'Shake a tail feather'

After shopping in Gloucester late this afternoon, I drove to the nearby River Severn and walked along the eastern bank near Stonebench. I hadn't been there before but I knew about it as it is reputed to be a good spot to watch the regular Severn Bore.

The sky was rather overcast and the tide quite low and a strong wind from the west was driving upstream. There weren't many birds about, but at one point a group of gulls floated down the river. Several of them were dipping under the water as birds do when they wash their feathers. Then this gull took off and as it rose a few feet above the water it suddenly twisted its head and shook its whole body to shake off the water.

It was quit e along way away so i couldn't see the spray until I looked closely at the photo on my return. But you cans see its head is nearly upside down.  I've added a second image as an 'Extra photo' taken immediately after showing its head even further round and a lot more spray being shaken off it like a dog. I have never seen them do this before let alone in flight.