Spread Eagle

I used a light hand with pixel bender and then lighten/darken center from Nik Efex 4.

Nice image and application, Nancy.

The bird stands out nicely both via color and bg contrast.

Nancy, I like the PB effect and the pose:S3: It would be nice if the knot isn't cut off - do you have a little more room at the bottom? Where was this taken - those look like nasty thorns on the tree.

Thank you Mark & Cheryl. This is a Hildebrandt's Starling photographed in Tanzania. I believe it's an acacia tree. And I thought the same thing about the knot once I saw it posted. I do have more room on the bottom.

Nancy, Nice capture on the original. I love the spread feet pose! I agree about the knot and I might be tempted to blur the rest of the thorn branch to match the rest.:S3:

A very cool looking bird, nice effects good suggestion above. Thanks for the ID, I was going to ask what it was...

Hi Nancy, love the filtering, agree on trying to blur the branch a touch. Beautiful bird. Nice work!

Great comments already mentioned, but I really like this image. Nice capture and very interesting pose of the bird between the two branches, I don't recall ever seeing this king of perch. Great filtering and very appealing image.

Love the comical pose!