Hey Lee, welcome to BPN! Don't be nervous...good of you to jump right in:)
Good preening behaviour you captured here, and I like the nicely separated barbs of the feathers being maintained. Comp is perhaps a bit tight, but vertical was the way to go. Hoping to see more from you!!
Hi Lee and welcome. This is a great place to learn. For me the beak between the fine feathers makes the image. Good details and a lovely background. I agree with the comments on the crop. Thanks for sharing.