from the Middle East. Mindy Baha El Din gave a full account of the 
problems and efforts towards conservation in Egypt. Charles Pilcher 
described a depressing picture of the state of oil pollution occurring as a 
result of the Gulf War. Nigel Cleere used slides and audio tapes in a 
comprehensive review of Middle Eastern nightjars. Finally, Nergis Yazgan 
presented a dynamic talk on conservation in Turkey, and showed how 
DHKD are putting forward reasoned arguments for the protection of 
wildlife-rich sites, especially in tourist development areas. 
In the AGM, the Chairman explained that because of the Gulf War, the 
OSME expedition to southern Yemen had been delayed to 1993. However, 
OSME was planning a major initiative to Turkey in 1992 (details to be 
announced). Hilary and Geoff Welch were to represent OSME at a 
meeting with DHKD and WIWO in Turkey in 1991, when various 
conservation topics would be debated. The task of gathering data for the 
Important Bird Areas in the Middle East, announced at the twelfth AGM, 
was to start in September 1991. 
Various changes in Council membership had taken place during the 
year, and the Chairman was pleased to welcome Richard Grimmett, Guy 
Kirwan and Stan Howe as new Council members. The nominations of 
Professor Abdulaziz H Abuzinada, Secretary General of the National 
Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, Kingdom of 
Saudi Arabia, and Shaika Noora Bint Isa Bin Sulman Al Khalifa, President 
of the Bahrain Natural History Society, as Vice Presidents were warmly 
welcomed. The full list of OSME Officers is given below. 
Vice-presidents 
Prof Or Abdulaziz H Abuzinada 
Sir Derek Barber 
Prof Dr W Buttiker 
Major MD Gallagher 
Shaika Noora Bint Isa Bin Sulman Al Khalifa 
Prof H Mendelssohn 
Dr G Tohme 
Sir William Wilkinson 
Mrs N Yazgan 
Council Members 
S Mark Andrews Publicity Officer 
Dr Mark Boyd Bulletin Editor 
Duncan J Brooks Sandgrouse Editor 
Major David JR CounseW Treasurer 
Richard FA Grimmett 
Peter C Heathcote Secretary 
Phil AD Hollom 
Stan Howe 
Mike C Jennings 
Guy Kirwan 
34 
