Sandgrouse 31 1

Sandgrouse is published by OSME and contains papers and short notes on the ornithology of the OSME region, provides bird and conservation news from the region and a comprehensive round up of bird sightings in the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Sandgrouse 31 (1) Spring 2009

Sandgrouse Cover 31 (1)

Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus northern Israel (Hula valley), October. © Lior Kislev

1Contents page.
2Preliminary comments on skua Stercorarius reports from Armenia.
 VASIL ANANIAN
6Observations on the cooling behaviour, and associated habitat, of four desert lark species (Alaudidae) in two areas of Kuwait.
 GARY BROWN
15Unexpectedly large number of Sociable Lapwings Vanellus gregarius on autumn migration in Turkey and some remarks on the stopover site.
 MURAT BIRICIK
18On the status and distribution of Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia and Common Nightingale L. megarhynchos in Armenia.
 VASIL ANANIAN
24First breeding record of Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia in Israel.
 NOAM WEISS, MIKOLAJ KOSS & REUVEN YOSEF
26The timing of spring passage of soaring birds at Zait bay, Egypt.
 GUDRUN HILGERLOH, JAN WEINBECKER & INGO WEISS
36Use of nest baskets by Long- eared Owls Asio otus in Israel.
 MOTTI CHARTER, YOSSI LESHEM & SHAY HALEVI
38The first Collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris in Yemen.
 DAVID B STANTON
40Food-dunking behaviour by a Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius.
 DONALD C DEARBORN & ANDREA B GAGER
42First record of Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus in Armenia.
 MARTIN ADAMIAN & FRANCIS X MOFFATT
44On the distribution and ecology of the Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni in Armenia.
 VASIL ANANIAN
55First confirmed breeding record of Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus for Lebanon, 2006.
 GHASSAN RAMADAN- JARADI & THIERRY BARA
57Weight gains by re-trapped passerine migrants at an artificially vegetated site, Eastern Desert, Egypt.
 GUDRUN HILGERLOH & BERND RADDATZ
61Status of selected migrant species in Kuwait: observations and ringing, spring 1997.
 NIGEL CLEERE & DAVID J KELLY
65First breeding of Black-winged Stilts Himantopus himantopus on Socotra, Yemen.
 AHMED SAEED SULEIMAN
68Nesting tree utilisation by Brown-necked Ravens Corvus ruficollis in west central Saudi Arabia.
 PETER CUNNINGHAM
73Breeding and food habits of a pair of urban Desert Eagle Owls Bubo ascalaphus in Hurghada, Red Sea coast, Egypt.
 ISTVAN MOLDOVAN & ATTILA D SANDOR
79Erratum: Schweizer M & M Mitropolskiy. 2008. The occurrence of Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncusin Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and its status in Central Asia. Sandgrouse 30: 161–163.
80Review.
81OSME News.
 GEOFF WELCH
83News & Information.
 DAWN BALMER (COMPILER)
91Around the Region.
 DAWN BALMER & DAVID MURDOCH (COMPILERS)
Editor:Dr Peter Cowan OSME Editor, Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, University of Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman
Editorial AdvisorsSimon Aspinall, Paul Goriup, Mike Jennings, Dr Stephen Newton
Photographic EditorPaul Doherty
Reviews EditorKeith Betton
Identification ConsultantsArnoud van den Berg, Chris Bradshaw, Steve Madge, Richard Porter