What a fantastic capture...Love the intense look and I can see it has it's catch hidden under it's hairy talons...
Head looks sharp but unfortunately the back and tail isn't as sharp for f/8 and is lacking details...you did well with that shutter speed...and at ISO 800 for 7D this is very good in terms of noise...Flash surely did the job for you...
You may need to microadjust your lens to the body -- at f8 you should have enough DOF to hold at least the back. If may be backfocusing.
Did you run NR on the upper back feathers also?
A lovely present indeed. Eyes are riveting, prey a plus, pleasant BG. I do agree about the DOF issue, but certainly on first glance the eyes are so strong that the image works very well.
Good flash use.
If you have it, a little more room top and bottom would be great.
Don brings up a good point about the microadjustment issue.
You may be able to do another round of USM on the back and improve the apparent sharpness a bit.
Vous avez eu de la chance avec ce hibou. Quel cadeau de Noel magnifique!
The head is nice and sharp. Love the wispy feathers showing up around the face. They add so much character. Would like to see more room all around this owl if you have it.