Turkey Black rain and smoke reported. 
Early March, Governor of Adana state 
orders residents not to use rain water 
or let animals drink it; soot dumped in 
mountains and washed into water 
supplies. 
Bulgaria Black rain and smoke reported. 
USSR Black rain and smoke reported 
in south. 
Great Knot in the Gulf 
Following the report of a Great Knot 
Calidris tenuirostris in Bahrain (Bull 26: 
21), we now have a report of 107 at 
Tarut Bay, Saudi Arabia, on 9 April 
1991. A single individual was also seen 
there in the second week of May. These 
observations were made during the 
ICBP/RSPB/OSME assessment of 
damage caused by the war for Kuwait. 
A paper is planned on the status of 
Great Knot in the Middle East (east to 
Pakistan). If you have any records or 
other information that could be 
included, please send them to Mike 
Carr, c/o OSME. 
Turkey 
The Pontic Mountain forests 
The lack of knowledge about the status 
of forests in Turkey has been a cause 
for concern for many years (eg Bull. 
18:29). We now have some preliminary 
observations from Guy Kirwan on 
forests in the Pontic Mountains, in the 
Black Sea Coastlands. West of Unye 
(on the coast between Samsun and 
Ordu), most of the accessible forest 
appears to have been felled, except in 
the national parks, such as Abant. Some 
of this area has been replanted with 
deciduous trees, such as oaks, which 
appear to be cropped on a 15-year 
rotation. East of Unye, large areas of 
forest remain. 
Enquiries are continuing both in 
Turkey and elsewhere with a view to 
providing a fuller account. If you can 
help, please contact OSME's Turkey 
Officer. 
Dalmatian Pelicans and Greater Flamingos 
Dalmatian Pelicans Pelecanus crispus 
bred at four Turkish locations in 1991, 
with a total of 152 adults and 100 
juveniles. They did not, apparently, 
breed in the Kizilirmak Delta, where a 
maximum of four adults were seen. 
Greater Flamingos bred at Tuz Golu, 
where 3,500 juveniles were seen. 
Breeding was also confirmed at the 
freshwater marsh of Eregli Sazligi. 
Hotamis Golu 
Guy Kirwan visited Hotamis Golu in 
the spring. In 1985, the Turkish Water 
Authority built an irrigation canal from 
the lake towards the Tuz Golu basin. 
This has resulted in over half the lake 
being drained. Some 7-8,000 hectares 
remain. This area holds small number 
of Pygmy Cormorants Phalacrocorax 
pygmeus and is important for White- 
headed Ducks Oxyura leucocephala and 
Marbled Ducks Marmaronetta 
angustirostris. Although some villagers 
continue the traditional reed harvest 
outside the breeding season, others 
burn reeds in an uncontrolled way, to 
provide grazing. This is a threat to 
nesting herons and to the traditional 
reed harvest. 
The wetland is probably safe for the 
next 10 years, as it is used to store 
excess rainwater. After this, its use will 
be reviewed. 
Burdur Golu 
Burdur Golu was declared a Special 
Protection Area by the Turkish 
Government at the beginning of 1991. 
Among other species, the lake is 
important for its wintering White- 
headed Ducks. Some 10,927 were 
counted there in February 1991. 
Egypt 
Bird catching in North Sinai 
Sherif Baha El Din and Waheed Salama, 
from ICBP, investigated bird catching 
activities along the north Sinai coast in 
32 
