Hi Richard,
Yeah it definitely wasnt thin, it just looked a bit tatty like it had done 12 rounds with Mike Tyson as the saying goes. It was opening its bill to try fend me off when I first went over to it so it had a feistiness about it. The right eye had a pale film over it and looked to be a little bit swollen hence why I thought it had an infection.

Ive seen plenty of Gulls looking worse for wear, legs missing, an eye missing, the 2 Herring Gulls visiting Redgate at the moment with their rear ends missing, and have you seen the adult Glaucous Gull currently in Cornwall...its got a gaping hole in its chest but keeps coming back daily to feed on one of the fields near the Newquay road, I dont know if thats a horrific injury or a deformity???

I just think that from what I saw, this Gull stood a chance, but subsequently wasnt given one in my view.
Sad to say, I know, but thats my opinion, and it makes you think if you are doing the right thing by contacting the RSPCA in those situations.
I remember over on the Wirral in 2017, myself and Simon Gough found a stranded young Razorbill that needed help but the RSPCA told us they dont come out to deal with Seabirds, the lad didnt even know what a Razorbill was. I felt cheated by them then too!

Unfortunately Rob, this is an all too familiar story I've had to deal with in the past. The RSPCA do a great job in what they do but in a few cases they don't give wild birds like this much of a chance depending on the level of care etc required and unfortunately, the species. I've seen gulls as tatty as this (from your pictures) that have recovered and eventually released. But on this paticular case I don't have all the facts as it especially depends on how thin it was as sometimes, a gull may appear fine but without immediate food and care, can very quickly deteriorate. But I doubt this myself in your case based on your thorough description and pictures as too the eye, looks physically fine apart from its tatty appearance. Ta!

-- Edited by Richard Thew on Thursday 5th of March 2020 08:21:17 AM

Further to the Great Black-backed Gull update...

...I called in at Redgate this afternoon, yard manager told me an RSPCA officer collected the Gull yesterday evening.
The RSPCA contacted me shortly after to tell me that unfortunately the injuries were deemed too severe and they decided to put the Gull to sleep.

Im not one to mince my words so I must say I was shocked to hear theyd put the bird down. As discussed with Ian yesterday, the resilience of Gulls and their ability to cope with severe injuries and other adverse situations is amazing to say the least and I thought that after the last I saw of it ...walking around the yard... its chances of survival were looking up. But then to be told its been put down came as a bit of a shock if Im honest!

If there were indeed serious injuries, that were undetectable with the human eye (internal?) and deemed too severe, or a condition / infection that was untreatable then Yes, I wholly agree with their decision. But knowing what Gulls are capable of dealing with, and the fact it was walking around and was seen eating after I moved it to a safe place to rest, I do find it a little bit hard to believe that euthanising the Gull was the only option.

No disrespect to the RSPCA, they do a fantastic job in the main, and like I said earlier, if it did have such terrible injuries (that I couldnt see?) or was suffering from a condition or infection that was unable to be dealt with, then I hold my hands up and accept it.

I cant help but think there was something I couldve done to help it through its ordeal and maybe give it a fighting chance, who knows???

RSPCA or a local vet; don't consider anything else.