Normally I'm not crazy about images of birds perched on wires, but I thought this recent one was acceptable, partly because of the staring look. Taken from resting on the car window (no beanbag) near my home. Mid-afternoon light.
Richard, this hawk looks quite concentrated on something! The vertical comp was the way to go, but the harsh light did not do you any favours here. Quite contrasty as a result. The image also shows signs of oversharpening (halos), especially along the contours of the hawk and wire.