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.  You can also email records to atr@osme.org

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.

A European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus at Naqoura, on the southern border, on 21 December 2003 was the third record. A Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis at Aammiq on 25 December 2003 was the second record, and six were at the mouth of the Beirut River on 6 January 2004, on which date there was also a Siberian Gull Larus heuglini there (perhaps only the second record). Raptors at Aammiq marsh in the early 2003/04 winter period included up to five Pallid Harriers Circus macrourus. There were no previous winter records of this species in Lebanon. Early winter visits to Aammiq and its surroundings produced up to 23 Common Buzzards Buteo buteo (no previous winter records), the fifth record of Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus on 29 November 2003 and at least five Merlins Falco columbarius (no previous winter records). Three Broad-billed Sandpipers Limicola falcinellus at Qaraoun Lake on 4 October 2003 were the tenth record. A Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus near Aana, south of Aammiq, on 2 October 2003 was the sixth record. Two Little Terns Sterna albifrons at Qaraoun Lake on 27 September 2003 were the sixth record since 1996 and the first in autumn. The species bred on Palm island in the late-19th century. An Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris was above Kefraya on 29 November 2003, and another was at Laqlouq the same day, bringing the number of records to five. A Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata at Mlikh of Jabal Rihane on 13 October 2003 was the tenth record. Common Mynah Acridotheres tristis continues to increase, with 23 in Beirut in July 2003 and two were at the American University campus there from at least 11 December to the year end. Two Rustic Buntings Emberiza rustica at Aammiq on 25 December 2003 were the second record. Visits to the Nahr Ibrahim Valley produced 21 Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber on 3 September 2003, 52 Grey Herons Ardea cinerea and 28 Little Egrets Egretta garzetta on 6 September (52 of the latter three days later). By 13 September numbers had increased to 66 and 81 respectively. A Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus was at Cheikh Zennad on 6 September and a Red- necked Phalarope there on 21 September 2003. A group of White Pelicans Pelecanus onocrotalus was at Nahr Ibrahim on 5 November 2003. Common Cranes Grus grus included a group of 45 at Laqlouq on 14 October and 160 at Nahr Ibrahim on 17 October 2003.