Saker Falco cherrug. Near Ta 'izz rubbish 
dump, 3 December. Only 15-20 records. 
Seldom recorded. Apparently a scare 
winter visitor. / Dunn/R P Martins 
(Sunbird). 
Harlequin Quail Coturnix delegorguei. 
2-3 males, base of Jebal Bura, 22 October. 
R P Morris. 
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana.Amha, 
11 November; Maribdam, 20 
November. Very scarce migrant. M 
Ullman et al. 
Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo. 
Four, including three juveniles, 5 km 
north of Hodeidah, 7 December. Fifth 
record but should perhaps be a regular 
passage migrant (cf recent status in 
Saudi Arabia, Newton 1992). / Dunn/R 
P Martins (Sunbird). 
Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius 
cursor. Between Ma'bar and Dhamar, 1 
December. Ninth record, apparently 
winter visitor. / Dunn/R P Martins 
(Sunbird). 
Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola 
falcinettus. 56, 2km north of Hodeidah, 
20 October. Unusually large flock. R P 
Morris. 
Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura. Ta'izz 
sewage lagoons, 17-18 October. Very 
few previous records from western 
Arabia. R P Morris. 
Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus. 
Al Khawkhah, 14 November. First 
published record. M Ullmann et al. 
Olive Pigeon Columba arquatrix. Al 
Mahwit, 8 October. R P Morris. 
Jacobin Cuckoo Clanwtor jacobinus. 
5km south of Sumarah pass, 13 October; 
Jebal Bura, 21 October. Scarce passage 
migrant. R P Morris. 
Didric Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius. 
JuvenilebeingfedbyapairofRiippell's 
Weavers, near Al Mahwit, 7 October. 
Possibly first definite breeding record. 
R P Morris. 
Barn Owl Tyto alba. Heard, Al 
Khawkhah, 12 November. M Ullmann 
et al. 
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops 
su^rciliosus. Five, Al Mansuriyah, 15 
November. Uncommon passage 
migrant. M Ullmann et al. 
Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha 
bimaculata. Al Qutay, 16 November. M 
Ullmann et al. Two, Al Kaybaniyah, 6 
December. Second and third records 
for the former North Yemen, one or 
two historical records from South 
Yemen. / Dunn/ R P Martins (Sunbird). 
Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe 
hispanica. Male, 12km northwest of 
Ta'izz, 16 October. R P Morris. Ta'izz, 
1 1 November, Sana'a, 20 November . M 
Ullniann et al. Male, Ta'izz sewage 
lagoons, 2 December. J Dunn/R P 
Martins ( Su nbird). Rare autumn passage 
migrant and winter visitor. 
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos. Two, 
Al Mahwit, 10 December. Scarcewinter 
visitor. / Dunn/R P Martins (Sunbird). 
Orphean Warbler Sylvia hortensis . Near 
Al Ajlaniyah, 8 December. Fourth 
record, most recent in 1979 . J Dunn/R P 
Martins (Sunbird). 
Pale Rock Sparrow Petronia 
trachydactyla. Seven, 4km east of Al 
Qutay, mid October. One historical 
record from Aden, and one recent 
record January 1990) (cf Alauda 60: 
273) both lack detailed evidence. R P 
Morris. 
Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea . 
Near Al Bishari, 10 December. Seventh 
(but only third in past 25 years) record. 
Further evidence that the species may 
winter in the SW Arabian highlands (cf 
de Knijff 1991). / Dunn/R Martins 
(Sunbird). 
I should like to thank the following for 
their assistance in producing this 
review: Duncan Brooks, Arnoud van 
den Berg (Dutch Birding), Steve 
Gantlett (Birding World), Rod Martins 
and Magnus Ullmann. 
Correction: Around the Region in 
Bulletin 29 referred mainly to 
records in 1992, not 1993 as stated. 
48 
