for two reasons. First, the increase in agricultural land and associated 
habitat reclaimed from the desert in Egypt may be encouraging an 
increase in Black-winged Kites both into these new areas and perhaps 
back into adjacent former breeding areas such as Wadi el Natrun. 
Secondly, the House Sparrow is not specifically recorded as a prey 
item for Black-winged Kite in The Birds of the Western Paleartic, nor is the 
'horizontal-dash' hunting technique into dense shrub. 
Derek J Evans, The British International School Cairo, PO Box 
137 Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt 
Honey Buzzard behaviour 
Derek J Evans 
On 20 May 1989, 1 was birdwatching on the beach of Ain Sukhna on the 
western side of the Gulf of Suez, 50 km south of Suez, Egypt. It was 
near noon and 33°C, when I disturbed a Honey Buzzard Pemis 
apivorus, a common spring migrant at this site, which had been resting 
on the sandy shore. It landed again a Uttle farther on and cautiously 
moved down towards the water's edge. Before it got to the water 
proper it took two mouthfuls of sand and sea-water in a scooping 
motion of its head, then flew up to join a second Honey Buzzard 
circling over the sea. 
The original bird then circled very low over the sea for two or three 
minutes, with its legs extended downwards as if trying to trail them in 
or land on the water. Eventually, it landed on the water and tucked up 
its wings behind as if trying to keep them dry. It stayed motionless for 
about one minute until disturbed by White-eyed Gulls Larus leucoph- 
thalmus and Lesser Crested Terns Sterna bengalensis. The Honey Buz- 
zard rose from the water without difficulty and flew away. Through- 
out most of the period of observation the bird had been panting. 
The Birds of the Western Paleartic makes no mention of the species 
drinking, swimming or bathing. 
Derek J Evans, The British International School, Cairo, PO Box 
137, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt 
29 
