offshore by this date (cf Roberts 1991). 
C Bradshaw, G Kirwan. 
Saudi Arabia 
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus. 
Five, Red Sea, 50km north of Umm Lajj, 
11 December. Only seen once 
previously along this sector of Red sea 
(Al Wedj-rabigh). B S Meadows. 
Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea . 
Dead, Karan, N W Province, 17 July. 
First for Arabian Gulf and second for 
Saudi Arabia. G Keijl, P Symens. 
Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita. Three, 
including a juvenile, Ta'if, late 
December-January 1993 (cf Yemen, Bull 
29: 43, Newton 1992). P Symens. 
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea. 
Six, Yanbu al-Sinaiyah, 10 January. 
Scarce winter visitor - previous records 
have only involved 1-2 birds. B S 
Meadows. 
Red -crested Pochard Net ta rufina. Male, 
Yanbu al-Bahr salt-pans, 28 January. 
First since 1984. B S Meadows. 
Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus. 
Immature, Jeddah, spring 1992 (cf 
Phoenix 9: 8). H Millar. 
Imperial Eagle Aqu ila heliaca . Two (both 
sub-adults) near Khaybar, 14 January. 
Few dated records from N W Arabia. 
B S Meadows. 
Sooty Falcon Falco concolor. Jebel Bard, 
central Arabia, 1 May 1992. M C 
Jennings. Jubayl, 5 October. P Symens. 
Unusual records (cf Phoenix 9:8). Yanbu 
al-Sinaiyah, along Red Sea over 
mangrove stands, 29 September. Twice 
previously at Yanbu (possibly nesting 
on local offshore islets). B S Meadows. 
Saker Falco cherrug. NearUmm al Birak, 
23 October. Three previous records 
from Central Hejaz. B S Meadows. 
Crab Plover Dromas ardeola. 139, Abu 
Ali, N W Province, 21 August, 1 50 there 
18 September. G Keijl, P Symens. 
Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris . 7, Tarut, 
October. Fifth record (Bull 28: 57), see 
also records in Bahrain and UAE. P 
Symens. 
Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva. 
Yanbu al Sinaiyah, along the shoreline, 
7 January. Only one previous record 
along Red Sea mouth of Jeddah. B S 
Meadows. 
Great Snipe Gallinago media. Yanbu, 2 
October. First since 1987. B S Meadows. 
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia. First 
breeding in the Saudi Arabian Gulf 
area was recorded in Dee. P Symens. 
Saunders's Little Tern Sterna saundersi. 
15,000, near Jubayl, late September-6 
October. P Symens. 
African Collared Dove Streptopelia 
roseogrisea. Pair on 14-15 January. 
Madaiw Salih (see Bull 26: 23, 28: 56). 
B S Meadows. 
Hume's Tawny Owl Strix butleri. Al 
Muwaylih, 27 November. New locality. 
B S Meadows. 
Plain Nightjar Caprimulgus inornatus. 
Two seen, and another dead, south 
westhighlands, 6 June. Status in Arabia 
remains uncertain. A Stagg. 
Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus 
aegyptius. Nominate race, 16 October. 
Yanbu al-Sinaiyah. One previous 
spring record at Yanbu. B S Meadows. 
Mountain Nightjar Caprimulgus 
poliocephalus. Mistnetted, Asir, exact 
date unavailable. Final confirmation of 
the identify of the unknown species of 
nightjars present in S W Saudi Arabia 
since 1982 (cf Dutch Birding 14: 188, 
Phoenix 9; 5). S Newton, P Symens. 
Arabian Woodpecker Dendrocopos 
dorae. In acacia woodland, 9 October. 
Near Al-Hamra (about 75km east of 
Yanbu), new locality. B S Meadows. 
Red -breas ted Fly catch e r Ficed ulaparva. 
Three, Yanbu al-Sinaiyah, 3 November; 
one, 6 November; one 18-21 November 
with second individual on 19 
November. Only three previous records 
(all singletons) known from Co Arabia. 
B S Meadows. 
Rtippell's Weaver Ploceus galbula. 
Three freshly-constructed nests in 
palms. Wadi Qudah (near Masturah) 
(see Bull 27: 46). The most northerly site 
known in Arabia. B S Meadows. 
45 
