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: 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.

A Brown Booby Sula leucogaster at Ra's Dibba on 1 January is the ninth record. At least 30 Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus, many attending occupied nests, were at Zirku Island on 9 February 2004. This is an important discovery, as it was thought that this colony had been deserted during the island's oil development in the late 1980s. The most recent records of non-breeders there were in January 1995 and November 2000. At least two Crested Honey Buzzards Pernis ptilorhynchus were in Abu Dhabi city until 31 January, with one remaining to 21 March 2004. A Goshawk Accipiter gentilis at Mushref National Park on 26 December 2003 would be the fourth record, if accepted. A Shikra Accipiter badius reported at Fujeirah National Dairy Farm on 20 February and 4 April 2004 would be the first away from the Dubai area, where they are regarded as feral, and thus perhaps a genuine migrant. An Eleonora's Falcon Falco eleonorae was reported in Dubai's Safa Park on 22 April 2004, the first record in Arabia if accepted. A Purple Gallinule Porphyrio porphyrio overwintered at Wimpey pits to 4 March, after which two were present 31 March-15 April and a juvenile was reported on 22 April 2004 (the first breeding in the Emirates). Up to five Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata were at Wimpey pits on 28 January and young were reported in May 2004 (following last year's first breeding record). The Spotted Thick-knee Burhinus capensis first reported on 25 October 2003 remained until 7 February 2004. A Spur-winged Plover Hoplopterus spinosus at Al Wathba on 13 January-25 February 2004 was the first confirmed record. A Sociable Plover Chettusia gregaria was still at Fujeirah National Dairy Farm on 1 January and single Red-necked Stints Calidris ruficollis were there on 15-19 April and at Khor Kalba on 3 June 2004, the 5-6th records if accepted. A Woodcock Scolopax rusticola was at Mushref Palace Gardens on 8 February 2004. Single Common Gulls Larus canus were at Nad al Sheba on 12 January and Kalba on 25 February-20 March 2004. A Common Noddy Anous stolidus at Ra's Dibba on 24 February 2004 was the seventh record. Four Long-eared Owls Asio otus were in the same roost as last year at Dubai's Mushref National Park until 5 March 2004. Exceptionally, four Wire-tailed Swallows Hirundo smithii arrived at Al Wathba Lake on 31 December 2003, remaining until 3 March, and a single was at Al Wathba camel racetrack on 13-21 May 2004, the 7-8th records. A Sand Martin Riparia riparia of the eastern race diluta was at Al Wathba camel racetrack on 2 January (the ninth record), while an Indian Cliff Swallow Hirundo fluvicola there on 2 January and at Al Wathba Lake on 5 January 2004 was the third record. A Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus (rubescens) japonicus remained at Dubai pivot fields to 2 February and four were there 12-14 March, one remaining until 26 March, with two at Fujeirah National Dairy Farm on 20 February 2004, bringing the number of records to ten. Up to three Forest Wagtails Dendronanthus indicus were still at Mushref Palace Gardens on 1 January, with two on 9 February-15 March, one remaining until 29 March 2004. A record six White Wagtails Motacilla alba of the race personata were at Fujeirah National Dairy Farm on 20 February 2004. A Pied Stonechat Saxicola caprata was near Manama in late March 2004. The Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe xanthoprymna of the nominate race remained on Jebel Hafit until 1 February 2004. A River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis was found dead at Khaldiya on 20 May, and two were at Al Wathba camel racetrack on 21 May 2004, bringing the number of records to 11. The Red-breasted (Taiga) Flycatcher Ficedula parva albicilla remained at Khaldiya, Abu Dhabi, until 27 February 2004. A Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach remained at Fujeirah National Dairy Farm until 20 March (the third record) and a Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus was there until 12 March 2004. A Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus at the Emirates Golf Course on 26 April 2004 was the second record.