just a few flighty birds, but Black-necked Grebes and Common Gulls 
Lams canus have been added to the Azraq list and a few Kingfishers 
Alcedo atthis and Pied Kingfishers Ceryle rudis make it across 200 km of 
desert to winter here. 
When there is no water in the desert, the Samra sewage lagoons, on the 
desert fringe, 35 km northeast of Amman, provide a valuable alternative 
to birds that may have used the Azraq staging post in the past. These 
extensive lagoons were completed in 1985 and provide a habitat for 
passage storks, herons, ducks, waders, gulls and terns as well as a few 
passerines. Rarities for Jordan seen at Samra include White Pelican 
Pelecanus onocrotalus , Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca , Pacific Golden 
Plover Pluvialisfulva, Grey Plover Psquatarola, Turnstone Ar^iflnfl interpres 
and Curlew Numenius arquata. Breeding birds are few, but include Spur- 
winged Plover Hoplopterus spinosus and possibly Citrine Wagtail. 
Although the facts about Azraq's water pumping and desiccation make 
depressing reading, it is clear that something of the oasis's former glory 
hangs on. Spring flood water has now become of overwhelming 
importance, but resourceful migrants still make use of a shrinking 
number of pools in autumn and winter. Unfortunately, the Wetland 
Reserve is hardly worth a visit, providing ample evidence of what could 
so easily happen to, for example, the Coto Donana in Spain. However, 
unless a large new water resource is discovered soon, there is no way 
Jordan itself can survive without Azraq's water and perhaps conservation 
efforts should concentrate on protecting and enlarging the few remaining 
permanent wetland sites. 
Finally, Azraq and its surrounding desert is surprisingly not on the 
regular birding trail through the Middle East. Suffice it to say that I 
thoroughly recommend it! 
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