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Migration of Passerines through some Protected Areas in the Eastern Part of Egypt

Abstract Ibrahim W.A.L., Busse P. 2012. Migration of passerines through some protected areas in theeastern part of Egypt. Ring 34: 69-205. The fieldwork - catching and ringing birds using mist-nets - were conducted at several sites during both spring and autumn migration seasons in 2001-2008. These sites were: Burullus Protected Area, Wadi El Rayan Protected Area, Hurghada, Sharm El Shiekh (Ras Mohamed National Park), Saluga and Ghazala Protected Area and Wadi El Gemal Protected Area. Altogether 21 site/seasons were covered (9 in spring and 12 autumn). In the most cases the work in a season lasted 1-2 months and the timing of work was not standardized. This make the results not exactly compatible, but still this is a first so wide study of the mainly passerine migration over the area. The aim of this paper is to make accessible the basic information on passerine migration there. Some non-passerines, that are more easily caught with mist-nets or that are caught ocassionally are listed too. Altogether 19 748 individuals of 117 species were ringed in spring and 11 238 individuals in autumn. The data are presented in the text as faunistics style lists of birds caught in spring and autumn separately, as tables of birds ringed at stations and those that show relative abundance and dominance of species and in Appendices I and II (for spring and autumn) as maps with average numbers per station and as seasonal number dynamics - total for seasons and yearly, if possible. The data included in the paper are treated as a source information about migration over the area studied, while the more detailed data about migration pattern, measurements, stopover ecology will be evaluated in next papers being under preparation.


INTRODUCTION
Birds are a good indicator of biodiversity, at least on a large scale, and they are useful for monitoring environmental changes. Many species of birds are migrants, thus they have a valuable input to the biodiversity of very large areas -breeding grounds, migration flyways and winter-quarters.
Migration is a critical stage in bird life cycle, in which birds are susceptible to death during the long distance migration due to natural reasons and human activities (hunting, habitat changes, etc.). Thousands of birds die every year due to several reasons. These are not only migrants but also resident species -in order to prevent birds from loss or extinction there should be safe habitat for resident birds and safe stopover sites for migrant species. To protect bird species and their habitats, studies on their diversity, distribution, and crucial sites (both during breeding and migration) are essential. General methods used for studying these problems are direct observation, acoustic registration, radar recording, telemetry, and bird ringing with associated methods.
Bird capturing and ringing give a clear picture of bird diversity in an area, including small and shy species. Additionally, capturing birds offers possibility of the comprehensive studies on morphology, population differentiation, orientation as well as investigating bird parasites and/or diseases. Ringing stations can be used for training purposes, ecotourism (bird watching tourism) and they are good laboratories for specialists. They can also serve as "alarm sites" in the case of crises related to migratory birds (e.g. avian flu). The importance of ringing stations comes mainly from networking as this can support the conservation activities not only on a local but also on a national and international scale. For the best results the work should cover the whole migration period and be continued over many years as such data enable monitoring of the populations migrating over the studied region. The best example is the 50-year activity of the Polish Operation Baltic programme. Individual marking of birds by ringing is very useful for studying migratory routes, migration times, migratory strategies, etc. Such work is very important for studying flyways' details and population description for environmental planning, bird and habitat protection.
The aim of this paper is a general overview of, mainly passerine, migration over the eastern part of Egypt, with special attention given to protected areas. It must be stressed, however, that the picture is not complete yet as there were many constrains, like limited funds and/or qualified staff. The licensed ringers came mainly from Poland and represented the SE European Bird Migration Network (SEEN). So, the present study is rather a starting point for future research than a detailed picture of the bird migration in Egypt.

STUDY SITES
Contemporary ringing activities in Egypt started in collaboration with the SEEN in Wadi El Rayan. Six sites have been identified and studied for passerine migration so far. The fieldwork has been conducted during both spring and autumn migration seasons. These sites are: Burullus Protected Area, Wadi El Rayan Protected Area, Hurghada, Sharm El Shiekh (Ras Mohamed National Park), Ghazala Protected Area (shortened form "Ghazala" will be used here) and Wadi El Gemal Protected Area ("Wadi Gemal") - Fig. 1, Plates 1-6.

Burullus (Plate 1)
Location and site description: Burullus protected area is characterized by a wide range of habitats including marine waters, brackish and fresh lagoon waters, sandy shores, salt marshes, sand dunes rich in flora, islets within the lake mudflats, hyper saline sabkhas, freshwater swamps and reedbeds. Several man-made wetlands are also found in the protectorate including fish farms, saltpans, canals and drains. The gradient between the marine and fresh water in salinity levels gives the marine and fresh water flora the chance to flourish. The northern sandbar includes two threatened habitats in the protectorate: sand dunes and salt marshes. These habitats support highly threatened species in the Mediterranean coast of Egypt (Baha El Din 1999).
Reed swamp habitats form the greatest biomass and they are of particular importance as breeding habitats for several waterbirds, supporting populations of some 15 breeding species as well as holding one of the largest population in the Western Palaearctic of the Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio) and the Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus). The ecosystem supports the valuable fish and waterfowl population (Meininger and Atta 1994).
Total of 32 mist-nets were situated in the southern part of Lake Burullus (31°30'N, 30°04'E). The nets were located in reedbed habitat at different sites along the fishponds. The habitat was dominated by the Common Reed (Phragmites australis) with some Nile Tamarisk (Tamarix nilotica) shrubs.  (2005)(2006)(2007) the work was carried out from the end of August / beginning of September to the first week of November. In spring 2006-2007, the work was conducted from the beginning of March to the beginning of May (Table 1). Table 1 Periods of work at ringing sites ing dynamics is compatible within a season. Unfortunately, the periods of work in different years and seasons were not standardized and varied according to logistics reasons. So, the numbers of birds reported for seasons and stations are rough approximations only and they do not reflect relations between stations in this respect .
Nets were open during the day and night, except the midday -they were closed between 11.00 and 16.00 approximately, due to the heat. The nets were controlled every hour starting from around half an hour after sunrise in the morning session and then from 17.00 to the sunset in the afternoon session. Captured birds were ringed and measured (standard set of measurements included wing length, tail length, wing formula, fat score and weight). Some individuals were tested for directional preferences (orientation tests).

Data elaboration
The data were noted in standard SEEN ringing notebooks and digitalized using special software -PODAB 7.0 (available from the SEEN headquarters). PODAB programme creates files being input for seasonal catching dynamics graphs. These (as e.g. Figs. 3-4, 6-7 and graphs in Appendices I and II) show both raw daily data presented as dots and data smoothed by five-day running average as continuous lines. The data for spring and autumn seasons are presented separately as: (1) total catching dynamics at each station, (2) seasonal dynamics in separate years and (3) species catching dynamics -total and yearly, if possible (6)(7)Appendices I and II). Maps presenting relative numbers of birds at different stations show average yearly values for a defined season ( Fig. 2 and 5, maps in Appendices I and II). THE RING 34 (2012) 81

Spring migration
From 2001 to 2008 during spring migration birds were captured and ringed at five sites in Egypt, i.e. Burullus (2006-2007), Wadi El Rayan (2001, Ghazala (2004Ghazala ( -2005, Hurghada (2007)(2008) and Wadi Gemal (2005) ringing stations ( Table  2). The average number of birds captured during ringing activities from 2001 to 2008 varied among the ringing stations (Fig. 2); the highest seasonal average was 4639 individuals in Hurghada, while the lowest was only 727 individuals in Ghazala. In Wadi El Rayan and Wadi El Gemal the seasonal average number of captured birds was quite similar (1447 and 1043 individuals, respectively), while in Burullus the seasonal average (2521 individuals) was nearly twice as high as in both Wadi El Rayan and Wadi El Gemal ringing stations.
Seasonal migration dynamics of passerines ( Fig. 3) in different ringing stations showed that birds generally started migration at the beginning of March with a relatively high peak of migration (from 16 to 31 March in Burullus and Hurghada and 1-16 March in Wadi El Rayan), but sometimes even earlier as in Ghazala (2004Ghazala ( -2005, where passerines might start migrating at the end of February. Birds generally finished migration at the end of April / middle of May in Wadi El Rayan, Burullus, Hurghada and Ghazala. At almost all stations ringing was conducted during two seasons and in Figure 4 one can see year to year variation in the migration patterns. These patterns differ both in the number of captured birds and the seasonal pattern (migration waves). However, a number of similarities from year to year at the same station could be also noted. 84 THE RING 34 (2012) Migration of individual species is presented below as Table 2 and a list of birds captured at Egyptian stations, with comments on their occurrence and distribution. For more numerous and/or regularly captured species more detailed data are presented in Appendix I (App. I) -Distribution Maps (SMap) and Migration Dynamics graphs (SDyn.). These are yearly average numbers of captured birds (at maps), average daily numbers (dots) and the smoothed data on the species migration dynamics (graphs). The order of both map and graph plates is according to the occurrence of the species in the list given below, therefore the species are not placed in any systematic order.        The Whinchat was captured in all stations and the total number was 70 indiv. The highest seasonal average number was 14 indiv. in both Hurghada and Ghazala. It was about three times higher than in Wadi El Rayan (5 indiv.), while the lowest average number was recorded in both Wadi El Gemal and Burullus (1 and 2 indiv., resp.). The Whinchat showed two waves of migration at Hurghada station, i.e. one from 12 to 30 Apr. and the second one from 1 to 10 May.     of the Wryneck were captured. The highest seasonal average number of captured birds was 21 indiv. in Hurghada as well as in Wadi El Rayan while the lowest average was recorded at Burullus and Ghazala stations (2-3 indiv., resp.). This species started to migrate from 16 Mar. onwards, migration lasted to the end of April.

Ardeola ralloides 2 2
Anas crecca 2 2 Accipiter brevipes 1 1  Seasonal bird migration dynamics at different Egyptian ringing stations (Fig. 6) showed that autumn migration generally started at the beginning of September with relatively high peak of migration (from 1 to 30 Sep.) in Burullus, Wadi El Rayan, Ghazala, Wadi El Gemal and Sharm El Shiekh. However, in Hurghada there was one migration peak much later -from 25 Sep. to about 20 Oct. At the end of October birds generally finished migration and the number of migrants decreased gradually from 1 Oct. to its minimum in the last week of October, as in Burullus, Ghazala and Wadi El Gemal, while in Wadi El Rayan and Hurghada there were low peaks noted in the migration pattern in the last week of October. In Sharm El Shiekh there was no ringing activity from 30 Sep. to 29 Oct.
In Burullus and Ghazala stations, the yearly seasonal dynamics generally showed similar timing of the passage as in average total dynamics. High peak of migration was observed at the beginning (from 1 to 25 Sep.) in Burullus (2005Burullus ( -2007 and Ghazala (2003), followed by low migration from 29 Sep. to 1 Oct., while in Ghazala (2004)(2005) the migration might have finished earlier -on 14 Oct. (Fig. 7). In total about 320 indiv. were captured. The species was numerous at Burullus station, where the highest seasonal average number of captured Sand Martins was recorded (96 indiv.), while the lowest was only 1 indiv. in Ghazala (2003Ghazala ( -2005. At Hurghada and Wadi El Gemal ringing stations just a few individuals were captured (6 and 5 indiv., resp.), and in Wadi El Rayan the seasonal average number was 9 indiv. The species migrated in Burullus from the end of August till the end of October, showing a peak from 30 Aug. to 14 Sep. followed by two smaller waves (from 15 to 28 Sep. and from 29 Sep. to 25 Oct.). In Wadi El Rayan, the Sand Martin started to migrate after the first week of September and continued to 27 Sep. showing one migration wave. The species finished migration at the end of September.

Passerines
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica). (App. II: AMap 2, ATDyn. 2, AYDyn. 1). The number of Barn Swallows captured at six ringing stations varied. In total over 1100 indiv. were captured. The Barn Swallow was relatively numerous at both Burullus and Hurghada ringing stations compared to the other stations. The species started migration in mid-August at both Burullus and Ghazala stations, with relatively high peak at the beginning, then the number of birds decreased gradually till the end of October, when these birds finished migration. However, at both Hurghada and Wadi El Gemal ringing stations the observed pattern was different. The Barn Swallow, started to migrate later in the season (on 15 and 29 Sep. in Wadi El Gemal and Hurghada) and the number of migrants increased to its maximum nearly at the end of October, when the species migration might have finished at Burullus and Ghazala stations. Only 13 indiv. were captured at five stations; the species was not captured in Wadi El Gemal.

Thrush Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia). (App. II: AMap 6, ATDyn. 4).
Total of 120 indiv. were captured at all stations. The highest seasonal average number of captured Thrush Nightingales was 27 indiv. in Wadi El Gemal, while the lowest was only 3 indiv. in Wadi El Rayan. The seasonal average number of captured birds in Burullus and Ghazala was similar (7 and 10 indiv., resp.) and lower than at Sharm El Shiekh and Hurghada stations (20 and 15 indiv., resp.). At most of the stations the Thrush Nightingale started migration in the last week of August / beginning of September, while in Hurghada -at the end of September. The migration finished in mid-October in Burullus, Ghazala, Hurghada and Wadi El Gemal. However, in Sharm El Shiekh the last individual was captured in mid-September -about one month earlier than at the other stations.
Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica). (App. II: AMap 6, ATDyn. 5, AYDyn. 3). The species was regularly captured at most ringing stations, except Wadi El Gemal. A total of 259 indiv. were captured. The average number of captured Bluethroats was ranging from 3 to 84 indiv. per season at Wadi El Rayan and Burullus stations, respectively. In Hurghada the number was relatively high (20 indiv.) as compared to Ghazala and Sharm El Shiekh, where 8 and 4 indiv. were captured per season. The Bluethroat started migration in Burullus earlier than at the other stations. The number of birds gradually increased from 29 Sep. till the last week of October, while at Ghazala and Hurghada stations the migration was more intense in two short periods, i.e. 18-27, and 5-15 Oct., resp.

Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus). (App. II: AMap 1, ATDyn. 3).
About 130 indiv. were captured at five stations, while the species was not captured in Sharm El Shiekh. The seasonal average number of captured Redstarts was ranging from 1 indiv. in Wadi El Rayan to 76 indiv. in Hurghada, while in Wadi El Gemal it was 27, and at Burullus and Ghazala stations: 2 and 7 indiv., resp. The Redstart started migration at the end of September and finished at the end of October in Hurghada, Wadi El Gemal and Ghazala.

Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros). Only 3 indiv. were captured -in Sharm El Shiekh in 2003, Wadi El Gemal in 2005 and Hurghada in 2007.
Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe). The species was captured at most stations but in very low numbers -only 7 indiv. altogether. Four Wheatears were captured in Burullus in 2005-2007, while only 1 indiv. was captured at each of the following stations: Wadi El Rayan, Wadi El Gemal and Ghazala. The species was not captured at Sharm El Shiekh and Hurghada stations.

Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica).
Only 4 indiv. were captured at three stations. Two individuals were captured in Burullus in 2006-2007, 1 indiv. in Wadi El Rayan in 2002and in Wadi El Gemal in 2005, while the species was not captured at Hurghada, Sharm El Shiekh and Ghazala ringing stations.

Cyprus Wheatear (Oenanthe cypriaca). Only one individual was captured at Wadi El Rayan station in 2001.
Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra). (App. II: AMap 4, ATDyn. 6). The Whinchat was captured at all stations during the period from 2001 to 2007. Total number of about 75 indiv. were captured. The highest seasonal average numbers of captured Whinchats were 17 indiv. in Burullus and 11 in Hurghada. The lowest average was recorded at Wadi El Rayan, Ghazala and Sharm El Shiekh stations (1 indiv.), while in Wadi El Gemal the seasonal average number of captured Whinchats was 6 indiv. In Burullus, the Whinchat started migration at the beginning of September, then the number of captured birds decreased till 20 Oct., when it might have finished migration.

Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola-maura).
For a very long time the species was treated as Saxicola torquata, but then it was split into two species: Saxicola rubicola and S. maura. Very few individuals were captured only at 2 ringing stations: 5 indiv. of the Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) were captured in Burullus (4 indiv. in 2005 and 1 indiv. in 2006), while 1 indiv. of Saxicola torquata was captured in Wadi El Rayan in 2002. The species was relatively common at all ringing stations, particularly in Hurghada and Ghazala. Altogether about 500 indiv. of the Lesser Whitethroat were captured in 2001-2008. At Hurghada and Ghazala, the seasonal average number of captured Lesser Whitethroats was relatively high -80 and 115 indiv., resp. The lowest seasonal average number was recorded in Sharm El Shiekh (only 3 indiv.), while at the other three stations the average numbers were a bit higher -8, 14 and 15 indiv. in Burullus, Wadi El Gemal and Wadi El Rayan, resp. At Ghazala station the species migrated from the last week of August (30 Aug.), showing one relatively numerous wave with several peaks, to the end of October. In Hurghada the observed pattern was different: the species migrated late at the end of September in one relatively short wave with one high peak in the first week of October. At the other stations, the Lesser Whitethroat migrated from 30 Aug. to 5 Sep. and finished migration from 20 to 25 Oct.

Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos). The Song Thrush was captured only at one station -in
Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala). (App. II: AMap 7). It was captured in a relatively low numbers at four ringing stations, while it was not recorded at Burullus and Sharm El Shiekh ringing stations. More than 25 indiv. of the species were ringed and the highest seasonal average numbers of captured birds were 8 indiv. in Wadi El Gemal and 6 indiv. in Hurghada. At Ghazala ringing station the seasonal average was only 3 indiv., while in Wadi El Rayan it was 2 indiv..

Rüppell's Warbler (Sylvia rueppelli). Only 2 indiv. of the Rüppell's Warbler were captured in Wadi El Rayan in 2001.
Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis). (App. II: ATDyn. 6). The species was captured only at two stations. A total of 24 indiv. of the Graceful Prinia were captured in both Burullus (22 indiv.) and Wadi El Rayan (2 indiv.), while the species was not captured at the other three stations. The Graceful Prinia was captured from 28 Aug. to 29 Sep. and a few individuals were captured at the end of October at Burullus station.
Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus). (App. II: AMap 2, ATDyn. 8, AYDyn. 1). The Sedge Warbler was one of the most numerous species captured at Egyptian ringing stations from 2001 to 2007, except Sharm El Shiekh, Ghazala and Wadi El Gemal. A total of about 1550 indiv. were captured. The average seasonal number of captured Sedge Warblers varied from only 2, 6 and 8 indiv. at Sharm El Shiekh, Ghazala and Wadi El Gemal stations, resp., to the highest seasonal average recorded in . In Hurghada the average was 21 indiv. and in Wadi El Rayan -42 indiv. per season. At Burullus ringing station the species migration started at the end of August. The migration pattern showed one long wave from 30 Aug. to 29 Sep., then the number of birds decreased to the end of October; the Sedge Warbler might have finished migration in that time. Similar pattern of migration was observed in Wadi El Rayan but with only one longer wave from 30 Aug. to 14 Sep. followed by several smaller peaks from 27 Sep. to 18 Oct. Moreover, the similar migration dynamics occurred in Ghazala and Wadi El Gemal. In Hurghada the migration continued for about one month with one obvious peak from 25 Sep. to 20 Oct.

Savi's Warbler (Locustella luscinioides). (App. II: AMap 7, ATDyn. 3).
The species was captured in low numbers only at four stations, while it was not captured at Sharm El Shiekh and Wadi El Gemal stations. In total 45 indiv. of the Savi's Warbler were captured. At two stations the seasonal average number of captured warblers was relatively low and ranging from about 2-3 indiv. in Ghazala and Wadi El Rayan, resp., to 9 indiv. in Burullus, while in Hurghada the average was 6 indiv. per season. The Savi's Warbler migrated in Burullus in the end of August, and the passage lasted to the end of October showing two small waves from 27 Aug. to 25 Sep. and from 5 to 25 Sep.
Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus). (App. II: AMap 2, ATDyn. 9, AYDyn. 4). The Reed Warbler was one of the most numerous species (about 1400 indiv. were ringed) and it was regularly captured at all ringing stations. The seasonal average number of captured Reed Warblers was 1 indiv. (the lowest) and 7 indiv. in Sharm El Shiekh and Wadi El Gemal, resp., while the highest average numbers were recorded at Hurghada, Wadi El Rayan and Burullus stations (312, 217 and 143 indiv., resp.), compared to that noted in Ghazala, which was 72 indiv. In Burullus, migration of this species started at the end of August, with a high number and obvious peak, which lasted to mid-September, when the number of captured birds decreased to its minimum till the end of October, when the Reed Warbler might have finished migration. In Wadi El Rayan, the Reed Warbler started migration at the beginning of September with relatively strong wave lasting for two weeks (1 to 15 Sep.) followed by some smaller waves from 16 to 30 Sep. and another relatively high wave from 1 to 20 Oct.; the species might have finished migration at the end of October. Similar pattern of migration was observed at Ghazala station, but with only one obvious peak from 25 Aug. to 15 Sep. Here, the species migrated earlier than at the other stations and finished the passage at the end of October, while in Hurghada the Reed Warbler migrated late in the season and one wave with a relatively strong peak from 25 Sep. to 18 Oct. was observed.

Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris). (App. II: AMap 3). The Marsh Warbler was captured at all ringing stations in 2001-2007, except Wadi El
Gemal, where the species was not captured. Only 14 indiv. of this species were captured and the highest seasonal average number of captured birds was in Hurghada (5 indiv.).
Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus). (App. II: AMap 3, ATDyn. 9). The Great Reed Warbler was relatively frequently captured only at Burullus ringing station in 2005-2007, while it was rarely captured at the other stations and it was not captured at Sharm El Shiekh station. A total of 44 indiv. were ringed mostly in Burullus, where the highest average number of captured Great Reed Warblers was recorded (13 indiv.). The species migration at Burullus station (2005)(2006)(2007)) started on 28 Aug. by one long wave lasting to 10 Oct. Then the number of captured birds decreased to its minimum at the end of October when the Great Reed Warbler might have finished migration.
Clamorous Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus stentoreus). (App. II: AMap 8, ATDyn. 10, AYDyn. 5). The Clamorous Reed Warbler was one of the relatively numerous species only at three ringing stations (Burullus, Wadi El Rayan, Ghazala). Around 600 indiv. were captured. The highest seasonal average number of captured birds was recorded in Burullus (165 indiv.), while at both Wadi El Rayan and Ghazala stations the seasonal average numbers were lower (38 and 17 indiv., resp.). In Burullus the higher number of Great Reed Warblers was recorded at the end of August from 30 Aug. to 25 Sep., then the number decreased to its minimum at the end of the season (29 Oct.). In Wadi El Rayan, the number of captured individuals varied throughout the whole season from 30 Aug. to 25 Oct. In Ghazala, the Clamorous Reed Warbler was captured earlier in the season than at the previous stations, i.e. from 15 Aug. to 27 Oct., with obvious peaks of catching in the first three weeks (15 Aug. to 20 Sep.).

Olive-tree Warbler (Hippolais olivetorum). Only 1 indiv. was captured in Sharm El Shiekh in 2003.
Olivaceous Warbler (Hippolais pallida). (App. II: AMap 4, ATDyn. 9, AYDyn. 2). A total of 72 indiv. of the Olivaceous Warbler were captured at four stations from 2001 to 2007. The highest average number of captured birds was recorded in Ghazala (21 indiv.), while the lowest was only 1 indiv. in Wadi El Gemal and the seasonal averages were 3 and 4 indiv. at Wadi El Rayan and Sharm El Shiekh stations, resp. The species was not captured in Burullus and Hurghada. At Ghazala station in 2003, the Olivaceous Warbler was regularly captured from 30 Aug. to 15 Sep. (the highest peak) and another small peak was from 1 to 10 Oct., when the species finished migration. In 2004, the Olivaceous Warbler migrated earlier, i.e. at the end of August showing one long wave of migration with a strong peak from 15 to 25 Aug., then the number of birds decreased till the end of September. In 2005 one wave of migration was observed with a relatively high peak on 10 Sep. The species started migration later but finished nearly at the same time as in previous years.
Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus). (App. II: AMap 2, ATDyn. 11, AYDyn. 6). It was one of the most numerous species at most stations. A total of about 1300 indiv. were captured. The highest seasonal average number of captured Willow Warblers was recorded in Burullus (363 indiv.), while the lowest was only 2 indiv. in Sharm El Shiekh. The seasonal average number was low in Wadi El Rayan (31 indiv.), Wadi El Gemal (25 indiv.) and Ghazala (8 indiv.), while in Hurghada the species was relatively numerous (74 indiv.). In Burullus, the Willow Warbler migrated in relatively high numbers. The migration pattern showed a long wave from 30 Aug. to 29 Oct., with several peaks; the highest peak was in September. Both in Wadi El Rayan and Wadi El Gemal migration pattern was similar. The species migrated from 10 Sep. to 20 Oct., with two obvious peaks -one in September and another in October. At Hurghada and Ghazala stations the species started migration about three weeks later (25 Sep.) and finished migration one week earlier in Hurghada (15 Sep.). The Willow Warbler generally finished migration at the same time at all stations (about 20 Oct.).

Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix).
A total of 11 indiv. of the Wood Warbler were captured. The species was not captured at Sharm El Shiekh, Wadi El Gemal and Ghazala ringing stations. Most birds were ringed in Burullus (8 indiv.), 2 indiv. were captured at Wadi El Rayan ringing station in 2002, while only 1 indiv. was captured in 2007 at Hurghada station.

Balkan Warbler (Phylloscopus orientalis).
Only 2 indiv. of the Balkan Warbler were captured, i.e. one was captured at Wadi El Rayan (2002) and another one at Wadi El Gemal ringing station (2005).

Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita).
(App. II: AMap 6, ATDyn. 10, AYDyn. 3). The Chiffchaff was one of the most numerous species at two ringing stations. About 300 indiv. were captured mostly at Burullus and Wadi El Rayan stations. The highest average seasonal number of ringed Chiffchaffs was 64 indiv. in Burullus and 49 in Wadi El Rayan. The lowest seasonal average was recorded in Hurghada (1 indiv.). The species was not captured in Sharm El Shiekh, Wadi El Gemal and Ghazala. The Chiffchaff migration showed a clear and relatively strong peak of the passage at the end of October. In Burullus and Wadi El Rayan the species started migration on 14 Oct. with a peak lasting for about one week from 24 to 30 Oct. and finished migration at the beginning of November (4 Nov.).

Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata).
(App. II: AMap 6, ATDyn. 12, AYDyn. 7). The species was fairly frequently captured at different ringing stations. A total of 105 indiv. of the Spotted Flycatcher were captured. The seasonal average number of captured birds varied between only 1 indiv. in Wadi El Rayan and 27 indiv. recorded in Hurghada. The average number of captured birds was 16 indiv. per season in Wadi El Gemal in 2005 and it was similar in Burullus and Sharm El Shiekh (10 indiv.). In Ghazala the seasonal average number ofcaptured flycatchers was only 6 indiv. per season. This species generally migrated in September in Burullus, Sharm El Shiekh and Wadi El Gemal, where the Spotted Flycatcher passed in one migration wave from 1 to 30 Sep. In Hurghada and Ghazala the patterns were completely different from each other and also from the other stations. In Hurghada the migration was late in the season -from 25 Sep. to 20 Oct., while in Ghazala the species migrated early in the season: one wave from 30 Aug. to 10 Sep., and another from 22 Sep. to 15 Oct.

Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca). Only 1 indiv. was captured in Hurghada in 2007.
Nile Valley Sunbird (Anthreptes metallicus). (App. II: ATDyn. 14). This species was captured only at Ghazala ringing station, where a total of 15 indiv. were ringed. The Nile Valley Sunbird showed one peak of catching from end of August to the beginning of September, while few individuals of the species were captured from 10 Sep. to 12 Oct.

Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus). (App. II: AMap 3).
The species was very rarely captured at four ringing stations. Altogether 16 indiv. of the Golden Oriole were captured; most of them in Sharm El Shiekh in 2003 (10 indiv.), while 4 indiv. were captured in Wadi El Gemal in 2005 and the lowest number of birds was at both Burullus and Hurghada ringing stations (1 indiv.). The species was not captured at Wadi El Rayan and Ghazala stations.
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). (App. II: AMap 1, ATDyn. 1). This species was relatively numerous only at three ringing stations. About 315 indiv. were captured mainly in Burullus in [2005][2006][2007], where the highest average number of captured birds was recorded (80 indiv.). In Sharm El Shiekh and Ghazala the averages were similar (15 and 20 indiv., resp.). The species was not captured at Hurghada, Wadi El Rayan and Wadi El Gemal stations. The House Sparrow showed the high peak of catching from the end of August to the beginning of September, at both Burullus and Ghazala stations. The maximum catching of the species lasted for about one week (28 Aug. to 5 Sep.), then the number of birds decreased to its minimum at end of October in Burullus (2005Burullus ( -2007, while in Ghazala (2003) the species was not captured in October.

Sinai Rosefinch (Carpodacus synoicus). Only 1 indiv. was captured at Ghazala ringing station in 2005.
Streaked Weaver (Ploceus manyar). (App. II: ATDyn. 14). A total of 81 indiv. of the Streaked Weaver were captured only in Burullus. The species was captured during the whole season, i.e. from the end of August to the end of October, and its number fluctuated. The highest numbers of captured birds were recorded at the beginning of the season: during the first two weeks (28 Aug. to 15 Sep.), and then from 15 Oct. to 5 Nov., while lower numbers were noted in-between.

Non-passerines
Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus). (App. II: ATDyn. 15, AYDyn. 9). The species was relatively numerous only at Burullus ringing station, while it was not captured at the other stations. About 180 indiv. of the Little Bittern were captured in Burullus; the species was captured in relatively higher number in September. There was a clear peak of catching from 28 Aug. to 13 Sep., followed by some lower peaks to the end of October. The yearly dynamics of the Little Bittern showed high fluctuation of catching from 30 Aug. to the end of October (2005)(2006)(2007).
Mangrove Heron (Butorides striata). Only 1 indiv. of the species was captured in Wadi El Gemal in 2005.

Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides).
Only 2 indiv. of the species were captured in Burullus in 2005; the species was not captured at other ringing stations.

Teal (Anas crecca).
Only 2 indiv. of the Teal were captured at Wadi El Gemal ringing station.

Quail (Coturnix coturnix). Only 1 indiv. of the species was captured in Burullus in 2005.
Corn Crake (Crex crex). Only 1 indiv. of the species was captured in Sharm El Shiekh in 2003.

Dunlin (Calidris alpina).
Only 2 indiv. were captured at two stations -Hurghada in high number in Burullus at the beginning of September showing a strong peak of migration from 1 to 27 Sep., followed by very low peaks till the end of October, resembling the pattern in Wadi El Rayan, where the species finished migration around 15 Oct. In Ghazala, the Kingfisher started and finished migration earlier in the season showing one relatively strong peak from 30 Aug. to 22 of Sep., while in Wadi El Gemal migration started later and the passage finished in mid-October, with one obvious peak from 30 Sep. to 15 Oct. The yearly dynamics of the species in 2005 and 2007 was similar to the the total dynamics in Burullus. However, in 2006 there were two waves with several peaks of migration from 30 Aug. to 26 Sep. and from 30 Sep. to end of October.
White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis). (App. II: ATDyn. 16). A total of 18 indiv. of this species were captured in Burullus (2005)(2006)(2007) and it was not captured at any of other station. In Burullus, the White-throated Kingfisher showed a small wave of catching from 5 to 10 Sep., while it was rarely captured from the end of September to the end of October.

Species composition and abundance
A total of 19 748 birds from 117 species were captured in five studied areas during spring migration season. These values correspond to 11 238 birds from 103 species captured at six stations during autumn migration (Table 2 and 3).
The relative abundance and dominance classes of different species in the studied areas during spring and autumn migration are shown in Table 4 and 5, respectively. The summary is presented in Table 6. Some species were abundant and they could be met at every site only in spring (18 species), in autumn (15 species) or both (10 species). This does not mean, however, that they were dominants or subdominants according to classification into five classes (Engelmann 1978): A -eudominant (over 30% of share in the total), B -dominant (11-30%), C -subdominant (6-10%), D -minor (1-5%), and rare (less than 1% of individuals). All species with domination classified as A or B at a single site are shown at the right side of Table 6. Only the Reed Warbler was dominant or subdominant at every site in spring, but even this species was not dominant/subdominant at every site in autumn. There were species dominating at a single site, but not found at all the sites in the season (as in spring the Yellow Wagtail at Hurghada and the Olivaceous Warbler in Ghazala, while in autumn the Common Kingfisher at Burullus). Table 4 Dominance status of birds during spring seasons at the studied ringing sites: A -eudominant (over 30% of share in the total), B -dominant (11-30%), C -subdominant (6-10%), D -minor (1-5%), dash -rare (less than 1% of individuals); classification according to Engelmann (1978)      Table 5 Dominance status of birds during autumn seasons at the studied ringing sites: A -eudominant (over 30% of share in the total), B -dominant (11-30%), C -subdominant (6-10%), D -minor (1-5%), dash -rare (less than 1% of individuals); classification according to Engelmann (1978)

DISCUSSION
Millions of birds leave the breeding grounds in the northern hemisphere every autumn to migrate to the south and undergo a return migration during the spring with an estimate of about 300 000 birds/day/km ! (Biebach et al. 2000). Some species travel a little over 100 km, while others cover longer distances and can be on migration for about half a year (Alerstam 1990). To make these trips, birds need to cope with the large energy costs of long-distance flight, particularly when crossing ecological barriers, such as oceans, mountains and deserts.
The eco-physiological mechanisms adopted by the long-distance migrating Palaearctic birds for crossing ecological barriers have attracted the interest of ornithologists (Moreau 1961(Moreau , 1972. Different ecological theories have been proposed to describe the seasonal migrations and flights for crossing such barriers (particularly the Sahara Desert). To date, the authors of each study have argued (to varying degrees) that birds use flight strategies based on the incorporation of step-wise and/or intermittent flights. These include a non-stop flight, short/long intermittent flight, migration oriented along a given route/site, broader front, stopover at oases, nocturnal flights, using shade to avoid heat in the day, loop migration, etc. (Bairlein et al. 1983, Biebach et al. 1986, Pearson et al. 1988, Biebach 1990, Bairlein 1991, Schmaljohann et al. 2007. Palaearctic passerines that migrate through eastern and north eastern Africa are likely to belong to populations from different breeding grounds. The nocturnal passerine migrants breeding in central and southern Europe and Scandinavia have to cover a longer distance of inhospitable area (including the Arabian Desert and the Red Sea followed by the Sahara Desert) in their migration journey twice a year.
Some species as warblers migrate through the Iberian peninsula and cross a shorter stretch of the Mediterranean Sea, while the eastern populations cross the eastern section of the Mediterranean Sea and then cross the Sahara Desert (Biebach 1996). The eastern route provides limited opportunity for refueling and, hence, larger energy reserves need to be stored.
Many locations in the eastern and NE Africa serve as important fattening areas for Palaearctic migratory birds in both south-and northbound migration seasons. In autumn, birds show an increase in body mass in NE Africa before migrating to more southerly wintering grounds. In spring, birds gain considerable mass in NE Africa and immediately to the south of the Arabian/Sahara Desert before take off for transdesert migration. Thus, the quality of these stopover sites may very well exert a significant influence over the success of the journey as well as the reproductive fitness of birds in their breeding grounds.
According to the results of the present study, passerine migration in spring starts earlier in the southern compared to the northern ringing stations in Egypt. Generally, passerines start to migrate at the beginning of March with relatively high peak of migration (16-31 March as in Burullus and Hurghada and 1-16 March as in Wadi El Rayan), but sometimes even earlier as in Ghazala (2004Ghazala ( -2005, where passerines may start to migrate in the end of February. Passerine species generally finish spring migration from the end of April to the second week of May as in Burullus, Hurghada and Ghazala. At a few stations catching was performed during two seasons and in figures in Appendix I one can see year-to-year differentiation of the migration intensity patterns. This differentiation is visible in both the number of captured migrants and in overall wave-pattern of migration. However, one can find a number of similarities from year-to-year at the same station. This is typical phenomenon, but some more detailed comments would be possible only after many years of study.

Diversity and similarity
There was not enough studies on migrating passerine bird assemblages in different locations and their relation to resident birds in Egypt. Most of the studies of wild birds in Egypt were focusing on certain topics such as studying parasites associated with wild migratory birds and some other studies were concerning the identification of the important bird areas regarding their importance as unique habitats encompassing high assemblages of birds species of international concern (Baha El Din 1999).
The species diversity at the ringing stations in Egypt may vary due to the site biotope, location on the passerine migration flyway and migration season, so in the present study is not treated in detail.
The site selection was mainly based on the value of these sites for birds as important areas located along the main migration flyways, moreover these are protected areas to avoid disturbance and interference of human activities to ensure reliable and systematic data collection.
More detailed studies at these and other localities in Egypt are needed to draw more clear picture of abundance, dominance and migration dynamics of birds migrating across Egypt. This will be of a great importance for protection of the most important stopover localities in Egypt.

Timing of migration Spring
Spring passerine migration in Egypt starts at the beginning of March and lasts to mid-May. Passerines start migration from south, central and western Africa towards Europe early in February and arrive at southern Egypt at the end of February / beginning of March (as shown at Ghazala station). Then passerines move toward the middle part of Egypt, where migration starts about one week later (Wadi El Rayan), while in the northern part of Egypt (Hurghada and Burullus) passerine migration starts about two weeks later than in Ghazala and one week later than in Wadi El Rayan. These results support the study by Leshem et al. (1999) who reported that the migration in western Mediterranean across Palestine to Europe started at the end of March with main peak of migration in April (about one week later than in northern Egypt).
Unlike the situation for the Western Palaearctic migration route (e.g. Giessing 1997, Bairlein 1998), there has, to date, been no scientific network that has monitored birds along the Eastern Africa, the Middle Eastern and Arabian flyways to make a detailed comparative study of migration along this route in autumn and spring. Thus, it is not well known when and where Palaearctic migrants prepare for migration between different locations in the autumn and spring migration (e.g. Berthold 1996) along this route. Acrocephalus and Sylvia species are known as broad-front long-distance migrants and different studies have addressed their migration from Europe to Africa (Ottosson et al. 2005, Miholcsa et al. 2009). Warblers generally start migration in spring at the end of February to the beginning of March from south-eastern part of sub-Sahara toward north-eastern Africa, about one week earlier than in Egypt. These species are the Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler (Ash 1981;Pearson et al. 1988;Pearson and Lack 1992;Perrins 1992, 1993;Yohannes et al. 2009).
Sedge Warbler. The species in Burullus, Hurghada, Ghazala and Wadi El Gemal starts migration in mid-March, which is about two weeks later than in Wadi El Rayan. The Sedge Warbler finishes migration in the second week of May in Burullus and Hurghada, i.e. about two weeks later than in Ghazala, Wadi El Gemal and Wadi El Rayan. In Egypt the Sedge Warbler starts to migrate one week later in Wadi El Rayan and two weeks later at the other stations than in south-eastern Africa, where it finishes migration earlier (Yohannes et al. 2009). The results suggest that the Sedge Warbler might need one-two weeks to arrive to Egypt.
Reed Warbler. The time of the beginning and the end of migration is similar in Burullus and Hurghada. The Reed Warbler starts migration at the beginning of March and finishes on 15 May. In Wadi El Rayan the species starts migration at the same time as at the stations mentioned above, but finishes about two weeks earlier (end of April), while in Wadi El Gemal it migrates late -at the end of March and finishes migration at the end of April. This may suggest that there are different populations migrating through different stations in Egypt coming from different wintering grounds in central and south-eastern Africa and vast breeding grounds in southern, central and eastern Europe (Zink 1973-1985, Busse 1987, Cramp and Perrins 1992, Hagemeijer and Blair 1997, Fransson and Stolt 2005.
Whitethroat. The species migration is well documented only in Hurghada, Wadi El Rayan and Wadi El Gemal. It starts migration late in the season -in April. The Whitethroat starts to migrate at the beginning of April at Wadi El Rayan and Wadi El Gemal and finishes migration at both stations at the end of April, while at Hurghada it starts migration two weeks later. According to Yohannes et al. 2009 in south-eastern Africa the species starts and finishes migration from wintering areas about two weeks later.
Lesser Whitethroat. The species migrates at the beginning of March in spring; in Ghazala station it starts to migrate about 3 days earlier than in Wadi El Rayan and finishes migration at the end of March at both stations. In Wadi El Gemal the Lesser Whitethroat starts migration about one week later than in Ghazala and Wadi El Rayan, but finishes at the same time. While in Hurghada, migration starts nearly at the same time as at the stations mentioned above but the end of the passage is one month later (end of April). The species was studied in Ethiopia, where it migrated at the same time as at Egyptian stations.
Garden Warbler. The migration of the species was well documented in Hurghada compared to the other stations. It starts migration late in the season -at the end of April, about one week later than its migration time from southern areas in south-eastern and south-western Africa, where the species migrates later than other warbler species (Ottosson et al. 2005, Yohannes et al. 2009).

Autumn
A lot of studies have been carried out to determine the timing of migratory movements of the species breeding in central, western and northern Europe, while little is known about other European regions, the Mediterranean region, Eastern Africa, the Middle East and Arabian flyways and sub-Sahara (Berthold 1996, Akriotis 1998, Yohannes et al. 2009). However, for the species with wide European breeding ranges, the timing of migration of populations breeding in southern parts is often masked by the passage of populations breeding further north (Akriotis 1998). The long-distance migrants, such as most warblers, are generally leaving breeding grounds in central, eastern and southern Europe from mid-July to the end of August (Akriotis 1998, Procházka and Reif 2002, Kesapli Can and Bilgin 2005, Miholcsa et al. 2009).
Autumn migration of passerines in Egypt starts at the beginning of September, about one week later than in southern and eastern Europe (Miholcsa et al. 2009), as in Burullus, Wadi El Rayan, Ghazala, Wadi El Gemal and Sharm El Shiekh (only one peak from 30 Aug. to 25 Sep.). However, in Hurghada the migration starts even later matching the pattern in the eastern Mediterranean, where the migration starts in mid-September (Leshem et al. 1999), i.e. about one week earlier than in Hurghada. Birds generally finish migration at the end of October.
Sedge Warbler. It is a widespread species in Europe; it migrates early -at the end of July in central Europe (Gyuracz andBank 1996, Miholcsa et al. 2009). The species arrives in Egypt about one month later -at the end of August, when the beginning of migration is recorded in Burullus, Wadi El Rayan and Ghazala. The species finishes migration at these stations by the end of October, except Ghazala, where it finishes migration about one week earlier. In Wadi El Gemal the migration of the species is obvious only in the first two weeks of September and it finishes about one month and two weeks earlier than at the other stations.
Reed Warbler. This is a widespread breeding species in much of the western Palearctic, from southern Scandinavia in the north to North Africa and the Middle East in the south (Goodman andMeininger 1989, Akriotis 1998).
Migration of the species starts at the end of August and continues to the end of October following the general timing of passerine autumn migration in Egypt and matching the time of departure from breeding grounds in western and central Europe. Migration of the Reed Warbler in southern Britain starts by the end of August / early September while further east, in the Czech Republic, departure of the species starts in mid-July to the end of August. Arrival of the western and central European Reed Warblers in south-western Europe takes place from August to October (Akriotis 1998), resembling the arrival and departure time of the species in Burullus and Wadi El Rayan, while it is different from timing of migration in both Hurghada and Ghazala, where the Reed Warbler starts migration by the last week of August, i.e. about one week earlier and two weeks later, respectively, and finishes the passage at the end of October. In Hurghada, the Reed Warbler migrates about two weeks later than in Burullus and Wadi El Rayan and three weeks later than in Ghazala and finishes migration about one week earlier than at other stations in Egypt. This could be due to different origin of passing birds and results from the latitude of breeding population which impacts the timing and distance of migration (Akriotis 1998).
Whitethroat. It shows clear migration pattern in both Burullus and Wadi El Rayan only in September, when it starts and finishes migration, i.e. about one month earlier than in other species. The species arrives about 2 months later to southeastern Africa (Yohannes et al. 2009).
Lesser Whitethroat. The species migrates at the beginning of September, which is the starting time of passerine migration in both Wadi El Rayan and Wadi El Gemal, and one week earlier at Ghazala station. The species finishes migration by the end of October. In Hurghada, the species starts to migrate about three weeks later and finishes at the same time as at the other stations. The timing of the Lesser Whitethroat migration in Egypt matches the arrival time in south-eastern Africa. Most probably, the species migrates directly through Egypt to its winter areas in south-eastern Africa and does not spend longer time on migration as the Whitethroat does (Yohannes et al. 2009).
Garden Warbler. It is probably the best studied long-distance passerine migrant in the Old World and has been a focal species for many studies (e.g. Bairlein 1991;Fransson 1995;Grattarola et al. 1999;Jenni 2000a, 2000b). However, the African, and especially the sub-Saharan part, of its migration are still comparatively little known (Ottosson et al. 2005). In Egypt the migration of the species is less obvious than in other Sylvia species. It starts migration in Burullus early in the seasonby the end of August and also finishes migration early -by the end of September. Generally the species arrives to Egypt at the same time as the median date for their passage through the Baltic Sea region and about 3 weeks before their median passage date through southern Italy (Ottosson et al. 2005),while the species arrives in southeastern Africa before the end of November (Yohannes et al. 2009)

Migration intensity
Birds crossing Egypt on their migration between the breeding and wintering grounds may divide their journey into phases of flights and stopovers before and after crossing the ecological barriers. The organization of the journey in flight bouts and stopovers is likely to depend on the availability and quality of potential stopover sites, on shortterm environmental factors and on various selection pressures (Schaub and Jenni 2001).
The intensity of passerine migration, as shown by catching results, in Egypt varies between stations and season. In spring the intensity of passerine migration is higher than in autumn. According to the results of the present study the highest intensity of migration is on the northern Red Sea coast at Hurghada. This is twice as much as the intensity of passerine migration at the Mediterranean coast in Burullus and four times more than in western desert at Fayoum. The lowest intensity of migration is at the southern part of the Nile Valley at the edge of Sahara Desert (Ghazala). This suggests that there is a question to be solved in the future: whether this means "higher intensity of migration" or "different flight strategy" over the western to eastern deserts of Egypt.
In autumn the highest intensity of migration was recorded on the Mediterranean coast, at the middle part of the Nile Delta and it was different from the western coastal area, where there was lower migration density (Kiepenheuer and Linsenmair 1965), however, this needs further studies to be confirmed. Moving further south and east in the eastern desert and across the Nile Valley, the density of migration at the northern part of the western Red Sea coast in Hurghada is higher than in Sharm El Shiekh and along the Nile Valley and western desert in Fayoum, which confirms the results of Kiepenheuer and Linsenmair (1965), Biebach et al. (1991) and Bruderer (2001).
There is a considerable decline (less than half) in migratory densities from the eastern to western deserts in Egypt. It contrasts with the situation in the southern part of eastern Egypt, where the intensity of migration along the Red Sea at Wadi El Gemal was half the intensity of migration along the Nile Valley in Aswan, so that there is a considerable increase in migration intensity from the eastern to western desert. However, the migration intensity at the western Mediterranean coast in Egypt is little known, there is an obvious decrease in migration intensity from north to south along the Nile Valley and the Red Sea Coast and the higher intensity of migration in the eastern Egypt than in the western part. This is also confirmed by Biebach et al. (1991), Bruderer and Liechti (1995) and Bruderer (2001).
The observed pattern might indicate loop migration of passerines during both seasons, when they take more eastern direction in spring than in autumn or there are differences in migration strategy in both seasons. In spring passerines are concentrated in the northern and north-eastern part of Egypt for stopover just before crossing the second barrier (the Mediterranean Sea). This is consistent with Casement (1966), who suggested that passerines performed an intermittent migration strategy, which was also reported by Biebach et al. (2000), Schmaljohann et al. (2007) and Salewski et al. (2009).
Despite the fact that the intensity of passerine migration at different sites in spring is higher than in autumn, the difference in intensity of passerine migration between autumn and spring in north-eastern Egypt along the Mediterranean coast is minimum or nearly the same. There is a considerable decline of migration intensity in autumn along the Red Sea coast from Hurghada southward and along the Nile Valley southward. In both seasons there is an obvious decline in migration intensity from the Red Sea coast westward to the Nile Valley and western desert which was also noted by Biebach et al. (1991) and Bruderer (2001), while in autumn the opposite is true only in the southern part of eastern Egypt, where the intensity along the Nile Valley is twice as high as at the Red Sea coast.
In spring the highest intensity of passerine migration in Egypt is in Burrulus and Hurghada and it is at a level of the best Middle East stations. These are unique sites for the Sedge Warbler, Little Bittern, Pied Kingfisher and White-throated Kingfisher. The lowest intensity of migration is at Ghazala station. In contrary to most of the Middle East stations the intensity of passerine autumn migration in Burullus is very high, while in Sharm El Shiekh the intensity of passerine migration in autumn is the lowestthe birds probably do not stop here and continue to fly to the northern Gulf of Akaba.
The spring migration of the Reed Warbler in Egypt is several times more intensive than the autumn migration. Similar phenomenon for this species was already reported from this region, e.g. from the Gulf States (Cramp and Perrins 1992) and Palestine (Yom-Tov 1984, Shirihai 1996, Morgan and Shirihai 1997. Moreover, this was observed for many different passerines and raptors (Morgan andShirihai 1997, Yosef andChernetsov 2004). The highest intensity of the species is in both Hurghada and Wadi El Rayan with obvious decline in migration intensity in southern Egypt. In contrary, there is higher intensity of the Sedge Warbler migration in northern Egypt in Burullus in both spring and autumn with considerable decline in intensity at all the other stations. On the other hand, the Lesser Whitethroat shows high intensity of migration in spring at all stations except Burullus, where the intensity is lower (possibly because of biotopes there), while in autumn the intensity of migration is several times higher at both Ghazala and Hurghada than at the other stations. This could indicate that Ghazala and Hurghada are the most attractive stopover sites for the Lesser Whitethroat compared to other sites. Similarly, Ghazala and Hurghada are considered as significant stopover sites for shrikes (e.g. the Masked Shrike), where the intensity of migration in both autumn and spring is considerably higher than at all the other stations in Egypt.
As it was said earlier, in Egypt the spring migration is more intensive for several species of the genus Sylvia and Acrocephalus, similarly to that in the western part of Africa, much farther to the south -in Nigeria (Ottosson et al. 2002), but the exception is the Willow Warbler. The intensity of its migration is considerably higher in autumn than in spring, particularly in Burullus, where it is several times higher than at other stations in autumn. This could be due to a loop migration, i.e. passerines use different migration route in autumn, while on return they cross the studied region heading more to east, which is cosistent with Markovets and Yosef (2005). This has been already reported for several migrant species in Eilat (Israel), e.g. the Sedge Warbler (Yosef and Chernetsov 2004), Masked Shrike, Ortolan Bunting and the Cretzschmar's Bunting (Yosef and Tryjanowski 2002a, 2002b, 2002c. However, it is also possible that the pattern is caused by different flight strategies in spring and autumn.
O¿arowska for her valuable help during the whole process of evaluating data and preparing the paper.