The terns occupied a narrow flat strip of higher sandy ground, c. two metres above sea-level and c. 20 x 5 metres in size, separated from the sea by a low, flat strip of sand and rock, c. 50 metres long by 15 metres wide. The latter was almost entirely covered in sticky tar and debris, melting in the late morning heat. At least 50 young terns were stuck in this, nearly all of them dead and wholly blackened. A few were barely alive, hopelessly trying to struggle free. The young of both species are very similar and it was not possible to positively identify these birds.

The nest scrapes of the terns were c. 25 - 30 cm apart. Virtually all of the several hundred occupied Lesser Crested Tern scrapes contained one egg (or a single newly hatched young); c. eight contained two eggs.

Swift Tern lays much larger eggs than Lesser Crested Tern (62 x 43 mm compared to 52 x 36 mm: Cramp 1985). The 12 Swift Tern eggs in the mixed colony were, therefore, immediately and easily identified. Each scrape contained a single egg. They were all on the seaward edge of the colony, immediately adjacent to the tar beach. Three were very close together, the others were in a scattered line along the colony edge. The eggs of both species were extremely variable in colour and markings.

Approximately half of the Lesser Crested Tern clutches had hatched, and several hundred young birds, all less than a week old, were gathered together, just north of the tar beach. There were also 12 - 13 young Swift Tern, each attended by an adult (or adults), c. 20 metres north of the main colony, principally on higher rocky ground; these were less than a week old.

The nearest known colonies of Swift Tern are in the Arabian Gulf and the southern Red Sea, but they have long been suspected of breeding at the mouth of the Gulf of Suez and on the islands off Hurghada, although Jennings et al. (1985), in a major survey, found only circumstantial evidence of breeding. In April - May 1983, a total of 139 adults - 130 on Ghanim, four on the Ashrafi Islands, a pair on South Geisum, two on Gezirat Umm el Heimat, and one on Giftun el Saghir - were found. In September - October 1984, 45 adults - 39 on the Ashrafi Islands, four on Gezirat Umm el Heimat, one on Gezirat Umm Magawish and one at sea - were present. It was concluded that breeding was likely on the Ashrafi Islands and possibly South Geisum. Hoath et al. (1997) also found no evidence of breeding but saw ten birds between 10 - 14 June 1994, four at the south tip of North Geisum and six on South Geisum, but they did not visit Gezirat Umm el Heimat.

The circumstantial evidence suggests that Swift Terns have probably bred in small numbers on these islands for many years. The long boat journey from Hurghada requires a sturdy boat, but most islands are fringed with coral and a small inflatable is necessary for landing.

This first definite breeding record demonstrates the vulnerability of young terns. An up-to-date survey, of the type conducted by Jennings et al. (1985) but undertaken in the peak breeding season, is urgently required.

CRAMP, S. (ed.) (1985) The birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol.
      4. Oxford University Press.
HOATH, R., RUSSELL, D., KHALIL, R. AND KHALIL, D. (1997) The
      birds of the islands at the mouth of the Gulf of Suez, Egyptian Red
      Sea. Sandgrouse 19 (1): 22-29.
JENNINGS, M. C., HEATHCOTE, P. C., PARR, D. AND BAHA EL DIN,
      S. M. (1985) Ornithological survey of the Ras Dib area and
      the islands at the mouth of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt. Oil
      Pollution Research Unit, Pembroke.

Peter Castell, Fairlawn, 679 Chester Road, Great Sutton, South Wirral L66 2LN, U. K.