The sun shone fiercely as an anticyclonic calm dominated Socotra during my annual visit in October and November 2008 to help Ahmed Saeed Suliman and Nadim Taleb with bird surveys and conservation issues. It was sad to know that the SCDP - the successful conservation unit of the past decade -would soon cease to be, but hopefully the 'new management' regime will bring with it leadership and a more secure financial future for the environmental protection of these wonderful islands.

Vultures

With a dramatic decline in numbers throughout Europe, Asia and Africa the Egyptian Vulture has recently been afforded Globally Endangered status. But on Socotra it is thriving with a concentration that is surely the highest in the world. Thus Yemen has an international responsibility to ensure its future conservation. Our detailed counts over the last 10 years suggest a population of over 1700 individuals and at dawn one morning in late October I counted 341 arriving in Hadibu from their roost sites in the Haggier foothills. It is encouraging that the proportion of juveniles in the population continues to indicate good breeding success.

One afternoon in the west Momi hills Ahmed Saeed, Diana and I came across a pair of birds performing a display I've never seen or heard about before. One adult was lying on its back with wings outstretched, held in that position by the 'dominant' bird standing over it and pinning its legs to the ground. Periodically both birds would flap their wings frantically, the submissive bird calling weakly.

Rainbirds and dragonflies

Socotris give the name ‘rainbird’ to that most colourful of all migrants that grace the island, the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. Each spring and autumn many tens of thousands must pass high over the archipelago on their journey between Eurasia and Africa and if rain and storms prevail this will bring birds down to land level: a phenomenon known by birders as a 'fall' In November 2007 when a cyclone clipped the island there was a huge fall of beaters - I counted over 2,000 on one day. This year the lack of rain produced few. But on one morning after a night of showers I counted 50 and at the same time the sky, streets and countryside was alive with dragonflies, notably Pantala flavescens which is common in much of Africa and Asia. There must have been several millions on the island –either recently hatched or migrants. Good timing for hungry migrant bee-eaters.

Transects

To determine the populations of the breeding birds on Socotra we (SCDP and BirdLife International) have devised a system of line transects throughout all habitats and altitudes. In nine years we have completed over 380 kms, adding 25 more this autumn. Ahmed Saeed and I plan to publish the findings shortly but the most encouraging thing we have learned is that the population of most birds is healthy. Three examples (figures are of individuals – all provisional): Socotra Sunbird 55,000, Socotra Warbler 26,000, Socotra Sparrow 300,000.

Rarities

The Socotra bird list now stands at 205 species. Because ornithological visits are relatively rare it is not difficult to add new birds to the list and this year I added three - Yellow-billed Kite, Little Bittern and Northern Wheatear. Neither was a great surprise. In addition other rare migrants discovered included Spotted and Little Crakes, a juvenile Pallid Harrier and Golden Oriole. One intriguing discovery was that of a juvenile Yellow Bittern. Normally found in Asia this is the fifth time it has been recorded on Socotra and I have a feeling it just might be breeding. That would be a real bonus for the island’s avifauna.