Dickcissel Framed in Rock

I haven't seen a dickcissel for several years and darn it, managed not to get one single sharp frame of this one!! Also had taken this picture of this large rock with a hole in it, which didn't seen that interesting by itsellf, so decided to put the bird in the hole, as if that's the way I'd taken the picture. Does it work at all? Probably too much rock....

7-9-08, 3:20 & 3:26 p.m.
1DMark III, 500mm lens, 2x extender, fl 1000, on blubb
ISO 400, 11/640, f/8 for bird, f/10 for rock, EV 0
Post-processing with curves, USM, cropping, slight buzz effect on bird

Way to show some ingenuity, Anita! I like your moxy! :D

Two things: I would cut back on the overall image to make the circle more prominent in the confines of the rock but still keep it in the right third of the image. The other thing I would suggest would be to clone out a few of the branches near the bird so he and the perch really catch the viewer's attention without giving them too much to figure out.

[Way to show some ingenuity, Anita! I like your moxy! ]

LOL, that bad, Julie??? :D I think you made good suggestions, thanks!

Hi Anita.. like the idea, the rock and Dickcissel...I've added a bit, played some more..this is what I came up with...hope you like it...Paul

That's very interesting and attractive, Paul, I like it! Thanks for taking the time to do this. :)

Anita! I didn't mean it in a bad way! I meant "way to come over and do something out of the ordinary in the OOTB forum!!!" :D

Julie, I was just kidding with you, and laughing at myself for always trying to save bad pictures! I appreciated your comments, ALL of them! :p :cool:

Way to go Anita,
I like it, a rock with a picture to go...:D

LOL, thanks, Gus!