Thanks very much to Ming and GeoffW for this.
Just one small clarification I need to make. For records that extend the known period of occurrence, we usually require an 'Unusual Record Form' to be completed, with substantiation to be provided in the form of notes or photos. I've sent this to Ming.
Even though in this case this is an extension by only one day, ideally we require something. This may seem rather demanding, but, as you may imagine, if we have five such one-day extensions, then we have extended the period of occurrence by 5 days without evidence, which is less than ideal.
We do try to be as flexible as possible and judge each case on its merit, but at the same time we have be fairly sure we make an appropriate decision. We all make mistakes as observers of birds, and this is why we have a review system.
As for 24 July report, given that this would be a 2-week extension of the known period of occurrence, we certainly would require good substantion of this record.
Finally, the Records Committee would like all observers to get into the habit of submitting records at the end of each year, in the way GeoffW describes. He does a great job in trawling through the Forum, but it's inevitable some will get overlooked. I'm sure he's also got more interesting things to do with this time!
GeoffC
