"Thunderstorms wreck havoc on breeding Socotra cormorants. (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis): Information is just becoming known that the recent and abnormally heavy November rains have had a catastrophic effect on the breeding of Socotra cormorants on Sawad Al Janabiyah in the Hawar Islands Bahrain. (November average 2 mm - total so far for 1997 over 60 mm). Michael Hill son of well known wildlife photographer, author and medical doctor Dr. Mike Hill has been making a documentary film on the breeding cycle of the Cormorants. He found on returning to the Island this last week to continue his filming that thousands of chicks had died over the weekend and tens of Thousands of nests had also been abandoned. It is thought that all young birds too small to leave the sand-scrape nest and join a crèche have either drowned or succumbed to hypothermia. The death toll could run into many thousands of young Birds. He also reported that all nests with just eggs in have been abandoned and, a week on, no further laying has occurred. These nests would also have been flooded. The number of nest sites so affected runs in tens of thousand. At the rest of the colony, about half the total number with older fledglings and well into their breeding cycle seem unaffected thus far, but Michael did also report an increase in the infestation of ticks on birds found dead or dying. As soon as further information is available I shall add a full report on my Web page: http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/5267/ There could well be a a connection between El Nino and November thunderstorms. I have been in Bahrain 14 years and recall heavy rains in 1986 and again in 1987 but can't remember other years so well so I shall check the statistics and repost on this matter, but it would be interesting to find out if other Autumn ground breeding species have also been affected in any way by adverse weather during El Nino years"--HOWARD MARTIN KING <howardk@batelco.com.bh> VIA <ukbirdnet-request@dcs.bbk.ac.uk>.