Great job! Very clear and high quality pic. Deserves technical merit, although I personally find no interest in nature shots like this. Still, I will score you accordingly, and give this a 6.
This is a great capture of one of the fastest birds on the beach. I have no idea whether the shadow you captured occurred via luck or design, but it most certainly adds to the depiction of motion.
Very well done.... I look forward to re-visiting this image after the contest as I hope to find out the particulars regarding this image.
Edit::
OOPS.. I didn't realize I had accidently rubbed out my comment. All I had wanted to say that I adored the contrast between the colours and the background's fab.
Sorry..