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.

An amazing 1320 Little Grebes Tachybaptus ruficollis (mostly juveniles) were at Wimpey Pits on 31 July 2003, nearly ten times the previous country record and probably Arabia’s largest-ever flock. A Masked Booby Sula dactylatra was at Ras Dibba on 19 December, the fifth record, whilst a Brown Booby S. leucogaster there on 31 October 2003 was the ninth record. A pelican sp. Pelecanus sp. was reported over Abu Dhabi Island on 6 October 2003, there are only eight previous records of pelicans. Six Cotton Teal Nettapus coromandelianus at Wimpey Pits on 22 November 2003 (with one still present on 28 November) were the ninth record. Numbers of Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca at Wimpey Pits increased to a record 32 (with another four nearby) on 20 October 2003. A pair of Shikras Accipiter badius in Safa Park, Dubai, raised young in July and a second brood in August 2003, the first confirmed breeding records. A Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus was in Abu Dhabi city on 31 January 2003. A Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos was at Huwaylat, near Hatta, on 14 November 2003, the first report in the area for nearly 20 years. Two Crested Honey Buzzards Pernis ptilorhynchus were in Abu Dhabi on 6 November, with one still present on 11 December 2003. A Goshawk Accipiter gentilis was at Mushref National Park, Dubai, on 26 December 2003, the fourth record if accepted. An Amur Falcon Falco amurensis was reported at Shahama on 7 April and another at Abu Dhabi airport on 8 June 2003, the 4–5th records. Single Merlins Falco columbarius were at Al Wathba camel racetrack on 7–10 February, 28 March and 18 April 2003. White-breasted Waterhens Amaurornis phoenicurus were at Wimpey pits on 19 September, Emirates Hills golf course on 16–27 November and Jumeirah Beach Park on 18 December 2003. Single Little Crakes Porzana parva were at Jebel Ali on 10–11 September and in Abu Dhabi on 13–15 September 2003. A Corncrake Crex crex was in Jumeirah Beach Park, Dubai, on 27 October 2003. The Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata was still present at Wimpey Pits on 19 August, with two more at Wimpey Pits on 10 November 2003, the second record. A Purple Gallinule Porphyrio porphyrio was still at Wimpey Pits on 31 July, and three were there on 10 October–1 November, two remaining until late November 2003. The first Spotted Thickknee Burhinus capensis was at Abu Dhabi Island on 25 October–3 December 2003. An Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum at Al Wathba camel racetrack on 22 August will be the fourth record if accepted, and a Black-winged Pratincole G. nordmanni there on 28 August 2003 will be the tenth. A Sociable Plover Chettusia gregaria was at Fujeirah National Dairy Farm on 12–26 December 2003. A Common Noddy Anous stolidus at Dibba on 31 July 2003 was the sixth record. An Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis was at Fujeirah National Dairy Farm on 30 October–2 November 2003, the seventh record. At least two (possibly three) Long-eared Owls Asio otus were at Mushref National Park, Dubai (the same location as in 2002), the 11th record. Brown-throated Martins Riparia paludicola included one at Jebel Hafit on 16 October, two at Al Wathba camel racetrack on 24 October–7 November, with one on 28 November, and two near Dubai sewage treatment plant on 28 November 2003. There are only four previous accepted records. A Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens at Dubai pivot fields on 6–21 December 2003 was the eighth record. Forest Wagtails Dendronanthus indicus included one at Mushref Palace Gardens on 22 October, two on 11 November and three on 24–30 November 2003. This species is now annual in winter in Abu Dhabi. A male Pied Stonechat Saxicola caprata at Fujeirah National Dairy Farm on 22 September 2003 was the eighth record. A Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe xanthoprymna xanthoprymna was on Jebel Hafit on 18–19 December 2003, the first record of this form. A River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis was at Mushref Palace Gardens, Abu Dhabi, on 9 October 2003, the eighth record. Three Taiga/Red-throated Flycatchers Ficedula (parva) albicilla were in Abu Dhabi from 25 November and one at Safa Park, Dubai, on 10–14 December 2003. This form may have been overlooked in the past. A Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach was at Fujeirah National Dairy Farm on 24 October–26 December 2003 at least, the third record. A Baybacked Shrike Lanius vittatus there on 26 December 2003 was the 11th record. A Wattled Starling Creatophora cineracea at Al Wathba camel racetrack on 28 November–19 December 2003 was the fourth record. A first-winter Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis was in Abu Dhabi on 8 November 2003 (another arrived two years ago and has since become resident in a nearby garden), the fifth record. Single Trumpeter Finches Bucanetes githagineus were at Al Wathba camel racetrack on 4–8 November and at Fujeirah Dairy Farm on 21 November 2003. A Red-headed Bunting Emberiza bruniceps was at Al Mamzar Park, Dubai, on 13 September 2003, the fifth record if accepted, but the escape potential is high.