2 
existence of a separate population resident in south-west Arabia 
should now be discarded. 
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber 
One at Ta'izz sewage lagoons on 7th and one at Ma 'rib dam on 14th, 
Both birds were sub-adults and had departed the following day. The 
bird at Ma' rib is the first record for the Interior desert. 
Pintail Anas acuta 
Five at Ta'izz sewage lagoons, 7th-Sth; six at Ma' rib, 13th - the 
second record from the Interior desert. Apparently the first April 
records . 
Garganey Anas querquedula 
About 100 at Ta'izz sewage lagoons on 6th, 30 remaining on 7th; five 
at Ma'rib on 14th, six on 15th. The Ta'izz flock is the largest 
recorded and the Ma'rib records are the first for the Interior 
desert, extending the latest known spring passage date by three 
days . 
Shoveler Anas clypeata 
Two at Ta'izz sewage lagoons on 6th. Apparently the first April 
record . 
Pochard Aythya ferina 
Four at Ta'izz sewage lagoons, 6th-7th. 
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula 
One at Ta'izz sewage lagoons, 7th; six (three pairs) at Ma'rib 15th 
- the second record from the Interior desert. Previously unrecorded 
in spring after February. 
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus 
Three on the Tihamah near Al Mukayminiyah on 11th were clearly birds 
on passage. Additionally, six distant slim ring-tailed harriers 
were almost certainly this species. These are the first records 
which clearly demonstrate spring passage (one previous record in 
February could conceivably have been a wintering bird) . 
Goshawk Accipiter gentilis 
A migrant moving northward north of Qa'Bakil (near Ma'bar) on 6th is 
the first record for the YAR. The bird was seen very well and 
identified by RM and Gunter Groh on the following features: large 
size (significantly larger than a female Sparrowhawk) , rather long 
