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, A. Alsirhan, Dr Svetlana Annenkova, Vaughan Ashley, Dawn Balmer, Andrew Bailey, Jamie Buchan, Mark Chichester, Tom Coles, Judy Dawes, Jeff Delve, Hugues Dufourny, Pekka Fagel, Peter Flint, Brian Foster, Ramezanali Ghaemi, George Gregory, Nader Hamidi, Tomas Haraldsson, Peter Kaestner, Brendan Kavanagh, Abolghasem Khaleghizadeh, Howard King, Guy Kirwan, David Murdoch, Khaled al Nasaralla, Uzi Paz, Yoav Perlman, Kalle Raino, Colin Richardson, Nir Sapir, Dave Sargeant, Michael Schulz, Marius Teeuw, David Whaley, Ingo Waschkies, Frédéric Vanhove, Frédéric Veyrunes, Laurent Veyrunes, Sidonie Veyrunes, Peter Wilson and Süreyya Ysfendiyaroglu.

The 5th record of Red-throated Divers Gavia stellata involved two off Eilat North Beach on 22 April. Two Black-throated Divers G. arctica were at Eilat until at least 15 January. A Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus was off Eilat North Beach on 8 March and again on 5 June, and at the same site a Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel was seen on 16 April, the 4th for Israel if accepted. Two Bewick's Swans Cygnus columbianus were at Hama'apil coastal plains between 8-15 January. A good count of Smew Mergellus albellus involved nine at Bnei Yisrael Reservoir, Golan Heights 7-15 January. A Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator was off Eilat North Beach on 6 May. At least eight Crested Honey Buzzards Pernis ptilorhynchus passed over the Eilat Mountains 28 April-21 May. A Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus of the race vociferous was at Gal'on from 13 January into February; the 7th record for Israel. A count of roosting Black Kites Milvus migrans was made at Karey Naaman-Acre reserve on 28 January and 11,558 birds were counted; twice the number ever counted before in Israel at a roost site. On 9 May a Verreaux's Eagle Aquila verreauxii was over the Eilat Mountains. Seventeen Little Bustards Tetrax tetrax were at Bnei Israel Reservoir, Golan 14-20 March. A female Lesser Sandplover Charadrius mongolus was found on 17 April at Kibbutz Gesher fish pond. Three Dotterels C. morinellus were at Ramat Serin, E Galilee 6-7 April. The 2nd record of Herring Gull Larus argentatus was reported from Ma'agan Michael on 15 January. An African Collared Dove Streptopelia roseogrisea was trapped and ringed at Eilat on 17 April.

On 17 March four Thick-billed Larks Ramphocoris clotbey were at Hiyyon plains, South Negev and four were in the Eilat Mountains on the same day. There was an exceptional count of c250 Bimaculated Larks Melanocorypha bimaculata at Samar, South Arava 17-19 March and 40 near Dimona on 22 March. At least six Alpine Accentors Prunella collaris were at Alrom, Golan Heights during January. Three Black Bush Robins Cercotrichas podobe were recorded during the spring; one Eilat 31 March, one Yahel, central Arava 8-9 April and one trapped at Eilat 21 April. Fifteen River Warblers Locustella fluviatilis at Yotvata on 15-16 May with seven at Sede Boker on the same date were exceptional counts. On 10 April two Goldcrests Regulus regulus were recorded at Jerusalem 10 April and one was at Ne'ot Smadar, S Arava on 10 May. A Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva at Lotan between 1-19 March was the first winter record for this species. A single Common Mynah Acridotheres tristis was seen flying north above km19 on 18 April. At Ramat Sirin, E Galilee Red-fronted Serins Serinus pusillus were recorded on 18 January and 5 March and a summer-plumaged male Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica was at Samar on 25 March.