Black-headed Grosbeak

Congrats on a new species Jim. I finally had one last year myself, so I get the excitement. Good job working with what nature gave you to make the nest of it. If mine, I might consider cropping into a vertical to get rid of a lot of the crazy branches on the left.

I think you did a really good job getting good color and sharpness in the bird itself. Too bad about the surroundings but these grosbeaks are very shy and difficult to coax into the open. I had a pair in my neighborhood for about two weeks but was never able to get a clear shot. Just my own slight head movements would be enough to send them flying. Hopefully they will return. They are beautiful birds with gorgeous markings.

Nice job on this Jim.  Good work to bring out the beauty of this bird in less than ideal light.  I agree with Kurt that a vertical crop might be more effective.

Nice look at this Grosbeak, Jim. I really like that this image displays that bit of yellow in the belly. This is a species I would love to have in my files.

Nice work Jim! I like Kurt's suggestion about cropping to a vertical to eliminate some of the clutter. Colors look good. Congratulations on the first.

Nice job nailing the focus on this one with all the branches around, Jim.  The flat light doesn't bother me a bit-sometimes it works a little better.  The Grosbeak pops nicely from the rather bright bg.