Gene Hunn raises an interesting problem because there is something of a
consensus (not absolute, but a strong majority opinion) that the names of
those who leave reports on hotline tapes are privileged information, unless
callers specifically say it's okay to use them. Most compilers respect
this implicit understanding, and names of observers are rarely given in the
public summary tapes. Hotline compilers take responsibility for the
rarities they announce -- based in large part on their confidence in the
reputation of the observers -- and there seems to be an unwritten rule to
protect the privacy of callers until a bird has been satisfactorily
confirmed, rather like a reporter not revealing his/her sources for a
breaking story. Bottom line: you have to trust the compiler's judgment,
or else ring him/her up and ask your questions.

But then, of course, hotline administrators are not rarities committees (if
they were, you could wait up to three years to learn that the Great Knot
you once thought about chasing was in fact a grapefruit). So the only way
to increase the probability of an identification like this, in its earliest
stages, is for more people to look for the bird and report it if they are
lucky enough to find it. Or, for the more risk-averse, you can choose to
wait until the bird is thoroughly nailed down before you go after it -- if
it's still there, that is. Ahhh, choices!

And finally, we should remember that many superb field observers (and
hotline operators) are not on-line. Maybe we "wired" folks shouldn't
expect the world to turn faster for everybody else just because we have the
illusion that it does so for us.

Happy chasing one and all! Or happy waiting!

Hal Opperman