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.

An impressive 175 Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis were at Sohar Sun Farms on 16 October 2003. The only sighting of Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis was of three at Khawr Taqah on 4 September 2003. A Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus was over Salalah airport on 25 October 2003, the sixth record if accepted. Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus is a scarce passage migrant and winter visitor, thus singles at Jabal Harim on 17 October and at Ibra on 26 October 2003 were noteworthy. Shikras Accipiter badius were at Sall Ala on 16 October and Qatbit on 20 October 2003, the 9–10th records if accepted. A Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni was at Salalah on 23 October 2003, the tenth record if accepted. Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus is a resident breeder, winter visitor and passage migrant, but 286 at East Khawr on 24 October 2003 was an unprecedented total. Following records at Sohar Sun Farms in the winters of 2001/2 and 2002/3, a Dotterel Eudromias morinellus was there on 8 November 2003, the sixth record if accepted. A Woodcock Scolopax rusticola was reported from Hilf on 18 November 2003, only the second record if accepted. A Great Snipe Gallinago media was at Dawkah on 22 September 2003, the 11th record. A Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes at Al Qurm Park on 13–14 October 2003 was photographed and has been accepted as the first record in Oman and the Middle East. Single Pectoral Sandpipers Calidris melanotos were at Salalah on 21 October 2003 and East Khawr next day, the 6–7th records if accepted. Reports of South Polar Skuas Catharacta maccormicki from Ras al Hadd on 5 September and 18 November 2003 have been accepted as the 2–3rd records. A Black Tern Chlidonias niger in full breeding plumage at Khawr Sallan on 2 July 2003 was the sixth record. Following sightings of at least one Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata at Sohar Sun Farms in winter 2001/2, a single was present there on 18 October 2003. A Plaintive Cuckoo Cacomantis (merulinus) passerinus was at Sur on 28 October 2003, the third record if accepted. European Roller Coracias garrulus is a regular passage migrant, but 25 at Sohar on 16 September 2003 was an impressive number. The run of winter records of Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula from Sohar continued, with 12 there on 19 October and one on 8 November 2003. A Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus was reported from Hilf on 18 November 2003, the third record if accepted. Following the first Little Rock Thrush Monticola rufocinereus in November 2002, singles were reported at Ayn Razat on 17 and 19 October, Qatbit on 20 October and Al Beed farm on 23 October 2003. There were four Olivetree Warblers Hippolais olivetorum at Al Beed Farm on 14 October 2003, the second record if accepted. A total of 250 Common Whitethroats Sylvia communis at Qatbit on 22 September 2003 was a record for the country. Eight Oriental White-eyes Zosterops palpebrosus were at Mahawt Island on 19 June 2003. A Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach was at Bayah, Musandam, on 24 October 2003, the tenth record if accepted. Common Mynahs Acridotheres tristis are becoming more common in several areas of the country, with 700 at Sohar on 24 July, increasing to 2500 (a new maximum count) on 16 September 2003. A Brahminy Starling Sturnus pagodarum at Ras Janjari on 16 October 2004 will be the fourth record if accepted.