Jesse, I'm liking the splashing sand and the sense of action it gives, the gradient BG and that you got down really low. My primary nit is that the bird is headed away from you so there's no light/catchlight in the eye. I'd still be proud if this was my shot.
I kind of like this one. When I'm putting together a show I'm always looking for a slide to end with. This bird heading into the sunset could be that slide.
Great combination of action and late light color in the distance. The sand being thrown up by the feet adds interest, the bird is a bit dark and I would consider lightening it a bit.
The bg colors aresoft and lovely, and the bird traveling away works very well in this image. I think the image would be improved by lightening just the bird a bit.