To Axel's compliments, I would add that sharpness is excellent. About the only thing I would change is that I would crop a small amount off the bottom to eliminate the small grayish area of perch projecting to the left; either that or remove it digitally. Thanks for posting!
love the BG and the sharpness here. Unfortunately they're quite common in my back yard too. I say unfortunate because i live in New Zealand! very pretty bird still. I might just clone that piece at the bottom out though rather than crop it.
Many thanks for your replies and suggestions Axel, Doug, Daniel and Edward. I originally liked that perch with the lichens but that little side branch caused me no end of problems, as you could guarantee that was always were a bird landed, so I have now binned it.
I didn't realise Euorpean goldfinch were in New Zealand. I assume they were originally transported over as cage birds, for which they were once popular. Their numbers are increasing rapidly in the UK as many more people are putting niger seed feeders out in their gardens.