Bulletin 1 - March 1977: Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor
P.O. Box 906
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates

17^th February 1977

The Editor
The ENHG Bulletin
Abu Dhabi
UAE

Dear Madam

Re: Greylag Goose in the UAE

There was an apparently wild, fully-grown Greylag goose in the area near the Abu Dhabi sewage farm between the new Airport Road and the Beach Palace from 3^rd December 1976 until at least 19^th January 1977. This solitary bird is the first record of Anser anser within the United Arab Emirates to my knowledge.

I observed this goose at fairly close range through 7x50 binoculars both on the ground and in the air. It fed on the patches of grass near the outfall from the sewage farm in the area frequented by the flamingos bud did not mix with the flamingos. On 13^th December this bird was photographed by Mr. Jeffery Boswall from BBC Bristol while it was with Great Black-headed Gulls (Larus ichthyaetus). The goose was unringed and had the pinkish bill and legs of the eastern form of the Greylag (Anser a. rubrirostris).

The goose was still in the same area on 19^th January 1977 but I have not seen it since that date. The United Arab Emirates lies beyond the normal southern limit of the wintering range of the Greylag so I think it was probably an 'overshoot' from the Iranian side of the Arabian Gulf.

I have reported this sighting to the International Waterfowl Research Bureau at Slimbridge in England.

Sincerely

J. Stewart-Smith