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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dean Nicholson" data-source="post: 3517105" data-attributes="member: 72485">Hi all, The problem with young Caspians is, like all other large gulls that they can show considerable variation....its a fine line deciding when a bird looks so atypical that the hybrid theory comes into play. This bird is certainly no classic but i have seen 2w casps looking not a million miles away from this bird. Infact the recent 2w in Limerick also shows a rather messy looking mixture of scaps and has lots of white on its second gen tertials. The head and bill shape and position of the eye on the bird in the OP look very caspish to me, as does the white head contrasting with neck shawl? and i believe the underwing shot IS of the same bird, the mirror just looks bigger as its slightly out of focus?Guess we'll never know for sure unless other photos come to light......always find it interesting how different people interpret the same photos, all very subjective....RegardsDean</blockquote>