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.

Two Black-throated Divers Gavia arctica at Vartsikhe Reservoir, west Georgia, on 12 January 2003 was an unusual inland record and 42 Little Grebes Tachybaptus ruficollis there on the same date was a record count for the site. On 11–12 January 2003, at least 143 Great Crested Grebes Podiceps cristatus were on the Rioni River between Vani and Samtredia. A flock of 35 Dalmatian Pelicans Pelecanus crispus at Madatapa Lake, Ninotsminda district, on 24 May 2003 was a high concentration. On 28 September 2003 at least 22 Spoonbills Platalea leucorodia were near Patara Paleostomi Lake. Forty-two Smew Mergus albellus at Tbilisi Reservoir on 11 December 2003 was a very high count of this uncommon passage and winter visitor. Five Pallid Harriers Circus macrourus were recorded near Leghva village, Kobuleti district, on 21 April 2003; this is a rare passage migrant. Also unusual were seven Levant Sparrowhawks Accipiter brevipes in two hours on 23 April 2003 near Mukhestate village, Kobuleti district. Two Bonelli’s Eagles Hieraaetus fasciatus were observed from the Choloki River, near Tikeri, on 22 April 2003, the first spring record on the Black Sea migration route. A few unusually late Quail Coturnix coturnix were recorded including one near Kobuleti, Ajaria, on 22 November, and one found dead near Khelvachauri village, Ajaria, on 9 November 2003. A flock of seven Common Cranes Grus grus on 12 September 2003 was an early autumn record. A single White-tailed Plover Chettusia leucura was at Madatapa Lake, Ninotsminda district, on 24 May 2003. It is interesting to note that the number of wintering Armenian Gulls Larus armenicus in eastern Georgia has increased in the last few years. At Kumisi Lake, Marneuli district, a remarkable count of 20+ Whiskered Terns Chlidonias hybridus was made on 30 October 2003; this is also an unusually late record. Eight White-winged Black Terns Chlidonias leucopterus were present on the late date of 17 November 2003 at a small lake near Batumi. Four Wallcreepers Tichodroma muraria at Narikala fortress, Tbilisi, on 11 January was a high count. On 6 November 2003, 20 Snowfinches Montifringilla nivalis were recorded between Ananuri Castle and Zhinvali Reservoir, Dusheti district, a very early autumn record at this altitude and an unusual location.