Woodcock Scolopax rusticola 
One Riffa 18 October 1990 (Dt Mike Hill). Fourth record; the previous were in 
September, October and January. A vagrant in the U AE and the Eastern Province 
of Saudi Arabia (three records), but not yet recorded from Oman. 
Common Gull Larus canus 
One adult Ras Tubli 4 November 1989 (Erik Hirschfeld). First Record. It winters 
in very smaU numbers in Iran (eg 85 in January 1990 (Perennou et al. 1990)). The 
record is described in Hirschfeld (1990a). There are six records from the Eastern 
Province of Saudi Arabia, four from Oman; it is a winter vagrant in the UAE. 
Little Gull Lams minutus 
One first-winter, Sakhir racecourse 4 November 1990 (Erik Hirschfeld). Second 
record; the first was in September 1981. A very rare visitor to Arabia, one was in 
the desert in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia in September 1979. None has 
yet been recorded in the UAE or Oman. Only 90 were counted in Iran in the 
January 1990 waterfowl count (Perennou et al. 1990). 
Armenian Gull Larus armenicus 
One adult Ras Tubli 27 March 1990 (Erik Hirschfeld). Armenian Gulls have 
previously been identified close to Bahrain by E>r WRP Bourne (in litt.), but this 
is the first inshore record. 
Common Tem Sterna hirundo 
One showing charactaristics of east Siberian subspecies hngipennis Ras Tubli 9 
June 1990 (Erik Hirschfeld). The subspecies intergrades with the nominate in 
Siberia (Cramp et al. 1985), and may not be separable in the field. 
Black Tern Chlidonias niger 
One juvenile, with a juvenile Whiskered Tem C. hybrida, Ras Tubli, 31 August 
1990. The fifth record and the first in August. The others have been in September, 
with one staying into October. There have been four records in August to 
November in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, and two (March and April) 
in Oman; none has yet been recorded in the UAE. 
Palm Dove Streptopelia senegalensis 
One, Sulmaniya, Manama, 20 May 1990; up to seven, Badan farm, 11 November 
- 31 December 1990; and one Jasra farm 24.11 .90 (Erik Hirschfeld). Sixth to eighth 
November records, the flock at Badan being remarkable. The species has now 
been recorded from October to April. There are seven records from the Eastern 
Province of Saudi Arabia, and it breeds commonly in the UAE. 
Namaqua Dove Oern capensis 
One, Awali golf course, 7 October 1989 (Dr Mike Hill); One, male, (^urrayah, 12 
April 1990 (Erik Hirschfeld); four males, two females and one juvenile, northwest 
Bahrain June 1990 (Sheika Noora bint Essa bin Sulman al Khalifa et al); and up 
to three males and one female, Badan farm 1 3 November - 31 December 1990 (and 
to 11 January 1991)(Erik Hirschfeld). Sixth to ninth records, the observation of a 
flock including a juvenile in June being very interesting as it suggests nearby 
breeding. This species, like the Palm Dove, is spreading through the Middle East 
22 
