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: Alexander Abuladze, Yosef Ali Alzaby, Vasil Ananian, Ian Andrews, Parviz Bakhtiari, Gerry Bilbao, Tom Coles, Judy Dawes, Rob Felix, Peter Flint, Ramezanali Ghaemi, Jan Goedelt, Ian Green, Nader Hamidi, Tomas Haraldsson, Peter Hellyer, Volker Hesse, Menno Hornman, Lior Kislev, Abolghasem Khaleghizadeh, Marcus Kohler, Graham Langley, Alexander Lees, Graham Lobley, Martin Lok, Mary Megalli, Peter Meininger, Babak Musavi, Yoav Perlman, Thomas Pettersson, Stefan Pfutzke, Colin Richardson, Nir Sapir, Dave Sargeant, Heiko Schmaljohann, Shellie Senzer, David Stanton, Marius Teeuw, Hannes Uhlig, Magnus Ullman, Harvey van Diek, Colin Walters, David Whaley, Frank Willems and Mark Zekhuis.

A Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica at Eilat between 22–25 December was the 17th record for Israel. On 21 December a Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus was reported from Lake Kinneret; the third record if accepted. The fourth Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel Oceanodroma monorhis for Israel flew into a lamp at Eilat north beach on 21 September and was taken into care. An adult Masked Booby Sula dactylatra photographed at Rishon Letzion on Mediterranean coast south of Tel Aviv on 16 July was the first record. Another first concerns an Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia seen at Yotvata sewage ponds from 6–19 November and later reported from Og, north Dead Sea on 30 November. A Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis reported at Hula Lake on 25 August, if accepted, will be the 20th record. Two Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca flying south off Jaffa Port on 12 December will be the sixth record if accepted. Two Smew Mergellus albellus at Revaya Reservoir, Golan Heights on 9–23 December were perhaps returning from the previous winter. A Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator was at Ma’agan Michael on 21 November and two were at Lake Kinneret 2–20 December. Seven Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus seen in northern valleys during annual raptor survey during September. On 5 October a Black Vulture Aegypius monachus was at Ginnegar in the Jizreel valley and one flew over Hula Lake on 9 December. A Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga of the form ‘fulvescens’ was at the Hula Valley on 30 October. A Purple Gallinule Porphyrio porphyrio was at Ma’oz Hayim, Bet She’an valley 6 October and another was at Ma’agan Michael on 6 November. On 20 October a Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax was at Sde Eliyahu, Bet She’an valley. At Kfar Ruppin, a Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor was seen on 2–3 September, a Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni on 4–5 September and a juvenile Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva on 6 October. A Sociable Plover Chettusia gregaria was at Hula Reserve on 8 October and one was at Kfar Ruppin between 8–20 October. A White-tailed Plover Chettusia leucura was at Be’er Sheva SF from 28 August to 1 September. A moulting adult Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta was at Ma’oz Hayim fishponds, Bet She’an valley on 22–23 October; the second for Israel. At the same site a Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus was seen on 6 September. Eilat North Beach hosted a Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis on 21 September, 14 Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea between 16–20 July with two lingering until 30 July (previous record was 3 in July 2003). Up to three White-cheeked Terns S. repressa were at Eilat North Beach 16–20 July, an adult at Ma’agan Michael on 25 July until the end of August and ten at Eilat on 21 September. Four Bridled Terns S. anaethetus were at Eilat North Beach 16–20 July and one was at Ma’agan Michael 21–22 August (probably the returning bird from 2003). Three Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur and a Rufous Turtle Dove S. orientalis meena were reported from Hula 6–10 December; a very late record for Turtle Dove. A count of 80 Shorelark Eremophila alpestris in Mt Hermon on 10 December was a high count for the time of year. A male Grey Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus was trapped and ringed at Eilat on 17 November. A female Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus near the lower cable station on Mt Hermon on 10 December, was a late date for this species. A Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus was seen at Mitzpe Ramon between 31 October – 2 November with two there 19–20 November. A Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans was trapped and ringed at Jerusalem Bird Observatory on 18 August. The second Green Warbler Phylloscopus nitidus for Israel was in the Jordan Valley near Menahemya on 24–25 August; the first record was in Eilat in October 1987. At least seven Red-breasted Flycatchers Ficedula parva were at Sde Boker during October. A Steppe Grey Shrike Lanius pallidirostris was at Yotvata on 22 September, and another at Hula 11–22 October. A Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseus was in Eilat on 29 July. A large influx of Brambling Fringilla montifringilla occurred in the northern Golan on 10 December. A mixed finch flock of 1200 birds contained 80% Brambling and 20% Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs. A count of 17 Crimson-winged Finch Rhodopechys sanguinea on 10 December in Mt Hermon was a high winter count for this species.