Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia 
In a Dubai garden, 23 April, only spring 
record * 
White-throated Robin Irania 
gutturalisVive, Ras Ghanadah, 27 
March - 1 April. Dubai, 5-6 May. Un- 
common passage migrant. C 
Richardson 
Eastern Pied YfheaieaTOenanthepicata. 
One returned to its known wintering 
site at QamNazwa, 3 September. Sev- 
eral sites in Northern Emirates occu- 
pied from 11 September. (Favoured 
habitat is stony-gravel plains with 
Acacia, adjacent to rocky foothills.* 
Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens 
Three, Jebel Dhanra, 10 February. 
Scarce winter visitor. R P Morris. 
Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha 
Four males, Jebel Hafeet, 15 March. 
Status unclear, few other records of 
birds holding territory. R P Morris 
Black-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis 
Near Dubai, 16 January. Scarce and 
irregular winter visitor, last signifi- 
cant influx was in 1990 (cf Bull 26:65). 
C Richardson 
Hume's Lesser Whilethroat Sylvia 
curruca althaea Ras Ghanadah, 27 
March. Fifth record since being treated 
as separate in 1985 (cf Bull 26:65). P / 
Morris, R P Morris. Singles at the fish 
farm 21 and 23 March.* 
Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus 
Heard in song in reeds at Dubai's fish 
farm from early March, with young 
found 13 June and 5 August, suggest- 
ing two broods fledged. A first breed- 
ing record for UAE.* 
Upcher's Warbler Hippolais languida 
12 (noteworthy numbers) were 
counted on a gravel plain north of Al 
Ain on 6 April.* 
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus 
inortiatiis Possibly of race humei, Jebel 
Ali village. Very scarce visitor, most 
recent in April 1991 (Bull 27:47). R P 
Morris. Das Island 5-16 April.* 
Plain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus 
neglectus Seven, Wadi Bih, 6 March. 
Scarce winter visitor and perhaps pas- 
sage migrant, recently recorded in Bah- 
rain (Bull 28:53) R P Morris. 
Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficediila 
semitorquata Two, then four, Baheer 
Wood, 26-28 March; one, Ras ghanada, 
27 March,; three, Jebel Ali, 30 March. 
Uncommon passage migrant R P Mor- 
ris. 12 in Dubai area, 25 March-11 April, 
indicates good passage.* 
Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis 
46 counted in a field near Ras al 
Khaimah on 1 May, and nesting sus- 
pected nearby.* 
Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus. 
Up to four remained on Das Island 
until 3 April (from 21 January), coin- 
ciding with influx in other parts of 
Gulf area. First UAE record.* 
Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes 
githagineusEight, Wadi Bih, 1 March. 
Status unclear, this record comes from 
a potential breeding area. R P Morris; 
two, Jebel Faiyah on 4 April.* 
Common Rosefinch Carpodacus 
erythrinus Dubai Golf Course, 22 May, 
another 6 June. Second and third re- 
cent spring records (cf Bull 27:47). C 
Richardson * 
Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea 
Of race semenowi, Dubai, 9 April. 
Eighth UAE record.* 
Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla Das 
Island, 15 June. Fifth UAE record.* 
*Observers: Colin Richardson, J.ohn 
Bannon, Len Reaney, Mike Wood, Simon 
Aspinall, Roy Green, Adrian Chapman, 
Annika For s ten, Tapani Numminen 
I should like to thank the following 
for their assistance in producing 
this reviev^; S Baris/Samsun Bird 
Group, Arnoud van den Berg 
(Dutch Birding), Steve Gantlett 
(Birding World), Gemant Magnin, 
Rob Morris and Derek A Scott. Guy 
Kinvan 
48 
