Looks like the 2x may work out for you. I like the perch, the branch is a little too close to the head and the steep angle here doesnt work for me. The blue of the sky looks good.
Wonderful saturation in the sky. In a perfect world, I would like a little more clearance between the head and the branch, as you surmised. The reds in the epaulet are just slightly cooked, and interestingly there are some small areas blown in the red channel in the yellows as well. Just a minor tweak should get rid of both.
From a compositional standpoint, I would take a bit off the top, and add just a bit to the right. The only other minor quibble would be the fairly steep shooting angle.
Thanks for sharing!
Randy
PS: I was typing at the same time as Dan. Sorry to repeat his observations.