54 
OSME NEWS 
Ornitholo gical Society of the Middle East, 10th Anniversary, 
A Celebration" S. M. Andrews and M. P. Whi tehead 
We can see the headlines now: "Sandgrouse spotted over Euston Station". 
Things are hotting up; perhaps the greenhouse effect has hit sooner than 
we thought . 
Or perhaps not. A closer look reveals that the bird is on a banner 
proclaiming a birthday. The only global warming in this part of town 
isn't from the ozone; it's emanating from a bunch of birders celebrating 
the tenth anniversary of OSME. 
The Ornithological Society of the Middle East is a decade young and 
commemorated the fact at a 'do' in London on 26 November 1988. Friends 
Meeting House, by Euston Station, was an appropriate venue. 
A large winter flock of aviphiles entered the hall at lunchtime. Initial 
activity was intense: birders could tick birders (a Hollom here, an Oddie 
there); small groups engaged in competitive list displays; others 
selectively foraged through a wealth of trade stands that included 
Christopher Helm, Sanderling, Henry Sotherans, Sunbird, and Swarovski. 
Peripheral males pursued paintings by luminaries such as Keith Brockie, 
John Busby, Lars Jonsson, Bruce Pearson, John Reaney, Michael Warren and 
Martin Woodcock, whilst the braver individuals picked up quiz sheets with 
studied nonchalance. 
Suddenly, the flock alighted. It settled like so many winter thrushes, in 
a large lecture hall. This was the SERIOUS BIT . Dr Mike Rands, OSME 
Chairman, introduced the day's proceedings. OSME had come a long way. 
Sprung from the loins of the Ornithological Society of Turkey, it actively 
collected, collated and published ornithological data on the birds of the 
Middle East through its bulletins and journal. It also sought to 
encourage conservation initiatives within the Middle East. 
It was fitting, then, that the first speaker, Resyt Akcakaya, came from 
Turkey. He spoke of conservation problems and priorities within the 
country. A sorry and all-too-familiar litany of habitat destruction and 
hunting followed: an inland lake threatened with drainage, irrigation and 
pollution; coastal areas at risk from hotel development and the burgeoning 
tourist trade; Loggerhead Turtles loathe to nest on disturbed beaches; and 
the plight of key species such as the Bald Ibis. 
Sobering stuff. It was time to move south. Israel is a popular country 
for both birders and tourists. Unlike many Middle Eastern areas, it has a 
long-established conservation track record, for which the Society for the 
Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) can claim .much credit. 
