Records and photographs for Around the Region should be sent as soon as possible after the event to Around the Region, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, U.K.   

The following assisted in the compilation of this review: Alexander Abuladze, Mohammad Al-Shamlih, Marc Almécija, Vasil Ananian, Ian Andrews, Sherif & Mindy Baha El Din, Thierry Bara, Jamie Buchan, Tom Coles, Judy Dawes, Barbaros Demirci, Hugues Dufourny, Marc Duquet, Peter Flint, Benoît Gauquie, George Gregory, Andrew Grieve, Richard Hoath, Abolghasem Khaleghizadeh, Fares Khoury, Graham Lobley, Mark Moore, Hilary Nash, Yoav Perlman, Ian Philip, Ghassan & Mona Ramadan-Jaradi, Colin Richardson (on behalf of the Emirates Bird Records Committee), James P. Smith, Guilhem Tightens, Andreas & Maria Wenger, David Whaley and Sadegh Sadeghi Zadegan. Records were also taken from the BirdLife Cyprus Newsletter and North Cyprus Birds website.

Some 95 Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis at Armash fish ponds on 9 August 2003 was an impressive total. Forty Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus, mostly adults, were at Armash fish farm on 17 December 2003. On the same date, 25 White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons were at the nearby fish ponds, a significant count of this rare migrant and winter visitor, and a male Wigeon Anas penelope was also here. At least four See-see Partridge Ammoperdix griseogularis were at Meghri on 25 May and 6 August 2003, the first records for Armenia.

Visits to Armash fish ponds during autumn and winter produced many notable records. A late Quail Coturnix coturnix was present on 17 December 2003. There were several Broad-billed Sandpipers Limicola falcinellus: one on 9 August, four adults and a juvenile on 30 August and at least five on 6 September 2003 (the 10–12th records). The 8–10th records of Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii involved one on 9 August, four on 30 August and three on 6 September 2003. Two Greenshanks Tringa nebularia on 26 September were unusual; another was present on 17 December 2003. Three Spotted Redshanks Tringa erythropus on the latter date was a rare record and seven Red-necked Phalaropes Phalaropus lobatus on 6 September 2003 were notable. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica is a rare passage migrant, thus one on 26 August 2003 was significant. A total of 102 Slender-billed Gulls Larus genei on 9 August 2003 was the highest count for the country. Three Whiskered Terns Chlidonias hybridus on 17 December 2003 was the latest record for Armenia. The fifth record of Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka involved one on 6 August 2003. A pure albino Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus on 17 November 2003 was unusual. A flock of c. 40 Spanish Sparrows Passer Hispaniolensis on the same date was an excellent count of this irregular winter visitor to the fish farm.