Cardinal portrait

[Tom Barry]

[bnnrcn]

Lovely image, I wish its tail was also in the frame.

[Texas Dave]

Me too, (wish the tail was in the frame), but still, very nice capture and great detail. I like how her feathers look like brush strokes. Good job!

[Whistletown Wilds]

Nice shot but I have never observed a Cardinal perch like that.

[Shadowman]

Nicely done.

[Wavelength]

Very cute, isn't it? loved it

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Tom,

I was so taken with the close up detail I didn't actually notice the tail was missing

If mine I would have dodged the eye a little to give more detail there and burning the beak a little to separate it from the equally bright background, however, it is still a great shot, well done.

Regarding the pose, I'd suggest s/he was just there a few moments to check a potential food source (feeder) was safe to approach - but that's pure guesswork.

[Tom Barry]

Thanks for all the comments. I deliberately did this shot as an avian version of a head-and-shoulders portrait, not a full-length shot. As for the pose, I've seen this pose many times with many birds at this tree, and I think it is, as has been suggested, wariness due to the proximity to a feeder which draws many seed-eating birds which in turn attract some small hawks.

[IzzieK]

Very nice and detailed shot...I love it...

[ied]

Awwww... how cute is that. Did I mention i/we are avid birders?

Irene

[NorthernFocus]

Nice technicals. Too tight IMO. I guess I'm a traditionalist when it comes to birds.