The open mouth makes this one for me, good sharpness and head angle, too. I wish for a lower angle and might lighten the shadow on the back of the head.
Fill flash would have helped bring some detail out as light angle was not ideal, but to be honest, light still works for me. Great pose, detail, open bill, BG, colors and DOF. I would crop tighter.
Congratulaitons!
Pin sharp Chris, and I can see why these guys spear their fish so easily. Those tips are very sharp. I like the colour and detail from within the beak. Well captured.
I love the wide open mouth while keeping good eye contact. For my taste a tighter crop and lightening the shadow would take this from good to very good. Thanks for sharing.