Great capture of behaviour. Love the red ground cover (Salicornis?). The image looks overall a bit "muddy" to me. Not sure what the fix is because you have lots of contrast already. Brightening the face and eyes may make a difference.
This behaviour, which most gulls do including these Black-headeds, is associated with the establishment of a nest site at that exact location. It is an aggressive behaviour signaling to other gulls- "this is mine", as evidenced by the "hands" of the birds being exposed. A passive bird would have the hands buried in the plumage. The hands are the crooks in the wing behind the head.
Love the behavior and those chocolate-colored heads and John's explanation. The light is harsh, the contrast great, and the birds angled away from you a bit. You could have moved to your left to eliminate the last of the three problems. I love this species.
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Hi Hans,
Better angle.....but maybe getting a bit lower also. Judging by the shadow....directly below the bird.......this is mid day or very close too it. Unless it is quite a bit overcast...............not ideal for any type of photography..........especially when it involves whites!
thanks for the behavior info John!