Egypt 
Quail hunting 
We congratiilate the governor of North 
Sinai and the Egyptian Environmental 
Affairs Agency for successfully 
banningthe hunting of Quails Cotumix 
coturnix, at the Zaranik nature reserve 
for the first time last autumn. 
Following complaints to the Italian 
Embassy and by WWF and the Italian 
Bird Protection Society (LIPU), 
trapping of passerines such as 
Redstarts Phoenicurus phoenicurus and 
Willow Warblers Phylloscopus trochilus 
at the Italian War Memorial at El 
Alamein has been stopped. The birds 
had apparently been caught for food. 
Saudi Arabia 
Export of live birds to Britain 
According to the recently published 
Importation of Birds Mortality 
Statistics for 1989, some 184,600 birds 
were imported into Britain in 1989. Of 
these, 4,000 were dead on arrival, and 
a further 19,500 died in post-import 
quarantine. Saudi Arabia is the ony 
country in the OSME region listed in 
the report. Two Sakers Falco cherrug 
and a Peregrine F peregrinus were 
imported into Britain from Saudi 
Arabia. All three birds survived. 
Israel 
A new project has started to gather 
information on the migration of storks, 
pelicans and raptors, with the aid of 
satellites. The project is headed by 
Professor Odo Renner and Amnon 
Ginati of the Space Research Centre of 
the Berlin Technical University, with 
the participation of SPNI's Israel Raptor 
Information Centre. 
Tiny transmitters were attached to four 
storks, which were then tracked from* 
the ground and from a motorised 
glider. One flock including a tagged 
stork covered a distance of 120km 
during a three-hour flight northwards. 
The satellite which will track the birds 
was launched in January. It will supply 
ongoing information about nesting and 
wintering locations, dates, routes and 
speeds of migration. Contributed by 
Maurice E Boyce 
Recent Literature 
compiled by Mrs F, E. Warr 
This list does not include OSME publications. 
Anon 1990 European News (26th and 27th). British Birds 83(1 & 3): 8-17, 222-230. 
(includes Cyprus and Israel). 
Anon 1988 Marine Observers' Log. July, August, September. Birds. Red Sea. 
Marine Observer SS, no.301: 113-114. 
Anon 1990 Profiles in action - Sherif and Mindy Baha El Din. Ytorld Birdwatch 
12(3): 16. 
Al-Dabagh, KY et al 1988 The diet of the White-cheeked Bulbul Pycnonotus 
leucogenys. (Iraq) J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 85: 530-537. 
Alfia, C 1989 The nocturnal migration of birds over Israel. Torgos 8(1) (16): 22-25. 
English summary p.94. 
Alstrom, P and Mild, K 1989 Identification of Pechora Pipit (Israel photos). 
Birding World 2(8): 276-282. 
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