Batumi Raptor Count – call for volunteers

After a successful crowdfunding campaign earlier this year, the Batumi Raptor Count team have confirmed they will continue their world-leading monitoring programme this autumn. Counters are required for a minimum of two weeks between August 12th and October...

Conference of the Birds

Guest blog by Joumana Medlej The hoopoe symbolises the spiritual guide nudging the other birds to set out. The “Conference of the Birds” is a 12th-century Sufi poem by Attar of Nishapur, that is a timeless parable of...

A future for Birds in Lebanon

Guest blog by Fouad Itani Lebanon lies on one of the most important migration routes for birds, the Eastern Mediterranean Flyway. Thus a significant number and variety of birds pass through the country, or winter in it...

Worlds Collide – Migration through the Bottleneck

Guest blog by Nicholas Rodd  About the film: Batumi, Georgia is home to one of the world’s greatest natural spectacles. Over a million birds of prey pass through a narrow bottleneck. Below them, scientists and birders eagerly...

29th January 2022 – OSME’s next online Winter Meeting

The OSME online Winter Meeting: 29th January 2022 We’ll be holding an online Winter Meeting on Saturday 29th January. The meeting is free, and all members and non-members are invited to attend. The full programme is now...

Cyprus bird records: request for information

Peter Flint & Colin Richardson are preparing the third edition of The Birds of Cyprus (further details on ResearchGate). It will be a comprehensive and completely revised avifauna of the whole island of Cyprus to be published within the BOC (formerly...

OSME Chairman’s overview of 2021

Despite the ongoing global pandemic, 2021 was another very successful year for OSME with continued growth in our conservation work across the region. It was yet another exceptional year for our small grants programmes. In January we...

A Bird Camp on Cyprus

Guest blog by Robin Snape A Bird Camp on Cyprus had been discussed and planned since early 2020 in collaboration with OSME Youth Development Officer, Tomas Axén Haraldsson. Due to the prolonged pandemic, it has been postponed...

Raptor Count Lebanon 2021

Guest blog by Louis Junior Saad Despite all international birdwatchers cancelling their trips due to Covid and nationwide circumstances, the SPNL Raptor Count Lebanon, was held again at Hammana on Mount Lebanon overlooking the city of Beirut...