A Colour-ringed CaspianISH Gull

What a fascinating bird.  I've felt a complete spectrum of emotions over this bird, the usual elation at finding a Caspian Gull, then suspicion, confusion, inquisitiveness, disappointment, intrigue, disappointment again, perplexment, wonder.... and honestly I could go on!

I've been checking the gulls as often as I've been able to over the last few days.  There's been something of a Caspian influx in the south east, and we've had a decent turn over of gulls on the Estuary in the recent rough and wet weather, including excellent numbers of Black-backed Gulls.  And this morning shortly before 10am I spied a distant first-winter 'Caspian' Gull from Coronation Corner...

The first view I had of it was the very back end of it as it was hidden by that Great Black-backed.  All I could see was a long wing, very dark tertials with noticeable white tips, and contrasting pale greater coverts. That was enough to stop me scanning and fix the scope on it. And I'm glad I did because it then walked in to full view and looked spot on. Lovely white head and upper breast, perfect head shape and bill, a fair bit of grey in the mantle, long legs, overall noticeable bigger than surrounding Herring Gulls. Excellent.  This was all good enough to text the news out.

It then took off flew a short distance and landed a little closer, but still pretty distant. And it was still a 'Caspian' Gull...

It did now look darker than all the other Caspian Gulls I've ever seen here, the streaking behind the birds head is ok, but all that down the flanks and belly and particularly around the eye worried me a little. But not too much, it's still early November. It showed some really aggressive behavior as well, often stretching its neck out to poke its beak at a nearby landing or low flying gull  It was only now I noticed it had a green ring on its leg too, and thankfully Dad who was positioned in the Tower Hide (much closer) was able to read it. XVFM.  It then looked even better when it stretched its wing...

Excuse the quality of this pic, I was just taking the phone away from the scope when it stretched so I quickly pressed the button. Lovely crisp white underwing and slightly paler inner primaries.  I then found out thanks to Rich Bonser that a four letter coded green ring is a Caspian Gull ringing scheme in East Germany, coordinated by a chap called Ronald Klein.  I really was elated by this, we had nailed a ringed Casp on the Axe. Epic.

It then took off and flew south, I didn't look at it much in flight as I was busy taking photos. But reviewing these it's still looking ok...

Again for a first-winter Caspian Gull it does look quite dark underneath, but wing pattern still ok with a lovely dark secondary bar and narrow white lines either side of it, and a restricted pale inner primary window, although it is missing the classic dark greater covert bar.  Seems to be a good Casp tail pattern too.

I thought this was it going, often large gulls do this and disappear out to sea never to be seen here again. But to my amazement it dropped back down on to the mud lower down the Estuary.  So I jumped in my car and followed.  Within about a minute I was there, and looking forward to the prospect of getting some top notch patch Caspian Gull photos as it would now be much closer. My bins went up to check which of the two settled large gulls it was, and... "what the ****!"

This is when the cycle of most of the emotions mentioned in the first paragraph of this post began.  To my eyes this no longer looked like the Caspian Gull that is was, not by a long way....

Eughhhhh. Overall shape, bill, legs, head shape, mantle and I think tertials (although not perfect) still ok. Not to mention the perfect Caspian Gull ring! But it just looked gross.  Except for the lowest two or three, the greater coverts are far from being plain, too many notches and bars surely? And now all that streaking around the head (especially the eye), neck, flanks and belly did indeed look too heavy.  PANTS.

I've sent the ring details in, along with some photos, and will post what comes back. And please I would love to read other peoples opinions on this bird. But in my view this is just not Casp enough and it's got to be a hybrid (presumably with a Herring Gull?).

It's only thinking about this some more though that I am starting to feel more positive about this bird, how many confirmed definite Caspian hybrids have been recorded in the UK? Certainly none in Devon anyway. This could turn out to be the most educational gull that I've ever seen.

As I said, all comments welcome please, and I will post the ringing details when I have them...