PP Suggestions?

[Bill Dix]

This fellow left his perch before I had a chance to check the blinkies and reshoot, so I grossly overexposed this image. When I adjusted the exposure to -2.00 in RAW Transfer I realized there was a serious shadow of a leaf across his face. I tried to lighten the shadow, and clone a bit from elsewhere on the head, but not to my satisfaction. I also cloned out quite a bit of distracting vegetation, desaturated the yellow, denoised and sharpened, etc. I also tried to desat the bg, but it is still too dark and distracting.

I will post the original, as shot version for comparison. Suggestions welcomed as to what I might have done (other than get the exp right in the camera), and what I might still do to improve this.

Nikon D90 with VR 80-400 @400 mm, ISO 500, 1/1250 at 5.6, Aperture priority, matrix metering.

Thanks,

Bill

[Bill Dix]

Here is the version as-shot, for comparison. Help wanted.

[Arthur Morris]

Though I like the basic idea, I do think that this one may be un-saveable. Does RAW transfer have a Recovery Slider?