Caspian Gull with Injured Neck

I happened to be at Shawell again at lunchtime today and just had enough time to have a quick look at the gulls on the A5 Lagoons. The first gull I looked at was a first-winter Herring Gull with an orange colour ring. It was ringed by the North Thames Gull Group -  quite recently I presume. 

Shortly after that I came across an adult Caspian Gull. It had a large bulge in its shoulder area and judging by the way it constantly flexed its neck it must have been quite uncomfortable. This is the nineteenth Caspian Gull that I have seen at Shawell this month, which is easily a record. With a bit of luck tomorrow I should see the twentieth. Over the past few years my annual total has been about 40 at the site, but by the looks of it 2016 is going to be a bumper year. This is perhaps to be expected due to the population increase being recorded in both Germany and Poland.

I guess it won't be much longer until the status of Caspian Gull is the same as Yellow-legged Gull in the UK.

Adult Caspian Gull, Shawell A5 Lagoons - Not the Bulge in its Shoulder