It is the same perch and background but different pose.
Also I removed the spent Thistle head from the right. Full frame, cut from vertical.
(I moved the bird to the left in the frame but not much as the larger negative space just did not look good.)
Thanks for looking.
Canon 1D MIV
Canon 500 f4.0 L IS II + Canon 1.4x III
ISO 400
1/250 s
f 7.1
Super shot very elegant gorgeous details. My only suggestion would be to consider moving the bird slightly to the right and maybe a 4:3 ratio, much as I love the image as is it looks very "central" to me.
Excellent image Karl! I like the pose, perch, exposure, sharpness and BG. I would take a little off the right side and add it to the left comp wise. Still a beauty as presented.