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, 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 count of 1350 Jouanin's Petrels Bulweria fallax off Ras Janjari on 12 November is a new record count. Nearby a Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea at Ras al Khabbah on 23 September is the 8th record, while on the same day 1800 Pale-footed Shearwaters Puffinus carneipes there was a record count. There were 200 Persian Shearwaters Puffinus (lherminieri) persicus off Qurayyat on 1 September. The 6th record of White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus was a single at Al Qurm Park on 2 November. A record count of Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo was 170 at Al Ansab Lagoons on 10 December. Two Black-headed Herons Ardea melanocephala at East Khawr on 20 August are scarce records. Following on from the first recorded breeding in 2002 there were 190 Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis at Sohar Sun Farms on 13 October. A total of 58 Night Herons Nycticorax nycticorax at Al Ansab Lagoons on 21 October is a new record count. The 4th and 5th records of Black Stork Ciconia nigra were two at Khawr Rawri from 2-26 November. Single White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons were at East Khawr and Khawr Taqah on 17 and 18 November while a Greylag Goose Anser anser was at Hilf on 14 November followed by five at Al Ansab Lagoons on 10 December. The 6th record of Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus was a single at Al Qurm Park from 27-30 August. A Pallas's Fish-Eagle Haliaetus leucoryphus was at Al Ansab Lagoons on 4 November. Lesser Spotted Eagles Aquila pomarina were at Sunub Dump on 22 October, with two on 11 November, Al Ansab Lagoons on 4, 11 and 19 November and 3 December, Khawr Rawri on 7 November and Barka on 24 November. There were 30 Sooty Falcons Falco concolor at Fahl Island on 1 November.

An adult and immature Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo was at Ras al Hadd on 24 September. A record count of 180 Red-wattled Plovers Hoplopterus indicus was made on 13 October at Sohar Sun Farms. Four Sociable Plovers Chettusia gregaria were there on 3 November with a single there on 13 November. A European Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria at Qurayyat from 1-16 September is the 9th record. At least 400 Kentish Plovers Charadrius alexandrinus were at East Khawr on 18 November. There were nine Caspian Plovers Charadrius asiaticus at Qurayyat at 9 September while six were at Sohar Sun Farms on 23 September. A Great Snipe Gallinago media was at Al Qurm Park on 6 September and 26 October. A count of 500 Ruffs Philomachus pugnax at Sohar Sun Farms on 13 October was a new record. A Subantarctic Skua Catharacta antarctica at Ras al Khabbah on 23 September is the 4th record. The next day a South Polar Skua Catharacta maccormicki off Ras al Hadd was the 3rd record. Some 7000 Sooty Gulls Larus hemprichii were at Al Maghsayl on 23 October increasing to at least 20,000 on 25 November.

A juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius at Ayn Hamran on 3 October and a juvenile Indian Hawk-Cuckoo Cuculus varius at Qatbit on 26 October were both 2nd records. Two Little Swifts Apus affinis were at Al Ansab Lagoons on 31 October. A Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata at Khawr Taqah on 27 October and 8 November is the first record and was followed by another at Al Maghsayl on 11 and 17 November. Previously it has been reported from Yemen where it may breed. An impressive 650 Indian Rollers Coracias benghalensis and 400 Crested Larks Galerida cristata were at Sohar Sun Farms on 23 September - both record counts. An Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula there on 2 November is a significant record, as is that of a Brown-throated Sand Martin Riparia paludicola at Muntasar on 11 November. A total of 48 White-cheeked Bulbuls Pycnonotus leucogenys at Shinas on 5 November is a new record count. A Radde's Accentor Prunella ocularis at Sayh from 18-19 November is the 1st record. This is the first sighting in Arabia. The species breeds in Turkey and Iran. Two Little Rock-Thrushes Monticola saxatilis were at the Qatbit Motel on 22 October, and a single was at Ayn Razat on 24 October. A Hume's Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia (curruca) althaea was at Sunub Dump on 11 November while two were at Sayh, Musandam on 18 November. A Rüppell's Warblers Sylvia ruppelli at the Qatbit Motel from 9-12 November is the 1st record as was a Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca there from 21-22 October. A European Robin Erithacus rubecula at Sayh, Musandam on 19 November is the 4th record as is a male Pied Stonechat Saxicola caprata at Al Qurm Park from 5-9 October. A pair of Mourning Wheatears Oenanthe lugens near Khaluf on 9 July are significant records. There were three Oriental White-eyes Zosterops palpebrosa at Mahawt on 8 July. A Magpie Pica pica was at Al Qurm Park on 15 October and the 1st record. The only population in Arabia is the distinctive race in the Asir Mountains of Saudi Arabia. The sighting is presumably of an escaped individual. A total of 1000 Common Mynas Acridotheres tristis were at Sohar Sun Farms on 13 November and 1000 Yellow-throated Sparrows Petronia xanthocollis at Ras al Hamra on 22 August is a record count.