Golden Crowned Sparrow

[dankearl]

Taken on neighborhood walk yesterday.
I am sure people have noticed the lack of people and activity have had a huge effect if you live in an urban area. More birds, a lot less noise in the city.
A lot less pollution.
Worldwide. Incredible.
D500, 500pf, f5.6, 1/640, iso640

2DS_0636bp.jpg (http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=185668&stc=1&d=1585801966)

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Dan ... nice one !!
Some might say the tail across the twig is not that great ... I do not care .

Looking at the image I do see two minor issues , for the given overcast light I do think the colors are " too warm " , I would expect an overall cooler appearance . For sure a matter of taste .
Second thing is the sharpening ... does look too strong for me , depending on your workflow an easy fix .. as your enemy is the white fringe of the sharpening ( any sharpening method ) . The white fringe is more evident and visible as the lighter things jumping more into our eyes , making things look sharper and on the same hand making them look more " crunchy " or over sharp !!! By reducing the light fringe/ halo or whatever you want to call it ... one can overcome the dilemma .

Last thing is just for my understanding .... why are you having that much grain in your images , even at low Iso settings ???!!! Her you have eliminated almost 99 % of them by using NR to the BG . But you have forgotten .... a small section where it is visible !!! The area between the legs is showing these artifacts ... just want to know where they are coming from ???

TFS Andreas

[John Mack]

Nice view of this sparrow. Like the pose and how the bird is right in the crotch of the tree.

[William Dickson]

I like the detail and pose on the bird...BG is nice but for me the perch is too much.

Will

[Dorian Anderson]

Good stare from this guy, and I like the look at the claws. Yeah the perch has a strong presence, but this is a proper field photograph and not an artificial set-up. I've wanted a shot of this species for years and not been able to get one yet.
They are skulky and tough to get in the open unless on the ground (boring). I do not have issues with the temp/color as presented. I do see the little noise artifact Andreas note between the feet. Otherwise a nice image!

[Dave Harwood]

Dan, How important it is to get out and spend time in a place where we can be reminded of nature's abiding vitality. That, in essence, is the narrative your shot conveys: a sparrow looking straight ahead with full confidence. Technically, maybe just a tad over sharpened, maybe? It's a toss-up because bringing to attention the barbs and rachis to this degree has value. Otherwise, the composition and the handling of what was probably a very busy background are well done. Your offering is a gift for the rest of us. Thank you! Dave Harwood