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 using the form below.

The following assisted in the compilation of this review: Ahmed Abdallah, Mahmoud Abdallah, Alexander Abuladze, Marc Almecija, Mohammed Alshamlih, Vasil Ananian, lan Andrews, Simon Aspinall, Adib al-Assad, Imad Atrash, Sherif & Mindy Baha El Din, Thierry Bara, Ruud van Beusekom, BirdLife Cyprus Newsletter, Chris Bradshaw, Jamie Buchan, Eray Caglayan, David Callahan, Tom Coles, Judy Dawes, Adrian Drummond-Hill, Hugues Dufourny, E. & S. Durand, Peter Flint, Jeff Gordon, George Gregory, Andrew Grieve, Nader Hamidi, Chris Hewson, David Higgs, Erik Hirschfield, Remco Hofland, Süreyya Isfendiyaroglu, Justin Jansen, Mike Jennings, Abolghasem Khaleghizadeh, Fares Khoury, Guy M. Kirwan, Andrew Lassey, Susannah Lerman, James McCallum, Istvan Moldovan, David Murdoch, Seyed Babak Musavi, North Cyprus Birds website, Bill O'Brien, Rob Palmer, Yoav Perlman, Richard Porter, Alireza Rabiei, Colin Richardson, Magnus Robb, Tobias Roth, Omar Al-Saghier, Dave Sargeant, Derek A. Scott, Dave Sedgeley, Gianluca Serra, Roy Slaterus, James P. Smith, Jens Sogaard Hansen, Lars Svensson, Rene Vos, Colin Wells, David Whaley and Ignacio Yufera.

Gannet Sula bassana are less than annual on Cyprus, thus one at Paphos on 14 April 2004 was noteworthy. The first breeding record of Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus came from Akrotiri on 25 April 2004 when three males and a recently fledged juvenile were seen. Successful breeding also occurred for Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax, ten adults and at least seven nests with one recently fledged young were found in Limassol in spring. A Black Stork Ciconia nigra in Nicosia on 3—13 January 2004 was very unusual. The three Lesser White-fronted Geese Anser erythropus at Akhna Dam, found in November 2003, were reduced to one by 27 January, which was last seen on 3 March 2004. A Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator off Paphos on 10 March 2004 was notable. The first Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus on Cyprus was at Mazotos, Larnaca, on 13 March 2004. The long-staying adult Black Vulture Aegypius monachus was seen near Dora on 31 March and again during April 2004. A subadult Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus at Larnaca on 17 January 2004 was an unusual winter record. The record of two Lanner Falcons Falco biarmicus at Akamas on 30 April 2003 has recently been accepted. Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor is less than annual on Cyprus making one in Larnaca in mid-March 2004 a significant record. The second Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva on Cyprus was with 32 European Golden Plovers Pluvialis apricaria at Paphos lighthouse on 31 January-27 February 2004. A White-tailed Plover Chettusia leucura was Reservoir on 4 May 2004. A Caspian Tern Sterna caspia was recorded at Larnaca sewage works on 17 April 2004 and Little Tern S. albifrons nested there for the third successive year. A Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis was at Mandria, Paphos, in late February to 10 March 2004; this species is seldom recorded and breeding numbers are unknown. A Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius at Cape Greco on 26 January 2004 was a very early spring record, and more juveniles than usual were recorded during spring. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis was observed at three locations on 19-28 April 2004 and one was at Evretou Dam on 3 June 2004. A Hoopoe Upupa epops at Coral Bay, Paphos, on 20 January 2004 was a very early record, whilst a female Whinchat Saxicola rubetra at Akamas on 26 May 2004 was a late record. The second and third Caucasian Stonechats Saxicola torquatus variegatus on Cyprus were at Cape Elea on 24 March and at Paphos lighthouse on 24-26 March 2004. The second Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens on Cyprus was at Ayia Napa sewage works on 1-9 March 2004, the first record being in 1993. There was a further increase in numbers and breeding range of Blackbird Turdus merula in the Troodos Mountains. Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala, a recently established breeder, continued to expand its range. A Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus at Zakaki Marsh on 6 January 2004 was a good record. Spring 2004 witnessed a complete absence of Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator at one of the main site in Akamas, which previously held up to 15 territories. A Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus at Ayios Georgios on 25 April 2004 was the fifth on Cyprus; the last was in 1982. Twelve Pine Bunting Emberiza leucocephalos (with a Pine Bunting x Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella hybrid) were at the Persephone Trail, in the Troodos Mountains, from 31 December 2003 until at least 4 January (the fifth record on Cyprus). One or two Rock Buntings Emberiza cia at Ayia Napa sewage works on 2-9 March 2004 was the ninth record on Cyprus, with few records from the south. A male was at a new wintering site in the Kyrenia Mountains above Lapta (Lapithos) on 4 March 2004.