I love this shot! I'm in my "shadow" phase, and I love the shadow. I also love how crisp the head is in this shot. I'd be tempted to crop it down just a little from the top to get rid of the tip of the right wing. It makes it look like an accident. I think if is was cropped just a tad lower, it would look more like a statement.
Excellent shot! Highly enjoyable. :D (not voting, just looking :)
At first the cropping bothered me. Then, appreciating the beautiful shadow and just enough face to appreciate the carry out, I decided I love it. Nice shot. Placement of the hazy border between sand is sea is great too.