Without the title this photo doesn't convey anything about earliness. Even with the title it's laboring an idea that the photographer is asking the viewer to accept based soley on invention, not on what the image actually portrays. It's an interesting composition. I like the sharp contrast and the expanse of water although this is a bit extreme. A tighter cropping would bring more focus to the bird without sacrificing the composition. I'd like to see the rock outcropping eliminated from the frame to clean things up a bit.
I know there are those who like simplicity but this is too plain for me. I would have liked more texture in the water or something else to grab my attention.