreys Pandion haliaetus may nest
in the area, as they are seen throughout the year and some courtship
display was observed in November 1989 near Ostol, southeast of Abu
Simbil. Lappet-faced Vultures Torgos tracheliotus are regularly seen on
the road between Aswan and Abu Simbil. The vultures feed on camel
carcases left behind by the camel trains from Sudan. The African Pied
Wagtail Motacilla aguimp, considered by Goodman and Meininger
(1989) to be a rare breeder along the shores of Lake Nasser, was not
recorded during our visits to Abu Simbil, although there are recent
records during other seasons, especially in winter and spring.

Other wildlife

One could safely say that Abu Simbil, or for that matter the whole of
Lake Nasser, is ruled at night by the Horned Viper Cerastes cerastes.
Thousands of tracks of this snake are to be found almost everwhere in
the vicinity of the lake.

Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus, Nile Monitor Varanus niloticus and
Nile Soft-shelled Turtle Trionix triunguis form an important part of the
fauna of the region. In June 1990, two large (2-3 m) Nile Crocodiles
were seen in the vicinity of Abu Simbil, and the shells of two Soft-
shelled Turtles were found with local fishermen (length 50-75 cm).

At more desolate khors, some Dorcas Gazelle Gazella dorcas might
congregate, and Jackals Canis aureus and Striped Hyaenas Hyaena
hyaena might be found.

“Wn th My

apt)

References

BAHA EL Dny, S and BaHa EL Dnn, M 1989. Avian pests at Lake Nasser. Unpublished
report presented to Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture.

GooDMAN, SM and MEININGER, PL (eds) 1989. The birds of Egypt. Oxford
University Press, Oxford.

GOoDMAN, SM, MEININGER, PL, and MULLIE, WC 1986. The birds of the Egyptian
Western Desert. Miscellaneous Publications of the University of Michigan
Museum of Zoology, 172.

Sherif and Mindy Baha El Din, Executive Business Services,
Cairo Marriott Hotel, PO Box 33, Zamalek, Cairo, E gypt

The Crab Plover in Kuwait and the
northern Arabian Gulf: a brief

review and some new counts
P J Cowan

The Crab Plover Dromas ardeola is an aberrant maritime wader, en-
demic to coastlines of the Indian Ocean region. It feeds in the intertidal
zones of mudflats, coral reefs and estuaries, and nests in burrows in
coastal colonies (Cramp and Simmons 1983). Nesting colonies have
been found in the Farasan Islands of the Red Sea (Jennings 1988), in
Somalia on the Gulf of Aden (Benson and Benson 1986), on Masirah
Island, Oman (Rogers 1988), in the Strait of Hormuz region of southern
Iran (Carp 1980, Ticehurst et al. 1925) and, apparently, on the northern
Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia (Hollom et al. 1988). Breeding is
suspected in the Suakin (Sudan) and Dahlak (Eritrea) archipelagos of
the Red Sea, in Sri Lanka and in the Gulf of Kutch, Western India
(Benson and Benson 1986, Palmes and Briggs 1986). Distribution in the
non-breeding season (northern hemisphere winter) is far more wide-
spread, occurring on the African coast of the Indian Ocean south to
Natal and on various Indian Ocean islands with a few reaching
southern Thailand (Ali and Ripley 1980, Benson and Benson 1986,
Swennen ef al. 1987). Vagrants have reached the Mediterranean Sea
coast of Turkey (Bouwman 1987) and a site 60 miles inland in India
(Bharucha and Samant 1984).

ARABIAN GULF

Figure 1. The northern Arabian Gulf. A Auhah, Bh Boonah, Bn Bubiyan, Br
Bushehr, D Dara, K Kubbar, KB Kuwait Bay, KM Khor Musa, S$ Shatt Al-Arab,
SB Sulaibikhat Bay, W Warba.

Numbers

Breeding colonies of the Crab Plover have been reported on various is-
lands in the northern Arabian Gulf (figure 1): in Kuwait, on Auhah and
Warba and, in Iran, on Dara and Boonah in Khor Musa and on islands
near Bushehr (Ticehurst et al. 1922, 1925, 1926). It probably has also
bred on Kubbar island, Kuwait (Ticehurst et al. 1925). Breeding oc-
curred on Aulah in 1942 (Dickson 1942), but subsequently there has
been no indication of the Crab Plover breeding on either Aulah or
Kubbar (CWT Pilcher pers comm.). The Crab Plover presumably still
breeds in the northern Arabian Gulf (eg Sales, in Gallagher 1971), for
example, perhaps on Warba and Bubiyan islands, Kuwait, but, unfor-
tunately, likely breeding sites appear inaccessible to ornithologists at
present. Farther south in the Arabian Gulf, in Saudi Arabia, the Crab
Plover is apparently only a passage migrant (Bundy et al. 1989).

The shoreline of the northern Arabian Gulf is characterised by mudflats
(Clayton 1986). In Kuwait, extensive mudflats, including expanses of
soft, high productivity mud, occur in Kuwait Bay and farther north
(Al-Sarawi et al. 1985, 1988). On the Kuwait mudflats, the Crab Plover
is present all year, becoming very common in the non-breeding season
from autumn to spring (Gregory 1988, Haynes 1979). To get a better
indication of local numbers, I counted Crab Plovers at a roost site in the
southwest corner of Sulaibikhat Bay, a bay within Kuwait Bay, from
late October 1989 to early March 1990 (figures 1 and 2).

300
2507
200

150

Nov Dec Jan Feb
Date (29 October 1989 - 4 March 1990)

Figure2. Crab Plover counts, southwest Sulaibikhat Bay, 1989-1990.

7

Counts were made in the high-tide period with the aid of binoculars
and telescope. This appeared to be the main, but not the only, roost site
in Sulaibikhat Bay. Perhaps 300 Crab Plovers roosted in the Bay over
the winter, but whether these birds were solely those feeding on the
Sulaibikhat mudflats or included birds from farther afield is not
known.

The diet of Crab Plovers consists mainly of crabs, though other
invertebrates and mudskipper fish have been recorded (Cramp and
Simmons 1983). Crabs and mudskippers are extremely numerous
inhabitants of Kuwait’s mudflats (Clayton 1986, Clayton and Vaughan
1988, Jones 1986), and some potential Crab Plover prey there are listed
in Appendix 1. DA Clayton has observed Crab Plovers catching
Ocypodid Crabs Cleistostoma kuwaitense on the Kuwait mudflats (Clayton
1988 and pers comm.).

Acknowledgments
Drs Jim Bishop, David Clayton, Jim Wright and Prof Charles Pilcher commented
on an earlier draft of this note.

References

ALI, S and RipLey, SD 1980. Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan, Vol2, 2nd
edition. Oxford University Press, Delhi.

AL-SARAWI, MA, GUNDLACH, ER and Baca, BJ 1988. Kuwait, an atlas of shoreline
types and resources. Dept Geology, Kuwait University, Kuwait.

AL-SARAWI, MA, GUNDLACH, ER and Baca, BJ 1988. Coastal geomorphology
and resources in terms of sensitivity to oil spill in Kuwait. J. Univ. Kuwait (Sct.)
15: 141-183.

BENSON, CW and BENSON, FM 1986. Dromadidae, Crab Plover. In The birds of
Africa Vol 2:188-189 (Urban EK et al. eds). Academic Press, London.
BHARUCHA, EK and SAMANnr, JS 1984. On the sighting of a flock of Crab Plovers
at Kolhapur. J. Bombay NHS 81:698.

BoUwMaAN, RG 1987. Crab Plover in Turkey in July 1986. Dutch Birding 9:65-67.
Bunby, G, CONNOR, RJ and Harrison, CJO 1989. Birds of the eastern province of
Saudi Arabia. Witherby, London.

Carp, E 1980. Directory of wetlands of international importance in the western
Palearctic. 'UCN/UNEP, Gland (Switzerland).

CLaYTON, DA 1986. Ecology of mudflats with particular reference to those of
the northern Arabian Gulf. In Marine environment and pollution: 83-96 (Halwagy,
R et al. eds) Kuwait University, Kuwait.

CLAYTON, DA 1988. Hood construction as a spacing mechanism in Cleistostoma
kuwaitense (Crustacea: Ocypodidae). Marine Biol. 99:57-61.

CLaYTON, DA and VauGHaN, TC 1988. Ethogram of Boleophthalmus boddarti
(pallas) (Teleostei, Gobiidae), a mudskipper found on the mudflats of Kuwait.
J. Univ. Kuwait (Sci) 15:115-138.

CRAMP, S and Simmons, KEL (eds)1983. The birds of the Western Paleartic, Vol 3.

Oxford University Press, Oxford.

DICKSON, V 1942. A visit to Maskan and Auha Islands in the Persian Gulf, off
Kuwait. May 7th 1942. J. Bombay NHS 43:258-264.

GALLAGHER, MD 1971. The Crab Plover in the Gulf. Gulf Bird-watchers Newsletter
19:6-7.

Grecory, G 1988. Recent birdwatching in Kuwait. 2-Autumn migration. 3-The
winter period. Birding World 1:31-32, 139.

HAyYNeEs, PR 1979. Notes on the status and distribution of the birds of Kuwait.
Ahmadi Nat. Hist. Newsletter 20.

HOoLLoM,’PAD, PorTER, RF, CHRISTENSEN, S and WILLIS, I 1988. Birds of the Middle
East and North Africa. Poyser, Calton.

JENNINGS, MC 1988. A note on the birds of the Farasan Islands, Red Sea, Saudi
Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 9:457-467.

Jones, DA 1986. A field guide to the shores of Kuwait and the Arabian Gulf. Kuwait
University, Blandford Press.

PALMES, P and Briccs, C 1986. Crab-plovers Dromas ardeola in the Gulf of
Kutch. Forktail 1:21-28.

Rocers, TD 1988. A new list of the birds of Masirah Island, Sultanate of Oman.
OBRC, Oman.

SWENNAN, C, RUTTANADAKUL, N, ARDSEUNGNURN, S AND Howes, JR 1987. Foraging
behaviour of the Crab Plover Dromas ardeola at Ko Libong, southern Thailand.
Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam. Soc. 35.27-33.

TICEHURST, CB, BUXTON, PA and CHEESMAN, RE 1922. The birds of Mesopotamia.
Part Ill. J. Bombay NHS 28:650-674.

TICEHURST, CB, Cox, PZ and CHEESMAN, RE 1925. Birds of the Persian Gulf
islands. J. Bombay NHS 30:725-733.

TICEHURST, CB, Cox, P and CHEESMAN, RE 1926. Additional notes on the avifauna
of Iraq. J. Bombay NHS 31:91-119.

Appendix 1

Some potential Crab Plover prey, Kuwait mudflats (Jones 1986).
Crabs

Ocypodidae Metaplex indica

Uca lactea anulipes Portunidae

Uca sindensis Portuna pelagicus
Cleistostoma kuwaitense Xanthidae

Tylodiplax indica Eurycarcinus orientalis
Macrophthalmus depressus

Macrophthalmus pectinipes Mudskippers
Macrophthalmus grandidieri Gobiidae

Ilyoplax stevens Scartelaos viridis

Ilyoplax frater Periophthalmus koelreuteri
Dotilla blanfordi Boloephthalmus boddarti
Grapsidae

PJ Cowan, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kuwait
University, PO Box 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait.

9

The occurrence of Great Black-
headed Gulls in Bahrain in winter of

1989/90
Erik Hirschfeld

Not much is known of the migration pattern of Great Black-headed
Gulls Larus ichthyaetus in Arabia. Nightingale and Hill (in prep) state
that they are late migrants in Bahrain, seldom seen before mid-
December, increasing in January to peak in mid-February, whereafter
they decrease until most are gone by mid-April. In some springs, an
increase has been recorded in mid-March, presumably of migrants
that have wintered farther south and which pass Bahrain on their
return migration. Bundy et al. (1989) mention it as a fairly regular
visitor in coastal waters of eastern Saudi Arabia from December
through to March, when their numbers reach a peak.

During more than 50 days in the field in Bahrain from December 1989
to April 1990, I recorded and aged 1,047 individuals between 8
December and 19 April. Peak numbers, of 98 and 115, were recorded
on 23 and 24 February respectively. The first flock numbering more
than 30 was seen on 30 January (35), while the last was recorded on 27
March (40).

In figure 1, I have calculated the mean number of Great Black-headed
Gulls observed per excursion during 10-day periods. This should
negate large fluctuations in numbers resulting from the variation of the
intensity of my activities. Counts were made between one and five
times per 10-day period, the lower number during March and April
when passerine migration also attracted my attention.

Numbers

sea lite, ae | i

D1 D2 D3 J1 J2 U3 Fl F2 F3 M1M2M83 Ai A2
10-day periods, December to Aprii

(2 Adults @ isi-years 2nd-years

SRWAVRVWADED
-PBBABBRABTHESD ADS

Figure 1. Mean counts of Great Black-headed Gulls in 10-day periods from
December 1989 to April 1990.

Adults

670 recorded between 15 December and 16 April. The peak (37) was at
the end of February. After that, the decline was rapid and immature
birds dominated the flocks.

First-winters
349 recorded between 8 December and 16 April. Peaked in mid-March,
after which most of the adults had left.

Second-winters

138 between 16 December and 3 April. The pattern is similar to that of
first-winters, with a peak in mid-March.

Discussion

Adults predominate among wintering Great Black-headed Gulls in
Bahrain until the end of February, when they seem to leave quite
quickly. Immatures increase throughout the winter, to reach their peak
in mid-March. The reason for this could be that they winter farther

11

south and visit Bahrain on their return migration, but this seems
unlikely as they are not recorded in larger numbers on their southward
migration in early winter. Instead, it is more likely that they spend the
earlier part of the winter in more northerly latitudes and slowly make
their way south to Bahrain in March, before returning north.

References

Bunpby, G, CONNoR, CJ and Harrison, CJO 1989. Birds of the eastern province
of Saudi Arabia. London.

Erik Hirschfeld, c/o IAL, PO Box 144, Hanama, State of Bahrain

Comments on the breeding range of

the Armenian Gull
Werner Suter

The Armenian Gull Larus armenicus has usually been treated as a
subspecies of the Herring Gull L. argentatus, or has been included in
the form cachinnans, which in turn was considered a race of L. argen-
tatus. The new views on Herring Gull systematics, put forward mainly
by Continental authors (see J. Haffer, in Glutz von Blotzheim and
Bauer 1982), split the Armenian form and all relatively dark-mantled
and primarily yellow-legged populations as two species, L. Armenicus
and L. cachinnans, from the true Herring Gulls L. argentatus. This
practice is followed only reluctantly by British authors, who prefer to
speak of ‘groups’ rather than valid species (Cramp and Simmons 1982;
Grant 1986; Ferguson-Lees et al. 1986). The new Russian handbook
(Yudin and Firsova, in Ilychev and Zubakin 1988) is even inconsistent
in accepting armenicus as a taxon on its own, although Dementiev and
Gladkov (1967) and Stepanyan (1975) had already recognised the form
on the subspecific level.

Eventually, the recognition of three full species needs to be corrobo-
rated by behavioural, biochemical and genetic studies, and by a better
understanding of the respective ranges of contact zones, and differ-
ences in morphology, moult and voice. Although decisions must be
based on taxonomic criteria, some practical side effects should also be
considered. Upgrading the forms to full species would draw attention
to those gulls, and stimulate people to collect distributional data.
Treating the forms as ‘groups’ of L. argentatus prevents those bird-

12

As
KS
CA

Second-summer (above) and third-summer (below) Armenian Gulls, USSR,

May 1986 (photograph Werner Suter)
A KC
\<

NS

XY

watchers who are unfamiliar with the specialised literature, or who are
interested in only true species that can be ‘ticked’, from collecting such
data. This seems to be the case particularly with L. armenicus.

Western limit

Bertault, Dubois and Fremont (1988) reported several hundred Arme-
nian Gulls from the Diyarbakir area as the westernmost observations
in Turkey; but a colony of ‘Herring Gulls’ with about 500 pairs was
found in 1969 at Tuz Golu, Central Anatolia, some 600 km west of
Diyarbakir (H. Lehmann et al. in Vittery et al. 1972). Beaman et al. (1975)
noted that the ‘Plateau breeding population resembles L. argentatus
armenicus’ and Beaman (1978) repeats the view that inland breeding
birds are probably L. a. armenicus. That they indeed are armenicus is
shown by an excellent colour picture of a breeding adult by A.
Limbrunner in Pforr and Limbrunner (1981; p. 292, labelled L. a. cach-
innans). This photograph was taken on an island in Tuz Golu, on 25
May 1974 (A. Limbrunner in litt.). M. Beaman (in litt.) confirms that all
breeding ‘Herring-type’ Gulls he has seen since 1978 in interior Tur-
key, including the Central Plateau, have definitely been armenicus.

Northern limit

Lake Sevan (1,900 m asl) is the main breeding site in Armenia. The
average spring population is estimated at 800 individuals. Only one
other colony is currently known in the Armenian SSR, at Lake Arpa in
the extreme northwestern corner of the republic. Armenian Gulls also
occur (apparently in the breeding season) along the rivers Arax,
Rasdan and Achuryan. They regularly visit the fishponds in the Ararat
plain, but do not breed there (Airumyan et al. 1987). Yellow-legged
Herring Gulls L. cachinnans may, however, also reach Lake Sevan (on
migration from the Caspian?): J. Wittenberg (in litt.) recorded about 30
individuals together with some 30 Armenian Gulls on 22 July 1986.

L. cachinnans, which breeds in the Black and Caspian Seas, is therefore
expected to occur on migration along the Kura river, between the
Caucasus and the Armenian highland. East German visitors recorded

“Herring Gulls’ there in August (eg 40 near Tbilisi on 8 August 1975;
Gnielka 1980), but not in May-June (von Knorre 1971, Schmidt 1986).
I was surprised to find adult Armenian Gulls along the Kura river in
spring 1986. On 23 May, one or two individuals were patrolling up and
down the river below Uplisziche, near Gori, some 90 km west of Tbilisi;
and about five were counted near Soganlug, a few kilometres southeast
of Tbilisi, on 27 May. No other gulls were present. Two months later,
J. Wittenberg (in litt.) did not see any gulls along the Kura river on an
identical itinerary. Although these two places are situated only 40 km
north and 70 km east of the northernmost lakes in the Georgian
highlands, breeding along the Kura river cannot be dismissed entirely.

14

The river is rather broad in both areas and repeatedly splits into several
arms, thus providing large shingle banks which might be suitable for
nesting.

Acknowledgments

I Thank G. Grempe for making available a translated version of the relevant
text in Airumyan et al. (1987), J. Wittenberg for additional material and M.
Beaman for comments on a draft of this paper.

References

AIRUMYAN, KA et al. 1987. Red Data Book of the Armenian SSR. Rare and
endangered species of animals. Erevan, Ayastan. (in Russian)

BEAMAN, M (ed) 1987. Ornithological Society of Turkey Bird Report No 4, 1974-
1975. Sandy.

BEAMAN, M, Porter, RF and Vittery, A (eds) 1975. Ornithological Society of
Turkey Bird Report 3, 1970-1973. Sandy.

BERTAULT, Y, Dusios, PJ and FREMONT, J-Y 1988. Some comments on the
Armenian Gull in Turkey. OSME Bull. 20:20-21. |

CRAMP, S and SIMMONS, KEL 1982. Birds of the Western Palearctic, Vol 3. Oxford
University Press, Oxford.

DemeNnTIEV, GP and Giapkov, NA 1067. Birds of the Soviet Union, Vol 3.
Jerusalem, Israel Program for Scientific Translations.

FERGUSON-LEES, IJ (ed) 1986. British Ornithologist’s Union Records Committe:
Tewlfth Report (April 1986). Ibis 128:601-603.

Guutz VON BLOTZHEM, UN and Bauer, KM 1982. Handbuch der Vogel Mitteleuropas,
Vol 8. Wiesbaden, Akad. Verlagsgesellschaft.

GNIELKA, R 1980. Vogelkundliche Notizen aus Georgien und Armenien. Falke
27:197-202.

GRANT, PJ 1986. Gulls: a guide to identification. 2nd ed. Poyser, Calton.
ILycHEvV, VD and ZuBakIN, VA (eds) 1988. Ptizy SSR, Vol 6:Lari. Nauka,
Moscow.

Von Knorr, D 1971. Ornithologische Beobachtungen wahrend einer Studienreise
durch Mittel- und Ostgeorgien. Beitr. Vogelkd. 17:428-448.

Prorr, M and LimpruNnerR, A 1981. The breeding birds of Europe. A photographic
handboook, Vol 1. Croom Helm, London.

SCHMIDT, K 1986. Ornithologische Beobachtungen in Georgien. Beitr. Vogelkd.
32:208-218.

STEPANYAN, LS 1975. Sostav i raspredelenie ptits fauny SSSR, Non-Passeriformes.
Nauka, Moskow.

Virtery, A et al. (eds) 1972. Ornithological Society of Turkey Bird Report 2,
1965-1969. Sandy.

Werner Suter, Schweizerische Vogelwarte, 6204 Sempach,
Switzerland

15

Djibouti - six years on
Geoff and Hilary Welch

Since March 1984, we have made six visits to Djibouti, ranging from
two weeks to two months, carrying out survey work on the country’s
wildlife. Our initial interest in the country was to search for migration,
especially of raptors, across the Bab-el Mandeb straits - at 22 km the
narrowest point on the Red Sea. From maps, it appeared that the birds
migrating south through the Arabian peninsula would be channelled
towards the straits and hence into Djibouti; this was confirmed when
counts were made in the autumns of 1985 and 1987 and totals of 80,732
and 246,478 migrating raptors were recorded respectively. In both
cases, the principal species were Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus
and Steppe Eagles Aquila rapax, with maxima of 98,339 and 76,586.
Both counts have covered mainly October and early November, so
there is still a need for counts at other times (ideally from late August
to late November), and would probably reveal in excess of 500,000
migrant raptors. :

This is not, however, a task to be undertaken lightly. In August and
early September, temperatures are frequently in excess of 40°C witha
relative humidity of over 95% - there is little natural shade.

We are becoming increasingly interested in determining the routes
used by birds to reach Djibouti. Assuming that they criginate from
central Russia, do the birds enter Arabia through the Caucasus,
around the top of the Persian Gulf or across the Straits of Hormuz?
There is valuable evidence for and against each of these routes, and it
is likely that all three are used by different populations. We are also
_ interested in the less common species passing through Djibouti:

Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus - generally regarded as a scarce winter visitor
to tropical Africa, yet over 2,000 were recorded in.1987.

Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus - during a light aircraft flight over the Straits
in September 1987, c1,000 birds believed to be this species were observed.
In the following 38 days, only 17 were recorded. Do significant numbers go
through in earlier autumn?

Black Kite Milvus migrans - where do they all go in autumn? Nowhere in
the Middle East has documented an autumn movement comparable with
the numbers recorded in spring - could Djibouti hold the answer?

Bonelli’s Eagle Hieraactus pennatus - generally regarded as non-migratory,
with no records from tropical Africa, the species being replaced by the
African Hawk Eagle Hieraaetus spilogaster; yet five have now been recorded
on migration across the Straits, and the species breeds in Djibouti.

16

L
|
I
|

Djibouti is internationally important for more than just its raptor
migration. The country has an endemic gamebird, the Djibouti Fran-
colin Francolinus ochropectus, and it was our agreeing to undertake a
search for this species which made our first visit possible. The species
was discovered in 1952, but even today we know very little of its
biology or conservation requirements. It is restricted to dense cover in
forested areas above 700 m. Until 1985, the francolin was believed to be
restricted to the Goda Mountains, principally the Forét du Day; but
during our second expedition a second population was found 60 km to
the east, in the Mabla Mountains. Although this second population is
thought to be very small, it offers some hope that the species can be
saved from extinction - the habitat on Mabla is quite different from the
primary forest area of the Foret du Day, and appears to be currently
under less threat from human activities.

@

Djibouti Francolin, Djibouti, March 1984 (Photograph Geoff and Hilary Welch)

Any work to conserve the francolin must also concentrate on protect-
ing the Foret du Day. This is a relict Mediterranean-type forest
surviving as a mist oasis, receiving much of its moisture from early
morning low cloud. The primary tree species is Juniperus procera but
this is in decline because of climatic change, attack by a honey fungus
and lack of regeneration. The whole of the forest area is suffering from
human activities, especially removal of firewood and severe over-
grazing. Since 1967, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the

17

United Nations has been working in the Forét du Day, to improve the
living standards of the 2,000 local inhabitants, but with very little
success. A recent survey showed that there is currently five times more
livestock grazing the forest than the area can support, but still there are
only two family groups which have enough livestock for self-suffi-
ciency. Clearly, alternative enterprises and a drastic reduction in
grazing pressure are needed if the forest is to be saved. The forthcom-
ing production of a long-term management plan for the forest offers
some hope and the opportunity for some conservation input towards
saving this unique natural resource.

Surrounding the primary forest at lower altitudes is a large area of
secondary forest, consisting of various Acacia species; this area is very
rich in birdlife. It was whilst surveying secondary forest on Mabla in
November 1985 that we discovered what may eventually turn out to be
Djibouti’s second endemic, a melba finch. Whilst clearly related to the
Green-winged Pytilia Pytilia melba, the Djibouti birds differ in having
bright yellow (not red) faces, and both sexes have yellow (not deep red)
tails. All of the 13 races of P. melba have red faces and red tails. As we
did not take a specimen, our description of Pytilia (melba) flavicaudata
has not been accepted by the taxonomic community.

Besides its birds, the Goda massif also supports a significant
proportion of the world population of the Bankouale Palm Livistona
carinensis, a species found only in Djibouti, Somalia and southern
Yemen. Djibouti supports about 400 mature trees. A tall, distincive
species, growing to heights of 25 m, the palm occurs only in areas with
surface water - a scarcity in Djibouti. It produces large numbers of
seeds which germinate readily in moist conditions, but grazing by
livestock and flash floods ensure that virtually none survives.

18

As with the francolin, very little is ie NHN \
known of the palm’s biology and EN \\

the species could very easily come
to the verge of extinction if conser-
vation measures are not instigated
soon.

Djibouti’s other international con-
servation responsibility rests with
its small population of Arabian
Bustards Ardeotis arabs. In 1985, we
surveyed much of the southwest of
the country for bustards. Potential
sites were located from the air and
then surveyed using transects and spot-checks. Bus-
tards were present in four widely separated areas, and
further work has shown them to occur throughout most
of the country. In Djibouti, the species appears to require
the following: a fine sand or gravel substrate; either
scattered Acacia and a good herb layer, or more Acacia
and fewer herbs; and a plentiful supply of grasshoppers.
More often than not, only fresh tracks were seen, but this
spring we saw up to seven birds together. At present,
the species appears to be unmolested by the local people,
and the birds were observed feeding very close to
habitation.

Our work has increasingly incorporated a conservation-
education element. For any long term success, the sup-
port of the local people is vital and what is most desper-
ately needed is an educational resource, in the form of a
reserve, near to Djibouti City; here the benefits of wild-
life conservation can be demonstrated to large numbers
of people. To this end, we have been working together
with a French ex-patriate, Alain Laurent. The initial site
was the old salt-pans at Waramous, 4 km south of the
city. However, whilst the matter was being pursued
with the authorities, the site was used for dumping and
had now literally disappeared under a sea of rubbish.

In autumn 1988, a second site was chosen, 3 km farther
south, at Petite Douda, a small wadi being used to
channel purified water from a new sewage treatment
plant out to sea. The effects of the water have been
dramatic: vegetation is rapidly becoming established,
and the area is already being used by passage and

19

wintering waders. Furthermore, the wadi is surrounded by almost
pristine Acacia steppe in an area known to have previously supported
Arabian Bustards. If the proposed boundary could be extended to
include a significant part of the steppe, the reserve could asume
international importance.

There is a growing concern for the protection of the environment in
Djibouti; but there is also a greater increase in the desire to exploit the
country’s wildlife. Although all wildlife in Djibouti is protected, a walk
along the tourist street market this spring showed an abundance of
wildlife products on sale; from Ostrich eggs to Leopard skins, turtle
carapaces to Cheetah cubs. Most, if not all, of these items would have
originated in Ethiopia and Somalia, but are sold in Djibouti. There is
even talk of removing the hunting laws, and it seems inevitable that the
situation will get worse before it gets better.

Our research has revealed much about this little-known country, but
it is not complete. Together with Alain Laurent, we are currently
working on a distributional atlas of Djibouti’s birds. The reserve idea
is still being pursued and, most excitingly, as part of Sheraton Hotel’s
Going Green initiative, we are working on a sites inventory of Impor-
tant Bird Areas in Djibouti.

Geoff and Hilary Welch, 21a East Delph, Whittlesey, Peterborough
PE7 THK, UK

Hotamis - are the wetlands still

there?
Guy Kirwan

According to Grimmett et al. (1989), the Hotamis area still contains a
large wetland complex, harbouring a number of species of birds which
are scarce on both a national and an international scale. A fuller and
distinctly less optimistic overview has been published recently (Grim-
mett and Jones 1989).

Formerly, the area was regularly visited; it was well known as the only
breeding site within Turkey for White-tailed Plover Chettusia leucra.
However, two inter-related factors have combined to remove Hotamis
from the birding map, and few birdwatchers now seem to incorporate
it into their itineraries. This is despite the fact noted by Brace and Webb
(unpub.) that the site has long been known to be subject to the vagaries
of drought and local irrigation schemes and thus could still be worth
exploring. Nevertheless, the fact that few observers have even man-

20

aged to locate the once extensive marshland in recent years and the
specific lack of published records of White-tailed Plover since 1986
(Telfer unpub.) will have deterred many visitors.

In addition, the discovery and subsequent exploration of the marshes
at Eregli, only 50 km to the east, which have proved to be perhaps the
equal of Hotamis, has provided birders with an easy alternative.

On 15June 1990, in the company of D. Ross and M. Roxby, I visited the
Hotamis area. Unfortunately, we had no access to DHKD’s recent
aerial photographs and instead had to rely on comparatively small-
scale, and probably outdated maps (especially that published by
Ravenstein 1985/6), in conjunction with rough sketch maps and
drawings made by other birders. We were, however, able to explore a
quite wide area in the Hotamis-Salzipinar region, mostly from the two
major gravel roads which dissect this area, marked on the map printed
by the Defence Mapping Agency, Aerospace Centre, St Louis Air Force
Station, Missouri 1982. We also drove on a number of farmers’ tracks
which run north and west from the road directly south of Hotamis, in
an effort to find the large lake marked. This search failed, as did similar
efforts to locate the large reedbed between the villages of Salzipinar
and By Aslama looked at by Webb e¢ al. in 1986.

Our usual procedure was to scan the surrounding land at intervals of
1 km, both from ground level and from the roof of the car, for any areas
of wetland or other indications (eg lush vegetation or birds normally
associated with water) that such areas might still exist. In addition, we
asked a number of local people if they knew of any marshes in the
surrounding region where we could find and watch birds. This pro-
duced negative results until, in the first village south of Hotamis
(about 10 km south), we met a man who directed us to an area of marsh
just to the south of the village of By Aslama. We got the impression
(perhaps falsely) that this reedbed was the only sizeable one in the
locality. However, in total area, the one lagoon we found, and its
associated reedbed, covered an area of only around 1 km x 1 km. We
spent approximately three quarters of an hour, during which time we
recorded species typical of the habitat, such as Squacco Heron Ardeola
ralloides, Great White Egret Egretta alba, Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus,
Spur-winged Plover Hoplopterus spinosus and Whiskered Tern Chlid-
onias hybridus; as well as a colony of Lesser Kestrels Falco naumanni at
By Aslama itself.

In summary, we covered by road the area indicated by Beaman (1986)
as being the centre of the Hotamis marshes. We drove south from
Route 80 (linking Konya and Eregli) to Salzipinar and then to By
Aslama, diverting from the main track westwards for 5 km here,

21

before returning to it and continuing to drive first eastwards and then
northwards for a further 14 km to the village of Hotamis itself. While
we were obviously unable to ascertain how far drought - this being one
of the factors identified by Grimmett et al. (1989) as being a potential
threat to the area - might have affected the area, circumstantial
evidence from the marsh we found would suggest that it is not a
problem. Here the vegetation appeared quite luxuriant and green, and
the water level on the only visible pool was obviously high. In addition,
both cereal farming, mainly wheat, and goat and sheep grazing were
well in evidence. We could not determine whether any permanent
reclamation work had been undertaken for the farming to continue
and expand; but the field systems did appear well established.

A detailed survey of the Hotamis area would still be valuable and
would provide an essential update to OSME’s Sites Register Scheme.
This survey should concentrate not only on the area we covered, but
should also spread its catchment, as the Hotamis marshes have ap-
peared to be fully drained before, notably in 1974 (Brace and Webb
unpub.). Nevertheless, it should be remembered that the eastern end
of Hotamis may indeed have been permanently reclaimed, as the
recent maps, especially those published by Hildebrand (1989) and
Kummerley and Frey (1988), the research of Grimmett and Jones
(1989), and a visit by D. Rushforth in 1988 all suggest. Rushforth was
eventually able to find a large marsh which still provided good
birding, even though he was unable to get very close to it. Nonetheless,
among the large numbers of the more common waterbirds he also saw
species such as Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus and Marbled
Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris, as well as hearing no less than 10 Bit-
terns Botaurus stellaris.

It may well be that the major wetland site of Hotamis has not been
irrevocably lost, but as comprehensive a survey as possible is urgently
needed. Would-be survey workers would require at least three full
days adequately to cover the area by car; or 4d week minimmum
without a vehicle. Anyone interested in participating in such a scheme,
or in organising it, should contact OSME’s Turkish Officer c/o The
Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire. OSME would be grateful for any other
information on the site.

Note. All place names have been Anglicised.
Acknowledgments

I should like to thank D. A. Rushforth for providing his recent information on
Hotamis, and Rod Martins for placing his extensive Turkey file at my disposal.
Chris Bowden also made helpful contibutions towards this note.

22

References

BEAMAN, M 1986. Turkey Bird Report 1976-1981. Sandgrouse 8:1-41.

Brace, R and Wess, R unpublished. Turkey Field Trip 1986.

GRIMMETT, RFA and Jones, TA 1989. Important Bird Areas in Europe. CBP Tech.
Publ. 9. Cambridge.

GRIMMETT, RFA, KAsPAREK, M, Kitic, A and ERrTAN, A 1989. Important bird areas
in Turkey: unprotected and under threat. Sandgrouse 11:57-66.

Martins, RP 1989. Turkey Bird Report 1982-1986. Sandgrouse 11:1-41.
RUSHFORTH, DA Unpublished. An ornithological trip to central and southeastern
Turkey April 1988.

Guy Kirwan, 44 Rowington Road, Norwich NR1 3RR, UK

The wetlands at ee Turkey

Guy Kirwan

In the past, Eregli marshes supported a similar range of species to that
at Hotamis, despite covering considerably less than half the area of the
latter. Recent reports from British birdwatchers (notably Telfer in
1988) suggest that Eregliis now far more important than Hotamis, both
for breeding and migrant birds.

We were able to spend the evening of 16 June and all of 17 June 1990
birdwatching in the large wetland region of Eregli. This comprises two
major habitat zones: a large shallow mud and reed fringed lake; and a
large Phragmites reedbed interspersed with deeper lagoons. The area
can be approached from several directions, and we concentrated our
efforts on two areas representative of the two habitat zones. We could
not detect any major differences in habitat area or quality from those
reported by Telfer in 1988, but without detailed reference material,
such comparisons can only be subjective.

The lake area was the most productive, and was reached from the
grazing marshes by the village of Tatlikuyu. The surrounding area
seemed to be relatively untouched by agriculture, barring a few goats.
The local population are to some extent aware of the importance of the
region for birds, through having frequently met birdwatchers in the
area. This contact may partly explain why the habitat still seems to be
of a high quality.

The northern side of the lake in the Tatlikuyu area was inaccessible

owing to soft mud, but birdwatching from the eastern side was
excellent, and included the following species and maximum counts.

23

Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus 50
White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus 70
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus 2
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus 60

Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 100

Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber c.1600
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea 40
Shelduck Tadorna tadorna 7

Gadwall Anas strepera 2

Teal Anas crecca 15

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 10

Pintail Anas acuta 1

Garganey Anas querquedula 2

Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina 5
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca 2

Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus 10

Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni 6

Common Crane Grus grus 2

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 80
Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta 20

Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola 40
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius 15
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus 15
Greater Sand Plover Charadius leschenaultii 5
Spur-winged Plover Hoplopterus spinosus 30
Lapwing Vanellus vanellus 50

Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferrruginea 12
Dunlin Calidris alpina 17

Ruff Philomachus pugnax 1

Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa 23
Redshank Tringa totanus 10

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola 4
Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica 9

- Little Tern Sterna albifrons 6

Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus 5

Black Tern Chlidonias niger 10

White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus 3

The vast marsh associated with this lake is best approached via the
gravel track which runs on a roughly east-west axis parallel to the
reedbed, to the west of the village of Bogecik. We drove down this
track for about 7 km, and the reedbed continued in the distance -
unfortunately away from the road. Immediately to the south of this
road there is a line of small hillocks, and there are a number of quarries
in the hillside. There were some wheat fields between the road and the
marsh, but also some grass for cattle grazing. We saw the following

species in this area.

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 3
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 10

24

Pygmy Cormorant 200

White Pelican 100

Dalmatian Pelican 1

Squacco Heron 10

Little Egret Egretta garzetta 50

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 2

Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 10

Mute Swan Cygnus olor 2

Greylag Goose Anser anser 5

Mallard 100

Red-crested Pochard 20

Pochard Aythya ferina 5

Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula 4
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala 7
Marsh Harrier 30

Hobby Falco subbuteo 3

Coot Fulica atra 40

Little Tern 2

Whiskered Tern 40

White-winged Black Tern 1

Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus many
Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus many

In conclusion, Eregli remains one of the richest bird areas in the region,
depite the threats of drainage, reed burning and hunting outlined in
Important Bird Areas in Europe. As with Hotamis, the area needs a thor-
ough survey, particularly around the northern end, for which a four-
wheeled-drive vehicle would seem essential. Such a survey would
take a car-driving fieldworker at least a week; but it would be a week
well spent.

Guy Kirwan, 44 Rowington Road, Norwich NR1 3RR, UK

A second breeding site of the Purple

Gallinule in southern Turkey
Arjan Ovaa and Rene Vos

Although the Purple Gallinule Porphyrio porphyrio used to be a com-
mon breeding bird in suitable areas in Turkey, the distribution in
recent decades was restricted to the Goksu Delta in southern Turkey
(Kasparek et al. 1989). A bird census project in that delta during spring
1989 revealed a breeding population of 50-70 pairs at Akgol alone
(Baris et al. in prep).

During spring 1990, the sixth joint DHKD-WIWO project was exe-
cuted in Turkey in the Cukurova Delta, south of Adana. Primary aims

25

of this project were migrant wader studies for the Eastern Mediterra-
nean Wader Project 1990 (OSME Bull. 24:30-31). Because the presence
of the Purple Gallinule was strongly suspected in this area, some time
was spent searching for breeding sites of the species. A suitable area
seemed to be on the shore of the Akyatan Lake, 40 km south of Adana,
here a meandering and broad stream, bordered by dense vegetation of
reeds Phragmites, flows into the lake. Several attempts to find the
species during March and April, on one occasion with a small boat,
failed. However, on 8 May an adult bird was seen with a single chick.
The next day, one was seen and five more were heard along the stream.
On 15 May, the morning was spent examining the number of territories
on both sides of a branch of the stream for about 2 km. There proved
to be at least seven territories, with at least nine adults and 10 chicks.
Since the total suitable area is at least three times the size of the
examined area, the estimated number of territories is 20.

The birds clearly had grey heads and throats, and so belong to the
subspecies seistanicus or caspius. As there are no known records of
caspius in this region (Cramp and Simmons 1980), the birds are
presumed to be P. p. seistanicus: this is the subspecies breeding in the
Goksu Delta.

The Akyatan Lake and a 500 m zone around it are protected against
hunting by Turkish law. However, people visiting the area in winter
mention large-scale hunting (eg. L.J. Dijksen et al. WIWO Report 21
1989). It is vital to protect this area, including the marshes, in a more
effective way to save this second breeding site of the Purple Gallinule
in Turkey. —

Acknowledgments

As this project was a co-operation of the Turkish Society for the Protection of
Wildlife (DHKD) with the Dutch Working Group for Internation Wader and
Waterfowl Research (WIWO), we would like to thank both organisations for
making this research possible. We would also like to thank Vincent van den
Berk for providing much additional information.

References

Cramp, S and Simmons, KEL (eds) 1980. The Birds of the Western Paleartic, Vol
2:592-599. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK

DIJKSEN, LJ et al. 1989. WIWO Report 21.

KasPAREK, M et al. 1989. Zoology of the Middle East, Vol 3.

Arjan Ovaa and Rene Vos, Foundation WIWO, c/o Dutch
Society for the Protection of Birds, Driebergsweg 16c, 3708 JB
Zeist, Netherlands

26

Dunn’s Lark breeding in Egypt
Sherif M Baha El Din

At least four singing Dunn’s Larks Eremalauda dunni were noticed on
8 May 1990, aes ae). 35 km southwest of El Arish, north Sinai.

They were performing their distinctive song flight, and later several
sien individuals were seen defending territories and carrying food.

More than 10 Dunn’s Larks were seen at the same locality on 1 January
1990. The only previous record from Egypt was of a single individual
just north of Nekhal in March 1981 (Goodman & Meininger 1989).

The birds were found on a wide (+10 km) gravel plain with numerous
sandy patches, situated between the coastal dunes of north Sinai to the
north and the hills of Gebel Maghara and Gebel Halal to the south. The
plain had a good vegetation cover, dominated primarily by Fagonia ar-
abica, Anabasis articulata, Stipagrostis ciliata, Panicum tragidum and
Erodium pulverulentum. The larks fed regularly on the seeds of the last
species.

Four other lark species were observed in association with Dunn’s

Larks at the same locality. Bar-tailed Desert Larks Ammomanes cinc-
turus were particularly numerous; their association with Dunn’s Lark

27

is noteworthy and is commonly observed in other areas. Temminck’s
Horned Lark Eremophila bilopha was also numerous in the area, while
only a few Hoopoe Larks Calandrella cinerea were seen. All four species
were actively engaged in song flights and defending territories.

This is the first known breeding of Dunn’s Larkin Egypt. The plentiful
rains of the previous winter, reported by locals, perhaps encouraged
this nomadic species to nest in the area, but it is most likely that it has
been overlooked in the past, and it is expected to be found elsewhere
in north Sinai.

References

GOODMAN, SM and MEININGER, PL (eds) 1989. The Birds of Egypt. Oxford
University Press, Oxford.

TAKHOLM, V 1974. Student's Flora of Egypt. 2nd edition. Cairo University, Cairo.

Sherif M Baha El Din, Executive Business Services, Cairo Marriott
Hotel, PO Box 33, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt

Behaviour and status of Black-
winged Kite in Egypt
Derek J Evans

On 27 June 1989, I stopped towards sunset at Sadat City, 80 km from
Cairo on the desert road to Alexandria. This is a‘new town’, developed
on land reclaimed from the desert. To advertise its presence, lawns,
shrubs and trees have been planted along the main desert highway
which runs to the south of the town.

House Sparrows Passer domesticus were gathering to roost in a line of
ornamental bushes, when a Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus flew
horizontally at great speed into the centre of a thick bush, and emerged
clutching a sparrow. The raptor flew from the panic stricken roost to
a nearby telegraph pole to consume its prey.

The Birds of Egypt refers to a recent recovery in numbers of Black-
winged Kites in Egypt since an apparent decline perhaps caused by
pesticides. My own observations during the last three years confirm
the species to be fairly common and widespread in the Nile Valley and
Delta. However, The Birds of Egypt also refers to the population at Wadi
el Natrun, a desert oasis 15 km west of Sadat City as ‘presumed to be
locally extirpated’. The observations recorded here may be interesting

28

SS a. 2 ae
er inst ae

for two reasons. First, the increase in agricultural land and associated
habitat reclaimed from the desert in Egypt may be encouraging an
increase in Black-winged Kites both into these new areas and perhaps
back into adjacent former breeding areas such as Wadi el Natrun.
Secondly, the House Sparrow is not specifically recorded as a prey
item for Black-winged Kite in The Birds of the Western Paleartic, nor is the
‘horizontal-dash’ hunting technique into dense shrub.

Derek J Evans, The British International School, Cairo, PO Box
137 Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt

Honey Buzzard behaviour
Derek J Evans

On 20 May 1989, I was birdwatching on the beach of Ain Sukhna on the
western side of the Gulf of Suez, 50 km south of Suez, Egypt. It was
near noon and 33°C, when I disturbed a Honey Buzzard Pernis
apivorus, a common spring migrant at this site, which had been resting
on the sandy shore. It landed again a little farther on and cautiously
moved down towards the water's edge. Before it got to the water
proper it took two mouthfuls of sand and sea-water in a scooping
motion of its head, then flew up to join a second Honey Buzzard
circling over the sea.

The original bird then circled very low over the sea for two or three
minutes, with its legs extended downwards as if trying to trail them in
or land on the water. Eventually, it landed on the water and tucked up
its wings behind as if trying to keep them dry. It stayed motionless for
about one minute until disturbed by White-eyed Gulls Larus leucoph-
thalmus and Lesser Crested Terns Sterna bengalensis. The Honey Buz-
zard rose from the water without difficulty and flew away. Through-
out most of the period of observation the bird had been panting.

The Birds of the Western Paleartic makes no mention of the species
drinking, swimming or bathing.

Derek J] Evans, The British International School, Cairo, PO Box
137, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt

29

OSME News

Officers of the Society 1990/91

Vice Presidents

Sir Derek Barber, UK

Prof Dr W Buttiker, Switzerland
Major M D Gallagher, Oman
Prof H Mendelssohn, Israel

Dr G Thome, Lebanon

Sir William Wilkinson, UK

Mrs Nergiz Yazgan, Turkey

Council Members

J Simon M Albrecht

S Mark Andrews - Publicity Officer

Chris G R Bowden - Chairman, Conservation Research Committee
Dr Mark Boyd - Bulletin Editor

Duncan J Brooks - Sandgrouse Editor

Major David J R Counsell - Treasurer

Mike I Evans

Peter C Heathcote

Phil A D Hollom

Rod P Martins - Turkish Bird Report Co-ordinator
Tom Nightingale

Richard F Porter

Dr Mike R W Rands - Chairman

Elizabeth Smith - (co-opted) Membership Secretary
Richard Webb - (co-opted) Turkey Officer

Geoff R Welch - Library & Secretary

Mrs Hilary J Welch - Secretary & Library

Mrs F E Warr - (co-opted) Sales Officer

Thirteenth Annual General Meeting

The thirteenth AGM will be held on the afternoon of Saturday 20 July
1991 in the Lecture Theatre, Natural History Museum, Cromwell
Road, South Kensington, London. Further details will be published in
the spring Bulletin.

30

Twelfth Annual General Meeting

The Twelfth OSME AGM was held on 2 July 1990. It was well attended,
and was generally hailed as on of the best yet. The talks were all of a
very high standard and the business part of the meeting passed
smoothly and quickly.

This year, the contributors have been asked to submit copies of their
talks for publication in the Bulletin, and that of Geoff and Hilary Welch
is reproduced here as “Djibouti - six years on’. Mike Jennings gave an
account of the progress that has been made on the Atlas of Breeding
Birds of Arabia, and surprised many people with his assertion that a
survey of an area the size of an English county was quite possible in a
morning - providing the habitat was fairly uniform desert. Mike has
promised an update of the project for the next Bulletin.

Paul Doherty stepped in at the last minute to provide a feast of superb
photographs, mainly of raptors in Israel. He concentrated on the
bewildering plumage variations shown by Steppe Buzzards (see Paul’s
article and colour photographs with H Shirihai in Birding World
3(1):10-14), but he also showed many other species. Paul’s talk was
very well received, but the Bulletin could not do it justice. Instead, Paul
has promised some tips on bird photography in Middle Eastern
conditions for the spring issue.

In the AGM itself, OSME’s Chairman, Mike Rands, announced two
ambitious initiatives: the Society’s second expedition, to southern
Yemen in 1992 or 1993; and a project to gather data for and eventually
publish a sites inventory - ‘Important Bird Areas in the Middle East’.
Both of these will receive greater coverage in the Bulletin in due course.

At this year’s AGM, two Council members who have given stalwart
service to OSME over the years retired: Dave Fisher and Mike Jen-
nings. Indeed, they are the only two members to have completed two
spells on Council, and thus have helped steer the Society through its
formative years.

In addition to their wise counsel, Dave has almost singlehanded edited
the OSME Bulletin and maintained its very high standard; whilst Mike
has ensured close contact with Arabia and the all-important Atlas of
Breeding Birds of Arabia (ABBA) project, to which many members
have contributed. We are sure that it won’t be long before they are back
helping OSME again.

31

Conservation Research on vacation

Guy Kirwan, who has kindly agreed to compile Around the Region,
has two other main articles in this issue: reports on Hotamis and Eregli
Marshes, Turkey. Before his visit, Guy contacted OSME to discover
whether his birding holiday could be more useful than simply his
submitting records to the Turkish Bird Report. Through the Conserva-
tion Research Committee and OSME’s connections with DHKD, the
Society recommended that Guy tried to discover the extent to which
the two wetland areas still existed and whether they still held any
importance for birds.

There is no doubt that a full-scale investigation of the two areas would
still be useful, but Guy’s contributions show how useful purely ama-
teur birdwatching trips can be, particularly if given some direction.

If you would like direction from OSME as to how to spend your
holidays usefully in Turkey or other Middle Eastern countries, please
write to the Conservation Research Committee, as far in advance of
your proposed trip as possible.

Subbuteo Natural History Books Ltd

We are pleased to announce that this company has agreed to continue
the sponsorship of colour plates in Sandgrouse. With colour printing
being such a familiar part of our everyday lives, it is easy to forget just
how expensive the process is. Without this support, colour could never
be a guaranteed feature of the journal.

_ Special Offer

Sandgrouse volumes 6-10 can now be purchased as a set for £25.This
is a saving of £13.50. Get yours now while stocks last! Orders to OSME
Sandgrouse Offer, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL,
UK.

Bird Songs of Israel and the Middle East

This is now being distributed by Bird Recordings Limited and should
be readily available. The company has kindly agreed to donate 5% of
_ the retail price of any cassette ordered through this Bulletin (see
advertisement at the back) to OSME's Conservation Research Fund.

OSME tour to Egypt

Next spring, OSME will be operating its first birdwatching tour, in co-
operation with the birdwatching tour company, Sunbird. The tour will

32

run from 24 March to 3 April 1991 and will be led by ex-OSME Council
member, David Fisher, and the well-known Egyptian ornithologist
Sherif Baha el Din. The tour will visit most of Egypt’s well-known
birdwatching sites, including Suez, Wadi Natrun, the Nile at Luxor
and Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Hurghada on the Red Sea. Spring
migration will be at its peak, and the tour should see a good variety of
migrating raptors, waders and passerines, as well as Egypt's resident
birds. Likely Egyptian specialities include Black-shouldered Kite,
Painted Snipe, Senegal Thick-knee, Kittlitz’s Plover, Sooty and White-
eyed Gulls, Crested and Lesser Crested Terns, Senegal Coucal and
Nile Valley Sunbird.

The tour will also visit the main historical sites, including the Valley of
the Kings, the temples at Philae, Abu Simbel and Karnak, the Great
Pyramids and the Sphinx. OSME members qualify for a 10% discount
on the tour price, reducing it to about £1475. In addition, OSME
members receive priority booking, and until Ist November only
OSME members may book for the tour.

We hope that the tour will provide OSME members with an opportu-
nity to birdwatch in a structured way in one of the most ornithologi-
cally famous of the Middle Eastern countries. OSME will also benefit
financially from this trip. For full details of the tour write to David
Fisher, Sunbird, PO Box 76, Sandy, Bedfordshhire SG19 1DF. Tele-
phone 0767 682969. Please ensure that you mention your OSME
membership when making your booking or enquiry.

OSME expedition to the Republic of Yemen

The Society is currently planning its second expedition, which is
destined once again for Yemen. This time efforts will be concentrated
in the south of the country, in the area that was, until the recent merger
of the two Yemens, the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen
(PDRY).

The time will be eight weeks from February to April, 1992 or 1993,
depending on the necessary permissions being granted. More details
will appear in Bulletin 26, but in the meantime any member who is
likely to be interested should write to the expedition leader, Richard
Porter, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK. Please
give brief details of the ornithological and other experience that an
expedition might find useful (eg, are you a botanist, car mechanic, first
aider, photographer etc?). Expedition members will be expected to
spend at least a month in Yemen and be prepared to make a £500
contribution to the cost.

fo)

Turkey Report

OSME will shortly be preparing Turkish distribution maps for Black
Vulture Aegypius monachus and Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni. Both
species are included in Birds to Watch: the ICBP world checklist of
threatened birds (Collar & Andrew 1988); and an EEC/ICBP Manage-
ment Plan is being prepared for Lesser Kestrel.

To assist in the production of the maps, please send any records of
either species (both old and new) which have not previously been
submitted to the Turkey Bird Report to Richard Webb, Turkey Officer,
c/o OSME.

Once the maps have been prepared, OSME hopes to organise fieldwork
to review the current status of both species in selected areas.

In addition, OSME is updating the list of species for which Turkish
records are particularly required. Members visiting Turkey are invited
to write to Richard Webb for a copy of the list. (See Harrap, S and
Martins, R 1986. Turkish Bird Report: Notes for contributors. OSME
Bull. 17:37-43)

Requests

Pink-backed Pelicans in 1989 north of their normal
distribution

Fourteen records of Pink-backed Pelicans Pelecanus rufescens were
reported during May to November 1989, in Central Europe (11), Egypt
and Israel (3), but only as unconfirmed reports. It seems that an influx
of Pink-backed Pelicans into Central Europe may have taken place.
Please send any reports of Pink-backed Pelicans (or other unidentified
pelicans) outside their normal range (Africa south of the Sahara and
the Red Sea north to 23°) in 1989 to: Michael Kuhn, Coloniastr. 64, D-
55303 Bornheim 3, West Germany. Please include full details and, if
possible, supporting photographs.

Midwinter wildfowl counts in Turkey

For the past five years, IWRB has subsidised a Dutch team counting
waterfowl in midwinter on the major Turkish wetlands. For the last

34

a ee

two winters, this was done in co-operation with members of the bird
group in the Society for the Protection of Wildlife (DHKD) in Istanbul.
From 1991 onwards, IWRB’s financial support will stop. DHKD will
start a monitoring program on a number of the most important sites.
Not all wetlands counted previously can be included, and geese will
probably not be counted at all. If you are planning to visit Turkey in
January 1991 and you are willing to count one (or more) wetlands,
please contact the national co-ordinator: Lieuwe J Dijksen, Fonteinsweg
9, NL-1797 RK Den Hoorn Texel, The Netherlands.

Hotamis Marshes

Guy Kirwan is in the process of collating information on the Hotamis
Marshes of southern Turkey and would be pleased to receive any
previously unsubmitted records from this area. Please send any rec-
ords to Guy Kirwan, c/o OSME.

Sightings of ringed Flamingos

Since 1977, over 12,000 Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber chicks
have been ringed on the western Mediterranean, with coded plastic
legbands. These have been engraved in black with alpha-numerical
codes of three or four digits. French rings (yellow or white) from the
Camargue are placed on the right tibia, and Spanish (orange) from
Fuente de Piedra (Malaga) on the left tibia. The black line engraved
between the first two digits of the Spanish rings must be recorded to
avoid confusion with some codes. These birds may be encountered in
all Mediterranean countries, in western Asia and in West Africa. All
sightings will be acknowledged with the bird’s life history. Please send
details to: Alan R Johnson, Station Biologique de la Tour du Valat, Le
Sambuc, 13200 Arles, France; or Juan Calderon, Estacion biologica de
Donana, Pabellon del Peru, Avenida Maria Luisa s/n, 41013 Sevilla,
Spain.

Recent items received in the library include the following, which may not have come
to the attention of all members.

Bennett, CJL (Ed) 1990. The Cyprus Ornithological Society 34th An-
nual Report. Cyprus Ornithological Society (1957), Nicosia.

This is the latest in the series of bird reports for Cyprus, covering 1987. The
systematic list gives details of the 266 species recorded during the year. Of
particular note are records of a small influx of Great Black-headed Gulls Larus
ichthyaetus, the island's third record of Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola, and
two female Hooded Wheatears Oenanthe monacha, the first since 1875. Additionally,
there are papers on the feeding behaviour of Kingfishers Alcedo atthis, Masked
Shrike Lanius nubicus, the Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus, and
the results of a census of Audouin’s Gulls Larus audouinii breeding on the
Klidhes Islands.The COS can be contacted at PO Box 4319, Nicosia, Cyprus.

Jennings, MC 1990. ABBA Survey no 8: Summary report of an orni-
thological survey of the Peoples’ Democratic Republic of Yemen,
October/November 1989.

This eight-page summary report details observations made during a visit to
South Yemen from 23 October-9 November 1989, primarily to collect data for
the Atlas of Breeding Birds of Arabia project. Useful contacts were also made
by Mike on behalf of OSME to assist with Society’s prosposed expedition to
southern Yemen in spring 1992. A very rigourous schedule allowed virtually
the whole of the country to be visited, if somewhat hurriedly. Packed full of
interesting observations, this is a taster of the full report to follow in due
course. For more information and details of the ABBA project, contact Mike
Jennings, 4 Croft Close, Brampton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE18 8TJ.

Reviews

Zoology in the Middle East. Volume 3. 1989. Edited by Ragnar Kinzel-
bach and Max Kasparek. 3

This is the third issue of the journal which publishes original papers on
morphology, zoogeography, faunistics, systematics, animal biology and ecology
of the Middle East.

There are 12 papers in the 133 pages, with contents as follows: mammals (1),
birds (1), reptiles (3), fish (1), molluscs (2), insects (2) and crustacea (2).

36

The bird paper, ‘The Purple Gallinule, Porphyrio porphyrio, in the Eastern
Mediterranean’, describes the decrease in its Mediterranean population since
the last century. The Goksu Delta is important as the only known breeding
location of the subspecies seistanicus in the Mediterranean. The authors put
the Gdksu population at less than 30 pairs and disagree with a recent
suggestion of ‘possibly several hundred pairs’ in the delta. It is clear, whatever
the number, that the area is vitally important for the maintenance of the genetic
diversity of the species as well as its survival in Turkey.

Simon Albrecht

Asian Waterfowl Census 1989. Compiled by Derek A Scott and Paul M
Rose. International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau (IWRB)
1989. No price given.

This booklet presents data for a series of midwinter waterfowl counts in
southern and eastern Asia during January 1989 for 20 countries. Of these, four
- Bahrain, Iran, Oman and Pakistan - lie within the OSME region, and I shall
restrict my attention to these. Following the introductory background and
remarks on variations in coverage, data appear as tables, with complimentary
text discussing features of national counts during 1989.

The following records are particularly noteworthy: in Iran, a disappointing
total of 35 Lesser White-fronted Geese Anser erythropus in the southeast sector
of the Caspian shoreline; 11,300 Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris,
mostly at Shadegan Marshes in Khuzestan (an encouraging total); and seven
Siberian Cranes Grus leucogeranus, which appear in the summary table for
southwest Asian countries but, amazingly, are not mentioned elsewhere. Of
interest in Oman were five Bewick’s Swans Cygnus columbianus, 37 Indian
Cotton Teal Nettapus coromandelianus, 27 Pheasant-tailed Jacanas Hydrophasianus
chirurgus and 11 Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura. The most significant record
from Oman, however, is the discovery of hitherto unknown populations of 119
Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris at Barr Al Hikman.Taken together with the
increasingly regular observations of this species in Pakistan (20 birds in 1989),
it may be suggested that this species should be watched for along any northeast
Indian Ocean shoreline.

Elsewhere, 23 Dotterel Charadrius morinellus wintering in Bahrain were of
interest, while the observation of a mere single Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes
minimus in southwest Asia perhaps illustrates how the census methods
employed are unsuitable for some species and provides a reminder of how
little-known the wintering distribution of this species remains.

Counts indicate a frightening future for White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala:
for the first time, none was recorded from the usual wintering area in the
southeast Caspian and central Fars (Iran); in Pakistan, their numbers were the
lowest for many years, showing a near 82% decline from 733 in 1987 to 187 only
two years later.

37

Sections on ‘Wetlands of International Importance and the Ramsar Convention’
and ‘Reliability of the Data’ seem worth remarking upon. The site lists provide
evidence from which potentially productive birding sites may be selected;
many, however, will be inaccessible to visitors. The aim of providing an up-
to-date and informative tool for conservation decision making is ably fulfilled
by this publication.

Rod Martins

Birds of the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. By G Bundy, R J Connor
and C J O Harrison. H F and G Witherby in association with Aramco
1989. 224 pages, 2 maps and 158 colour photographs. £35.

The eastern province of Saudi Arabia extends from the border of Kuwait in the
north for some 1,200 km into the sands of the Rub’al-Khali (The Empty
Quarter) in the south; and from the Arabian Gulf in the east, westwards across
low desert plains for some 150 km, to the high dunes of ad Dahna. Until the
late 1960s, the avifauna was little studied; birds were collected by the explorers
Cheesman (1921 and 1923-4), Philby (1932 and 1938) and Ripley and
Meinertzhagen paid short visits to the province in 1950. Since then, the oil-
based economy of the Kingdom has prospered; and with it have come
expatriot birdwatchers. Their contributions are now represented by this
commendable work.

The first third of the book sets the scene for the systematic list: there are
chapters on physical description, climate and vegetation. Then follows a
chapter on the origins of eastern province birds, commencing in the Miocene
period. This is a significant contribution to Arabian ornithology not, at present,
likely to be found elsewhere. The remaining introductory chapters fully treat
faunal subdivisions, birds and biotopes (including sections on adaptations to
aridity and migration), and man and birds.

The bulk of the work consists of an annotated systematic list of 341 species. The
book is not intended to be a field guide but here, at the start of most family
sections, the authors have written asummary highlighting points of identification
and typical habitat; this is very useful. Periods of passage, details of breeding,
dates and locations, are all dealt with succinctly. The student of migration
systems will find much here of interest: possibly several hundred Corncrakes
Crex crex in grass crops deep in the autumn desert; Terek Sandpipers Xenus
cinereus in good numbers on inland wetlands and irrigated fields, surely an
indication that they cross the Arabian Peninsula.

The work concludes with appendices which include a systematic list; fine for
quick reference, but rather redundant as all species have already been dealt
with comprehensively. Next, and more useful, comes an appendix on 127
migrant species comparing their numbers in spring and autumn. The third
appendix gives co-ordinates of locations mentioned in the text which may be
plotted onto the rather bare maps. As some of these locations may be no more
than a large circular field of alfalfa in the middle of the desert, their omission

38

from the map is understandable. The final appendix consists of meteorological
graphs; there is also a neat bibliography.

The photographs are excellent, the book well designed and the print comfortable
to the eye. This publication can be recommended, not only to birdwatchers in
eastern Arabia but also to any ornithologists with an interest in the Middle
East. I suspect that this product has been in the pipeline for many years,
fortunately it has emerged in a highly refined state.

Tom Nightingale

The Torgos Vol/8, 1(16) Winter 1989. Eds O Bahat, Dr R Frumkin and Y
Leshem. Ministry of Defence Press. Annual Subscription $20.

This publication, the bi-annual production of the Israeli Raptor Information
Center, is a special edition commemorating the group’s tenth anniversary and
its merger with the SPNI Ornithological and Raptor Information Centers.
Virtually the entire text is in Hebrew, which must seriously detract from its
ability to fully engage a non-Israeli audience. English summaries are, however,
provided for all of the 13 papers and a particulary welcome innovation is the
incorporation of a new feature entitled ‘Bird News’, which is printed in its
entirety in both languages. This section contains among other items an update
on the project to save the Israeli population of the Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos
tracheliotus negevensis, from which the journal derives its name. In addition, the
journal has an English editorial and all illustrations and diagrams have English
captions.

Naturally most of the papers concern birds within Israel, especially raptors,
which account for six of them and migration studies which occupy another
four. The only exeption is a paper by Ron Frumkin that analyses the post-
fledging and parasitic behaviour of the Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, based on
a study made in the UK.

The real highlight of the journal for me was the large number of stunning
photographs, taken in the main by Israeli photographers, which are liberally
interspersed with a number of almost equally impressive line drawings. For
serious students of Israeli ornithology and arguably its most important aspects
(its raptors and its migrations), a subscription to The Torgos is a must.
Unfortunately, the relative lack of English language material, in comparison
with journals such as Dutch Birding, is liable to prevent it from becoming more
widely read. This would be a great pity, for The Torgos stands as due testimony
to the current strength, vitality and expertise of Israeli ornithology.

Guy Kirwan

39

Compiled by Simon Albrecht

News and Information

The aim of the section is to inform readers about events in the OSME region. It is not
intended as a definitive report or write up of the projects concerned. Most of the
projects are sponsored; such support is appreciated but is not generally given

acknowledgment here.

Oman

Good news for conservation

The government of Oman recently
made a substantial donation to the
Peter Scott Memorial Appeal for
Conservation. The donation took the
appeal past the £1 million mark, and
in early June it stood at nearly £1.5
million.

The Peter Scott Memorial Appeal was
launched in September 1989, in
accordance with Sir Peter Scott’s
wishes, to raise money for conservation
projects including environmental
education and work on endangered
species.

Oman has taken a leading role in
conservation over the past 16 years,
with encouragement from Sir Peter
and assistance from the IUCN Species
Survival Commission. Conservation
projects in Oman have enjoyed
outstanding success.

The IUCN Species Survival
Commission, which aims to help stem
the tide of species extinctions, will
use the money for further development
of its work.

Colloquy on the

Mediterranean coasts

The second colloquy on the
Mediterranean coasts and the
protection of the environment,
organised by the Centre Naturopa of
the Council of Europe, was held in
Izmir, Turkey, on 19 and 20 October
1989. The colloquy assembled experts

from different disciplines and
concentrated its discussions on the
opportunites provided by a regional
planning policy that is concerned about
tourism’s impact on the natural
environment. The appropriate
legislative, administrative and
financial instruments with which to
modify this growth in tourism were
examined. The international
conventions on environmental
protection also came under scrutiny.
The proceedings of the colloguy will
be published by the CoE this year.

North Cyprus

New bird society

We are please to welcome the
formation, during the summer, of
the North Cyprus Society for the
Protection of Birds. The aims of the
society include the protection and
preservation of the birds of North
Cyprus, together with promotion of
study and the publication of data.
The Society is particularly concerned
with hunting pressure: apparently
20% to 30% of hunters shoot birds of
prey; and over a million thrushes
were shot in the last year. The hunting
laws are inadequate and date from
1934; the liming of birds is not illegal.
Membership of the Society is open to
all. Further details are available from:
The North.Cyprus Society for the
Protection of Birds, PO Box 634, Girne,
North Cyprus.

40

Conservation awareness campaign

At the time of writing, this campaign
is entering its final weeks (see
Bull.24:23). The campaign has helped
the establishment of the NCSPB (see
above). We hope to have a fuller
report in the next Bulletin.

Jordan

After a lengthy incubation period,
the Royal Society for the Protection
of Nature had produced an Arabic
version of ICBP’s popular bird book,
with colour illustrations. It helps in
the identification of over 100 local
birds and serves as an introduction
to birdwatching. The book also has
an important role in local conservation
education.

Egypt

Conservation Education Centre
Having followed with interest the
plans for a conservation education
centre at Giza Zoo, we are pleased to
report that it opened its doors inJune
and was formally opened on 3
September 1990, after three years’
hard work. Staff have attended courses
at the International Centre for
Conservation Education in England.
A local edition of ICBP’s popular
bird book and an Arabic version of
the Flying Visitors poster have both
just been published. It is anticipated
that between 20 and 40 thousand
people will attend courses at the centre
each year. In addition, there will be
workshops for teachers and
environmental officers from the
region, and a portable unit has been
launched to take the conservation
message to people around the country.

4]

Falcon trapping

AnICBP-sponsored survey is currently
underway to establish the extent of
falcon trapping in Egypt. We hope to
be able to report further on this in the
next Bulletin. It has been brought to
our attention that the trapping methods
mentioned in the last Bulletin may
not have originated from Cornell
University. We appologise for any
embarrassment caused.

Slender-billed Curlew

ICBP’s Slender-billed Curlew project
has now come to an end, and an ICBP
monograph is in preparation.
Publication is currently expected early
in 1991. Information gathered in the
past two years suggests that the species
is on the verge of extinction, with
only 100 to 400 individuals remaining.
The current breeding area remains
unknown, and research continues. It
seems likely that the prime cause of
decline has been hunting pressure. In
Italy, for example, 63 of the 76 records
this century are of shot birds. Since
only a very small proportion of shot
birds are reported, it is likely that
several thousands of individuals have
been shot in Italy alone. Hunting
continues - one was shot and wounded
in Morocco last December.

The ICBP monograph will contain an
action plan for the conservation of
the species. What is really needed isa
complete ban on the hunting of all
curlews and godwits in the countries
where the species is known to occur.
Hungary, Greece and Tunisia already
have such a ban, and Morocco has
recently protected all curlews. The
status of the Slender-billed Curlew in
the Middle East is far from clear, so
such a ban throughout the region
would be welcome.

This section details recent bird sightings within the OSME region. Whenever
possible, the significance of the record (eg unusually late migrant, second spring
record, most southerly record) will be included. Records are published for interest
only, and their publication here neither implies acceptance nor rejection by the records
committee of the relevant country. Any OSME member is welcome to contribute to
this feature, and we are particularly keen to hear from anyone resident in the Middle
East who could submit regular records. For further details of what is involved in being
a regular contributor, or to submit records for the next Bulletin, covering the period
September 1990 to February 1991, please write to: Around the Region, OSME, c/o

The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK.

Compiled by Guy Kirwan

Unless otherwise stated all records refer to 1990.

Bahrain

Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus Ten
recorded between November 1989 and
April 1990 (including four in March
and one in April); previously very
few records, but no doubt overlooked.
E Hirschfeld

Spotted Eagle Aguila clanga One,
Portuguese Fort 23 February, two
Adhari-Ras Tubli 21-27 April, third
to fourth records. D Davies, E Hirschfeld,
J Kuypers

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus
himantopus Small breeding colonies

4 «455;
MALLET ga

ya

mp
ee <—S :

established at two sites with sub-adults
summering at a third; the first breeding
records. E Hirschfeld, J] Kuypers, T
Nightingale

Crab Plover Dromas ardeola One,
Malharrag 24 May; less than annual
in Bahrain. E Hirschfeld

Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria
Correction. Record previously
mentioned (Bull.24:37) was not the
first. E Hirschfeld

Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris One,
ASRY 5 January; first record. Dr M
Hill, E Hirschfeld, J Kuypers

Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola
falcinellus Recent counts indicate a
wintering population of 1500-2000
individuals (cf. counts in UAE,
Sandgrouse 10:58-70). E Hirschfeld.

Common Gull Larus canus Adult,
Ras Tubli 4 November 1989; first
record. E Hirschfeld

Armenian Gull Larus (argentatus)
armenicus Adult, Ras Tubli 27 March;
first inshore record. E Hirschfeld
Swift Tern Sterna bergii One, ASRY 5
January; rare inshore. Dr M Hill, E
Hirschfeld, J Kuypers

Striated Scops Owl Otus brucei One,
Awali 27 October 1989; only the second
verified occurrence. Dr M Hill
Palm Dove Streptopelia senegalensis
One, Manam 20 May; sixth record,
first was as recently as 1987. E Hirschfeld
Namaqua Dove Oena capensis One,
Qurrayah 12 April; also found to be
breeding around Hamalah, where
four different males, two females and
a juvenile were seen in June; eighth
and ninth records, first in 1983 so
obviously increasing. M Braynes, Dr
M Hill, E Hirschfeld, Sheikha Al Khalifa
White Wagtail Motacilla alba Two
different individuals showing
characters of M. a. personata at Ras
Tubli, 2 January and 17 February; the
first records of this subspecies. E
Hirschfeld

43

Grey Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus
Two of the large roosts previously
reported (Bull.24:37) had been
completely vacated by the end of 1989.
The third held a record 488 in mid-
December 1989 although this
subsequently declined dramatically,
with only a few birds remaining until
mid-February 1990. E Hirschfeld
Red-Breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva
One, UBF stream 7-8 February; fifth
record. J Kuypers

Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus Male
at Janabiyah reedbed 8 April; two
previous winter records both
concerned small flocks in 1970-71. E
Hirschfeld

Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea
One, Jasra 19 April and two there 27
April (all E. c. semenowt); consorting
with large flocks of Ortolans. Anannual
butscarce spring migrant. E Hirschfeld,
J] Kuypers

Egypt

Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus
Adult, Agilkia Island, Aswan 3 May;
no records since the end of the
nineteenth century, although
Goodman and Meininger (1989)
speculate that the species may be an
occasional visitor to the south of the
country from the Sudanese breeding
grounds. C Walters

Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus
Six, Hurghada 15 April; rare passage
migrant. J Foster, R Morris
Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla First year,
Ain Sukhna 5 May; unusually late,
and the southernmost record ever.
P J Evans

African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris
Five, Kom Ombo 25 April; the species
has become increasingly regular since
1979, culminating in the discovery of
a breeding colony near Abu Simbel in
July 1989. C Walters

Cyprus Pied Wheatear Ocnanthe

cypriaca One, Hurghada 5 April;
uncommon passage migrant. G Kirwan
Siskin Carduelis spinus One, Santa
Katharina 26 March; a scarce winter
visitor most often recorded in Sinai.
G Kirwan

Israel

Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius
longicaudus One, Eilat 7 April; rare
passage migrant in the Gulf of Aqaba.
G Kirwan, R Lucking, R Morris

Black Bush Robin Cercotrichas podobe
One, Yotvata 2 April-30 June at least;
the twelfth record, first was as recent
as 1981. per M Whittingham

Cyprus Pied Wheatear Oenanthe
cypriaca One, Eilat 30-31 March;
uncommon passage migrant most
often seen in this area. M Warden, M
Whittingham

Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus
stentoreus One, Eilat April; very rare
at Eilat in recent years. M Warden, M

Whittingham

Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus
inornatus One, (humei race, now
treated as a full species, Oriental
Warbler P.humei, by the Israel records
committee) at Eilat from mid-
December 1989 to at least 5 April
1990; the third record of this form. per
R Morris, M Whittingham

Jordan

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
Three, Shuna Dam 19 and 26 January;
third record. I Andrews

Verreaux’s Eagle Aquila verreauxi A
pair bred successfully in the southern
desert, producing one young; the first
proven breeding record. I Andrews,
Prof K Kermac

Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus
Two, Azrag 20 April, 12 there 26
April; third and fourth records,
previous were in 1969 and 1987. I
Andrews

Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola
falcinellus One, Azrag 23 July; second
record, first was in 1965. I Andrews
Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus One,
Azrag 22 June; first record. I Andrews

Woodpigeon Columba palumbus One,
Dibbin Forest 12 January; only the
second published record for Jordan.
I Andrews

Dunn’s Lark Eremalauda dunni Ten,
Wadi Fidan 10 April, and four there
2 June; only previous records were
from Azraq in 1963-65 (cf. recent influx
and breeding record in Israel, Brit.
Birds 82:328; and breeding record in
Sinai May 1990, Birding World 3:185).
I Andrews

Thick-billed Lark Rhamphocorys
clotbey Four, Qasr Harana 24 April;
adult with juvenile there 22 June;
first breeding record. I Andrews
White-cheeked Bulbul Pycnonotus
leucogenys One, Aqaba 9 April;
potentially the first record but origin
remains unproven, although the
record does recall the recent first
records for Israel in April 1988 at
Eilat (Brit. Birds 82:21). I Andrews
Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus One,
Amman 22 January-14 March, and
15 Dibbin Forest 16 February; probably
only two previous records. I Andrews
Desert Warbler Sylvia nana Two, Wadi
Batn al Guhl, near Mudawwara 7
February; fourth record. I Andrews
Goldcrest Regulus regulus One, Dibbin
Forest 16 February; second record.
The first was at the same site in

45

December 1989. I Andrews

Indian Silverbill Euodice malabarica
Pair nest building Kafrein, 1 May;
second record (cf. breeding records
in Israel, Brit. Birds 82:354).I Andrews

Saudi Arabia

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
One, Yanbu, on an artificial pond 1-
10 January; first record for Yanbu
since recording began in 1979. B S
Meadows

Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus 1-2
May, 31 May-1 June, Rabigh; possible
new breeding locality. B S Meadows
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus Up to
eight, Yanbu al-Sinaiyah, overwintered
for the first time; party of 47 flying
north on 13 April is the largest flock
seen to date. B S Meadows

Shoveler Anas clypeata Pair at Yanbu
al-Bahr salt pans, 22-28 June. B S
Meadows

Sooty Falcon Falco concolor Yanbu,
One, 1 July; second record. B S Meadows
Quail Coturnix coturnix One, Yanbu
al-Nahl, 7 February; one, Yanbu al-
Sinaiyah, 21 January; first winter
records. B S Meadows

Pratincole Glareola sp. Pair, Wadi
Rabigh, 31 May-1 June; possible new
breeding locality. B S Meadows
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
Yanbu al-Sinaiyah, winter maximum
of 1050 on 13 February. B S Meadows
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia Rabigh,
pair feeding single young bird on 31
May and 1 June; young seen previously
in winter. B S Meadows

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata
Hadirah (140 km north of Medinah),
93 counted in several parties on 17
May; new locality. B S Meadows
Nubian Nightjar Caprimulgus nubicus
One, Hadirah, 16 May; new locality.
B S Meadows

Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta One,
Rabigh, 9 March; scarce along Red
Sea coast, one at Mecca is the only
previous record south of Yanbu. BS

Meadows

Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis One,
Rabigh, 9 March; scarce along Red
Sea coast. B S Meadows

Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola One,
Yanbu al-Bahr, 2 March; once
previously at Yanbu in March. B S
Meadows

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
One, Yanbu al-Nakhl, 7 February;
first winter record from this area. B S
Meadows

Fieldfare Turdus pilaris One, Yanbu
al-Sinaiyah, 29 March, two
overwintered last year at the same
locality; first records so far south in
Western Arabia. B S Meadows
Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais
olivetorum One, Yanbu al-Bahr, 10
August; one previous autumn record
in September. B S Meadows
Pygmy Sunbird Anthreptes platurus
Influx in Yanbu al-Sinaiyah and
hinterland December 1989 to 25
January 1990, seven sightings (up to
four together); significant northerly
range extension. B S Meadows
Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus Yanbu
al-Sinaiyah, pair overwintered. B S
Meadows

Pale Rock Sparrow Petronia
brachydactyla Nine, Al-Wedj, 11 May;
second record in over six years
residence in the northern Hejaz. B S
Meadows

African Silverbill Euodicecantans Five,
Medinah, 5 April, Yanbu al-Nakhl,
party of 23 on 2 February and seven
on 6 July; previously not recorded
north of Tropic of Cancer. B S Meadows

Turkey

Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax
pygmeus 1500+ Eregli Golu 15 June; a
very large count of this localised
species. B Jarvis

Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus 11,
Goksu Delta 12 January, 29 Burdur
Golu 16 January; significant flocks of
- arare winter visitor. L Dijksen, A
Blomert

Red-breasted Merganser Mergus
serrator 62, Camalti Tuzlasi 24 January;
rare winter visitor, usually in smaller
numbers. L Dijksen, A Blomert
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala
6483, Burdur Golu 16 January; the
highest count in recent years. L Dijksen,
A Blomert

Osprey Pandion haliaetus One,
Paradeniz, Goksu Delta 12 January;
very unusual record, previously only
known as a rare summer visitor to the
Black Sea coastlands and as an
uncommon, but widespread passage
migrant. L Dijksen, A Blomert
See-see Partridge Ammoperdix
griseogularis Male at Yesilce 21 May;
rarely recorded away from the Birecik
region. P Benstead, C Jeffs

Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus One
at the mouth of the Sakarya River,
Black Sea 4 January; unusually farnorth
in winter, normally only an uncommon
passage migrant through the Bosphorus
and Mediterranean Turkey. L Dijksen,
A Blomert :

Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
One, Goksu Delta 25 May; very rare,
only the third record since 1976. P Hill,
J Mottishaw

Tengmalm’s Owl Aegolius funereus One,
near Sumela Monastery 21 June; the
fourth published record, all previous
records have also come from the
predominantly coniferous, northern,
montane forests. G Kirwan, D Ross, M
Roxby

Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka Pair
at Maden Koprbasi 23 June, G Kirwan,
D Ross, M Roxby. Male near Golyuzu,
Kucuk Agri Dagi 6 June, J Eames;
significant records from potential
breeding areas. Most previous records
are either of migrants or are attributed
to Cyprus Pied Wheatear Oenanthe
cypriaca.

Grey-necked Bunting Emberiza
buchanani One, south of Bulduruc, near
Demirkazik 18 May; unusually far west,
most records come from the extreme
east and southeast. P Benstead, C Jeffs

46

Announcements

Spring Migration Birdwatcher’s Festival 1991

The International Birdwatching Centre Eilat is holding a 10-day pro-
gramme of birdwatching activities and events, at the height of the
spring migration. The festival includes birdwatching excursions, lec-
tures, films and glider flights with the migrating raptors. For details of
the festival, which takes place during 20-30 March 1991, please write
to: IBCE, PO Box 774, 88106 Eilat, Israel.

IWRB Symposium

The International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau is con-
vening a Symposium entitled “Managing Mediterranean Wetlands and
their Birds for the Year 2000 and Beyond’ at Grado, Italy, during 3-10
February 1991. It is concerned particularly with the effects of wetland
loss and degradation on waterbirds. For further details, please write as
soon as possible to: IWRB Grado Conference, Slimbridge, Gloucester
GL2 7BX, UK.

Stop Press

During the OSME Dutch weekend on 15/16 September 1990, a meet-
ing was held between representatives of OSME, WIWO (Foundation
Working Group for International Wader and Waterfowl Research) and
DHKD (Society for the Protection of Nature in Turkey) to discuss
future conservation research projects in Turkey. Several ideas were
put forward, and it was unanimously agreed that a major study of the
Kizilirmak Delta be carried out, starting with a breeding bird survey in
spring 1991, co-ordinated by WIWO. The opportunity may arise for
OSME members to participate. Further details will appear in the
spring Bulletin, but in the meantime if you would like to be kept
informed about the project’s progress please write to Richard Webb,
Turkey Information Officer, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedford-
shire SG19 2DL, UK.

47

DUTCH

BIRDING
ye Quarterly journal

for every keen
birder!

Excellent papers on identification,
distribution, movements and
behaviour of Palearctic birds.

Latest news on rare birds in the
Netherlands and Belgium.

In English or with English summaries.
Well produced with numerous high
quality photographs.

For information write to:
Dutch Birding, Postbus 5611,

1007 AP Amsterdam,
Netherlands.

Now available

Bird Songs
of Israel
and the Middle East

Krister Mild Bioacoustics 1990

Digitally recorded songs and calls of 114 species on two
C-90 cassettes, with explanatory booklet and seasonal
checklist of Israeli birds 1980-1989, in an attractive slip
case. Many of these vocalisations have not been previously
published. UK price £24.95 including p&p. Air mail
price £28.95.

Five per cent of the retail price will be donated to OSME’s
Conservation Research Fund for each sale made under
this offer. Please send your order with payment to: Bird
Recording Services/OSME Offer, PO Box 942, London
E10 6RZ, UK.

48

ISSN 0959-6739

Ornithological Society of the Middle East
c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK

The Ornithological Society of the Middle East was formed in
April 1978 and is 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.

Publications Sandgrouse is the Society's journal and contains
scientific papers on all aspects of the ornithology of the
Middle East. A Bulletin covering all aspects of birdwatching
and conservation in the Middle East is also issued bi-annually
to members.

For further details and current subscription rates,
please write to: The Secretary, OSME, c/o The
Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK

Advertising rates Full page £60; half page £40; quarter page
£25. Inserts from £75

Charitable registration number 282938

Contents :

1 The Abu Simbil experience Sherif and Mindy
Baha El Din

6 The Crab Plover in Kuwait and the northern Arabian
Gulf: a brief review and some new counts P J Cowan

10 The occurrence of Great Black-headed Gulls in
Bahrain in winter of 1989/90 Erik Hirschfeld

12 |Comments on the breeding range of the Armenian
Gull Werner Suter

16 Djibouti - six years on Geoff and Hilary Welch

20 Hotamis - are the wetlands still there? Guy Kirwan

23. +The wetlands at Eregli, Turkey Guy Kirwan

25 A second breeding site of the Purple Gallinule in
southern Turkey Arjan Ovaa and Rene Vos

27 Dunn's Lark breeding in Egypt Sherif M Baha El Din

28 Behaviour and status of Black-winged Kite in Egypt
Derek J Evans

29 Honey Buzzard behaviour Derek J Evans

30 OSME News

34 Requests

36 _— Library Report

36 Reviews

40 News and Information Compiled by Simon J Albrecht

42 Around the Region Compiled by Guy Kirwan

47 Announcements

47 Stop Press

OSME C/O THE LODGE, SANDY, BEDFORDSHIRE SG19 2DL,UK