European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
LEBANON One off Tyre ruins on 29 January 1998, the third record.
Leach's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorrhoa
ISRAEL Up to 120 were off Jaffa on 10 February 1998 Followed the counts in January (Sandgrouse 20: 76).
Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel
ISRAEL 1 at Eilat on 1 December 1997 has recently been accepted (Brit. Birds 91:242), the first for Israel and the Western Palearctic (Sandgrouse 20: 76).
Masked Booby Sula dactylatra
YEMEN 1 off Dhubab on 20 March 1998 and a total of four off Bab el Mandeb on 22-25 March 1998, there are few records from the mainland of Yemen.
Brown Booby Sula leucogaster
UAE 1 off Dibba on 9 February 1998 will be the fourth record in if accepted.
Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
IRAN 10 nests in mangroves at Hara in late April 1998: this species was not previously known to nest along the Gulf coast.
Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis
ISRAEL An immature flew over Eilat on 20 April 1998.
Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus
TURKEY Two at Göksu delta on 26 December 1997.
Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma
ISRAEL 1 photographed at km 20 north of Eilat from 22 April-8 May 1998, the first to be recorded in the Middle East and Western Palearctic (Birding World 11: 179).
Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus
UZBEKISTAN 1 seen migrating north along the Ugam Valley, in the Tien Shan
mountains, on 9 May 1998, although outside the OSME region was nevertheless of interest.
UAE One at Eastern Lagoon, Abu Dhabi on 26 February, the bird at Mushrif Park
remained until 8 April and was joined by a second bird from 12 March-8 April, and two were near Sharjah airport on 17 April, bringing the total number of country records to six.
Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus
IRAN Four c.25 km east of Mindab in late April was the first record in Iran
UAE One at Hamraniyah on 11-12 March was the eighth record.
Shikra Accipiter badius
UAE A female at Zabeel was c. 4th record for UAE.
Swainson’s Hawk Buteo swainsoni
ISRAEL One photographed at Sede Boquer in the central Negev on 27 March 1998, a most extraordinary raptor record if confirmed (Birdwatch 71: 64). There is one previous record in the Western Palearctic, in Norway in May 1986 and a record still pending from ISRAEL in March 1989.
Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos
YEMEN Single adults north and east of Thamud on 13 and 17 February 1997 were the first records in eastern Yemen (Jennings 1997).
Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina
UAE One at Zabeel on 15 June 1998 an unseasonal sighting and the ninth country record.
Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax
ISRAEL 1 was at Urim, near Eilat on 21 December 1997, the third record.
Sooty Falcon Falco concolor
YEMEN A sub-adult on 23 April 1998 was the fourth record in Yemen.
Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax
TURKEY 2 at Göoksü delta on 25 December 1997 was interesting, but more significant
was the discovery of at least 11 birds, including displaying males, at two sites in the Konya basin
in mid-June, the first concrete evidence of breeding in the country for many years. (Eken &
Magnin in prep.)
Great Bustard Otis tarda
TURKEY Several localities were holding birds during the above same survey; this species is now very rare in Turkey. (Eken & Magnin in prep.).
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana
SAUDI ARABIA Possible breeding south of Riyadh in April 1996. Nikolaus & Ash (1997).
Corncrake Crex crex
TURKEY One was heard calling at ESmekaya sazl1G1 in early June 1998; there is one previous confirmed instance of breeding in Turkey (Green 1997).
White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus
UAE One at Emirates golf course remained until 24 March (see Sandgrouse 20: 77).
Common Crane Grus grus
UAE The eighth country record involved three at Al Ain on 23 February-8 March
1998.
Spotted Thick-knee Burhinus capensis
YEMEN One was seen at the Jol, east of Thamud on 17 February 1997, the first record in eastern Yemen (Jennings 1997).
Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus
ISRAEL Potentially the second Israeli record, was apparently photographed at km 20
north of Eilat on 14-16 April 1998.
Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni
UAE Two at Al Wathba on 29 April 1998 (sixth record)
Sociable Plover Chettusia gregaria
UAE One at Umm al Quwain on 12 February 1998 (11th record)
Knot Calidris canutus
UAE One at Umm al Quwain on 14-23 February 1998 (fourth record)
Long-toed Stint C. subminuta
UAE One at Abu Dhabi on 21-22 May 1998 (13th record).
Red-wattled Plover Hoplopterus indicus
SAUDI ARABIA One at Dhahran refuse tip, remained until 18 February 1998.
Swinhoe’s Snipe Gallinago megala
ISRAEL The Western Palearctic’s first accepted record in the Hula valley from 28
February-4 March 1998 (Brit. Birds 91: 246).
South Polar Skua Catharacta maccormicki
ISRAEL A claim of one on 25 April 1998 at Eilat could be the second country record if
accepted (Birdwatch 72: 56).
Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus
CYPRUS The first Cypriot record involved two subadults at Akrotiri Bay on 19 July 1994 (Brit. Birds 91: 247)
Long-tailed Skua S. longicaudus
UAE One reported at Hamraniyah on 10 April 1998 would be the third record if
accepted.
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus
UAE One on 8-9 March on Sir Bani Yas island, the fourth record.
Little Gull Larus minutus
UAE The 4-6th records at Umm al Quwain on 4-5 March, Emirates golf course on 11-21 April and Al Ghar lake on 30 April 1998.
Common Gull Larus canus
UAE The sixth record was at Kalba on 31 March-17 April 1998.
Grey-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus
YEMEN A first- or second-summer was well watched and photographed at Hodeidah sewage ponds on 16 April 1998, the first record for Yemen.
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei
SAUDI ARABIA In July 1997, a pair of were behaving in a manner strongly suggestive of breeding near Jubail. There are no breeding records of this species in Arabia.
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
ISRAEL 1 was reported at Shifdan, Tel Aviv on 24-27 February 1998.
Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla
UAE A first-summer bird, the first country record, was at Fujeirah on 9 April and then at Kalba from 17 April 1998.
Black Tern Chlidonias niger
UAE The fifth record was one at Ramtha lagoons on 19 July 1998.
Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus
YEMEN Jennings (1997) reports the first records in eastern Yemen of two flocks north-east of Marib on 10 February 1997 and two other flocks of birds, thought to be this species seen subsequently in the survey.
Woodpigeon Columba palumbus
UAE 1 at Dubai Creek Park on 16-19 March 1998 will be the fourth country record if accepted.
Jacobin Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus
YEMEN During the OSME/Sunbird tour to north Yemen, three were at Al
Midman on 17 April, with singles at Al Qanawais on 19 April and Hajjah on 19-20 April
1998.
Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius
YEMEN During the OSME/Sunbird tour to north Yemen, a first-year at Al
Midman on 17 April 1998 was apparently the first country record.
Klaas’s Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas
YEMEN One was heard calling south of Nu’man on 21 April 1998 on the
OSME/Sunbird tour to north Yemen.
Eagle Owl Bubo bubo
YEMEN The first record in the east of the country was one calling near Minwakh on 11 February 1997 (Jennings 1997)
Hume’s Tawny Owl Strix butleri
EGYPT At least three were near Hurghada, on 19 April 1998, a new locality for the
species (Birding World 11: 216; Birdwatch 74: 61).
YEMEN A pair was seen near Kawkaban on 7-9 April 1998.
Tengmalm’s Owl Aegolius funereus
TURKEY The fifth record of one heard calling throughout the night at Güzeller in the Yu1luk DaG1, Taurus mountains on 15 May 1998 (Eken & Magnin in prep.).
Alpine Swift Apus melba
UAE Three over the Emirates golf course on 14 April 1998 will be the 14th record if accepted.
White-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
SAUDI ARABIA In eastern Saudi, one at Dhahran until 13 February 1998.
Hoopoe Upupa epops
SAUDI ARABIA One seen food-carrying and entering a presumed nest-site near
Dhahran on 15-16 April 1998 appears to be the first evidence of breeding in this part of the country.
European Roller Coracias garrulus
YEMEN Four in the Dhubab area on 20-21 March 1998.
Wryneck Jynx torquilla
YEMEN One in Wadi Hajr on 14 March 1998.
Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata
YEMEN 1 reported from Bab el Mandeb on 25 March 1998 will be the second record if accepted: the first was in November 1985 (Brooks et al. 1987).
Dunn’s Lark Eremalauda dunni
YEMEN In early 1997, Jennings (1997) recorded a total of 22 in four squares in eastern Yemen, the first records in the east of the country
Bar-tailed Desert Lark Ammomanes cincturus
YEMEN In early 1997, Jennings (1997) found 78 at eight localities on 15-19 February 1998, the first records in the east of the country.
Skylark Alauda arvensis
QATAR Recently published records detail singing birds at two sites in June 1986
(The Phoenix 14: 2).
Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii
UAE Following ‘hot-on-the-heels’ of the second record (see Sandgrouse 20: 79), the third was at Al Ain camel track on 7 February-2 April 1998.
Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi
YEMEN There are few previous records in Yemen, but a series of records, totalling 14 birds at three localities, was made during the OSME/Sunbird tour this spring.
Blyth’s Pipit A. godlewskii
UAE Three overwintered at Al Wathba, until 12 April 1998.
Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus
UAE The two already reported (Sandgrouse 20: 79) remained in Abu Dhabi from 7 November 1997-4 April and 12 December 1997-February 1998, with another at Mushref gardens, Abu Dhabi on 13 February 1998, bringing the total number of occurrences in UAE to 12 (see Birdwatch 73: 19).
Grey Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus
ISRAEL The sixth Israeli record was well-watched and photographed at km 20 north of Eilat from December 1997-12 April 1998 (see Birding World 11: 137); one was also reported at Kibbutz Samar from late January into February 1998.
Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia
YEMEN One east of Al Qutay on 16 April 1998 was an interesting record, there are very few spring records for Yemen.
White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga
UAE One was on Das island on 8-13 April 1998. the sixth record.
Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe xanthoprymna
YEMEN The first record in the east of was north-west of Sanau on 19 February 1997 (Jennings 1997).
Dusky Thrush Turdus naumanni
UAE The first record involved one at Safa Park on 12-24 March 1998, although it may have been present since November 1997 (see Birdwatch 73: 19).
Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia
TURKEY Several were singing at ESmekaya saz1G1 in early June 1998: there is just one previous breeding record for Turkey in late May 1965 (Kumerloeve 1967).
Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis
ISRAEL The eighth record was one at km 20 north of Eilat on 24 March-10 April 1998 (see Plate 2).
SAUDI ARABIA Up to four were apparently breeding at Al Hair, south of Riyadh, on 14 April-5 May 1996 (Nikolaus & Ash 1997). The species has recently started to colonise Kuwait, presumably in response to the continuing drainage of its breeding habitat in southern Iraq. This record may also indicate fresh colonisation, although the possibility that the species had previously been overlooked cannot be eliminated.
Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon
UAE One was at Dhayah on 13 February, the tenth record.
Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum
YEMEN One was east of Al Quaty on 16 April 1998.
Booted Warbler Hippolias caligata
SAUDI ARABIA Proven to breed south of Riyadh in June 1996, a considerable range extension from United Arab Emirates.
TURKEY There was one south of BeySehir Gölü on 25 May, the westernmost record in the country (Eken & Magnin in prep.).
Icterine Warbler Hippolias icterina
UAE On Das Island there was one on 24-25 April, the eighth country record.
Ménétries’s Warblers Sylvia mystacea
ISRAEL Singes were at the rarity hotspot of km 20 north of Eilat on 12 and 16 April 1998.
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
ISRAEL One at km 20 north of Eilat on 19 February-7 April 1998 (second record).
LEBANON One at Mansourieh on 29 September 1997 is apparently the first record for Lebanon and probably one of the earliest autumn records in the Middle East.
Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus humei
ISRAEL One at Yotvata on 23-29 March and two were apparently at Eilat on 24 March, also one at km 20 north of Eilat on 30 April 1998.
Green Warbler Phylloscopus nitidus
UAE One was in Abu Dhabi on 11-13 May 1998, the fourth record if accepted.
Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus
SYRIA There are no previous confirmed records thus 2-3 birds at Sed Wadi Abiad, 20 km north of Palmyra on 22 May 1998 are the first.
Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus
TURKEY One of the race phoenicuroides, was trapped and photographed at K1z1l1rmak Delta on 3 May 1998.
Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus
UAE One was at Dibba on 11 March 1998 was the seventh record.
House Crow Corvus splendens
IRAN Found to be common aroud Bushire and at a fishing village 70 km further south-east along the coast: in the 1970s this species was known, in the country, only from the island of Khark, north-west of Bushire.
Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseus
YEMEN One was at Marib on 23 April 1998 was the third record.
Bank Mynah Acridotheres gingianus
SAUDI ARABIA Arthur Stagg has drawn attention to the fact that recent records of this species published earlier (Sandgrouse 19: 159; 20: 80) are not the first, and details of its occurrence, since at least 1987, in the Riyadh region have been published (Stagg 1991).
Common Mynah Acridotheres tristis
EGYPT One was located at Ain Sukhna on 20-29 April when it died of gunshot
wounds, the first record for Egypt (Birding World 11: 216).
Indian Silverbill Lonchura malabarica
IRAN In the 1970s, this species was not known to occur west of Minab, but in late April 1998 it was found 45 km east of Bandar Lengeh and in the Bandar Abbas and Minab areas, suggesting that the species is expanding its range.
Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
UAE One on the migrant trap of Das island on 26-27 April 1998, has not only hosted the third record (Sandgrouse 20: 80) but now this the fourth.
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