I like it too Lee. At first I thought it was a gannet because the long pelican bill was hidden. There's some lovely detail in the feathers here. I think the far-away gaze works nicely. Do you have the nape feathers at the top in the original? It might be good to include them. I think there might be a hint of over-sharpening in the image.
I also like the idea of a crop off top and the left just to move the eye to top left third point or close to it.
Lots of detail around eye and bill. I might also consider doing some mask work to bring up the colours a bit more.
This is a very strong portrait, Lee. I'd either include those top feather edges by adding more up top or I'd crop in really close to highlight just the face. If you leave the original crop then I'd clone over the burned spot at the bottom of the frame where his feathers meet the edge.
Great concentration and a real sense of who the bird is are evident in this image. You really captured a moment!
Pelican
