Compiled by
Peter Davidson and Guy M. Kirwan

Records in Around the Region are published for interest only, their inclusion does nor imply acceptance by the records committee of the relevant country.
Some records have been authenticated and these are indicated. In addition all records listed from Cyprus, Oman, and UAE have been accepted by their respective records' committee.
All dates refer to 1995 unless otherwise stated.

Records and photographs for Sandgrouse 18 (2) should be sent, by July 15, to Around the Region, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK.

Bee-eaters (Paul Doherty)

A Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens at Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt on 24 December was unusually far north, whilst from the south of the country came a report of two Black-headed Herons Ardea melanocephala, accompanying a Goliath Heron A. goliath 8 km north of Aswan on 13 December. There are no previous records of the former in Egypt, although the species has been recorded in southern Arabia and an immature remained at Eilat, Israel from October-December 1987 (Shiri hai 1995). Also in Egypt a juvenile Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis was with up to 2000 White Storks Ciconia ciconia at Sharm-el Sheikh sewage ponds from 13 August until 3 September at least (much further north than is usual for this species). There have been c. 12 records in Israel, the most recent in 1993 (Orn. Soc. Middle East Bull. 31: 42). Between 10 August-30 November there were 21 Abdim's Storks C. abdimii in Oman, including 19 at Salalah, the first records for a number of years. An immature Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita seen on the north side of Uludag, western Turkey on 22 August was one of the most surprising records of the period. With the demise of the wild Turkish population in 1989 the origin of this bird and three observed flying north at Eilat, Israel this spring (Orn. Soc. Middle East Bull. 35: 69) is open to speculation. Could this Turkish record have been a wandering individual from the feral population at Birecik, or wa s it a vagrant from (as widely postulated) an undiscovered breeding colony in Arabia? (see Schulz & Schulz 1992). Even prior to its extinction in the wild in Turkey there had been very few records away from the Euphrates valley, giving credence to the latter theory. The two African Spoonbills Platalea alba at Khawr Rouri, Oman were still present on 30 November (Orn. Soc. Middle East Bull. 33: 37). Nearby, at Salalah Khawrs, c. 250 Lesser Flamingo Phoenicopterus minor w ere present from 1-30 November at least; the third record.