The preferred method of receiving records is electronically. For a copy of Guidelines for the Submission of Computerised Records contact the Membership Secretary. Records should be sent to the Database Manager in spreadsheet format, if possible as a ‘csv’ file, preferably by e-mail, or by post on a disc or CD. Help and advice is available from the Database Manager:   Geoff Blamire, Woodruff Cottage, Clamhunger Lane, Mere, Cheshire, WA16 6QG. Tel: 01565 830168 E-mail: submissions@cawos.org

If sending in paper records use the standard Record or Rarity Forms obtainable from the Records Secretary (contact details at the end) or from the Membership Secretary. For a copy of Guidelines for the Submission of Paper Records contact the Membership Secretary: David Cogger, 113 Nantwich Road, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 9HD.  Tel: 01606 832517 E-mail: memsec@cawos.org

Records will be entered into the CAWOS database. Each contributor should fill in and sign an Individual Data Transfer Agreement Form, which states that they are the copyright owner of their records and that they are willing to grant CAWOS permission to make use of their records. Individual forms (or Group/Society forms if required) are available from the Membership Secretary.

Guidelines for the Submission of Records and the Record, Rarity and Data Transfer Agreement Forms can all be downloaded from the CAWOS website: www.cawos.org or are available from the Secretary.

Notes and short articles are always welcome for possible inclusion in the Bird Report or in the quarterly newsletter Bird News. Such articles could include describing any interesting behaviour observed, or the circumstances in which a rarity was found.

 Electronic Records

Contributors can use as many columns/fields as they want; however, some are mandatory: ‘Species’, ‘Site’, ‘Date’ and ‘Number’. Please put headings at the top of each column. All entries, e.g. ‘Comments’, must be typed in on one line only for each record; it does not matter how wide the column is.

Always include a specific date, do not leave blank. If the record is a year summary for that species then simply put ‘2005’ under ‘date’. The system will also accept seasons (winter1 for Jan to Feb; spring for Mar to May; summer for Jun to Aug; autumn for Sep to Nov; winter2 for Dec) or date ranges (e.g. Jan – Mar, 13 Jan 05 to 31 Mar 05, etc), but a word of explanation in the ‘Comments’ column would be desirable, possibly essential. Create separate records for additional dates if these are particularly relevant for the species concerned; otherwise put as additional information under ‘Comments’.

Actual numbers are preferred, though the system will also cope with c100, 100+, number ranges (e.g. 50-100), and also zero (0) in the ‘Number’ field if recording the absence of a species from a usual location (with a word of explanation under ‘Comments’). An appropriate comment should also accompany weekly/monthly maxima or year/breeding summaries. Any figure in the ‘Number’ column should refer to the actual number of birds recorded, not to the number of nests or number of pairs; this information should be entered under ‘Comments’.

Where possible please refer to the published Cheshire and Wirral Gazetteer when listing the site name and grid ref. A more detailed location can always be included under ‘Comments’; in this case the more precise grid ref (if given) will still be held against that record. A new site can be added if it cannot readily be included under another site already listed, or if it is an important birding location which was missed off the original list. You must draw our attention to this new site in the main body of your e-mail and provide the 6-figure grid ref, the nearest town or village, and a suggested site name. The Gazetteer is free to members and regular contributors of records, but further copies are available at our indoor meetings, or by sending a cheque payable to CAWOS for £1.50 (incl p&p) to the Membership Secretary. Up-to-date electronic copies of the Gazetteer are also available – see 15. below.

Unidentified sightings, e.g. 'diver sp.' or 'commic' tern, and records of subspecies or races should also be sent in.

Any breeding records of 'Schedule One Breeding Species' will be automatically marked as confidential by the database. In addition, each observer has the option to mark any of their records confidential and these will not be released to any third party without the observer's prior approval. If the observer is unwilling to give an accurate description of the location, general locations may be used such as Wirral, Chester, North Cheshire, East Cheshire, Mid-Cheshire and South-East Cheshire, as listed in the Gazetteer.

The local significance of some records may not be immediately apparent. Additional comments are therefore welcomed and observers’ anecdotes are often useful in preparing a readable Bird Report. Comparisons to previous years' records are also useful.

If your sighting refers to an unusually early or late date for a particular species, please add as much extra information as possible, e.g. whether the bird was singing or not.

Electronic copies of both the Species List and the Site List are available on request from the Database Manager: submissions@cawos.org.

Electronic records should be e-mailed to submissions@cawos.org, or by post on a disc or CD to: Geoff Blamire, Woodruff Cottage, Clamhunger Lane, Mere, Cheshire, WA16 6QG.

 Paper Records

Type, print or write legibly in black or blue ink. There is no longer a need to leave blank lines between records, nor to use one side of the form only, so please use both sides to save paper.

Please fill in both the page number and the total number of pages submitted at the top of each form, e.g. page 2 of 4.

Because the records will no longer be cut and pasted, if you have many sightings under one date there is no need to keep repeating that date, but clearly indicate a change in the date by drawing a line under those entries. This also goes for locality - if you see many species from the same site there is no need to keep repeating the site name. But please make sure it will be clear to the inputters what you mean.

Again, because the records will no longer be cut and pasted, there is no need to follow the order of species as in the Bird Report. Send in your records in the order of sighting in your notebook and at frequent intervals - please do not wait until the end of the year (not applicable to computerised records). This will allow time for the records to be manually inputted into the database.

Please note: other salient points listed under ‘Electronic Records’ should be noted, e.g. the use of specific dates, accurate numbers, and Gazetteer site names and grid refs where possible, and the desirability for additional comments to put the record in context.

If paper records are sent in at the end of the year they should reach the Records Secretary by 31st January. Records received after 28th February may not be published, as records are entered in the database, reviewed and the report written starting from 1st March in order to meet the deadline for publishing the Bird Report. It helps if paper records are sent in at regular intervals in order to avoid the rush at the end of the year. Records should be sent in to the Records Secretary: Tony Parker, 41 The Park, Penketh, Warrington, WA5 2SG. Tel: 01925 726986 E-mail: tonyparker@cawos.org

Full descriptions, when required, should be written out on a county Rarity Form (available from the Membership Secretary). They may also be sent in electronically, but the information given must be the same as on the form. A complete list of county rarities is published in the Bird Report. E-mail or post county rarity descriptions as soon as possible after the sighting to the Rarities Secretary: Howard Fearn, 37 Ollershaw Lane, Marston, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 6ES. Tel: 01606 330358 E-mail: howardfearn@cawos.org

Records of national rarities have to be accepted by the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) before they are accepted for publication in the Bird Report. A list of these species is published in British Birds periodically. To allow time for circulation and approval of the record by the BBRC before the Bird Report is published, descriptions should be sent in as soon as possible after the sighting. E-mail or post national rarity descriptions to the County Recorder: Tony Broome, 4 Larchwood Drive, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 2NU. Tel: 01625 540434 E-mail: tonybroome@cawos.org