Nice comp Stuart. I like the dof and colors here. One dark streak in the top right catches my eye too much. I would rotate crop to make the ripples level if it were mine. The dark ripples midway down look natural for BG.
Yes, the second one improves the shot IMO. It's interesting how the bird looks brightly lit but the water looks somewhat subdued - a bonus that makes the bird stand out nicely. Exposure looks right on, except I might hope for better detail on the feet. Nice eye catch too.