The 'Standout'

Very interesting shot you captured here. The cardinal is stellar. Great position, head turn and the techs look good. A little torn on the sparrow in the background. It makes an interesting image, but does nothing to make it a great image overall. It will be interesting to hear everyone weigh in on this.

So what was the main reason you sold the 1D M3 for a 7D M2?

I haven't purchased the 7D M2 yet Jerry, probably this summer..
Why? Image quality's near equal, although the 1D M3 does better in low light hands down.
Main reason's the 1D M3 at 3888 pixels wide made composing wildlife shots much more difficult, not much in the way of wiggle room
The 1.6x crop factor of the 7D was also a big plus for me..

Howard, the Cardinal is spectacular in detail and pose. The Sparrow is a bit incongruous, but the more I see of it, the better I like its inclusion. I may be alone in the thought, but I have felt for some time now that another place besides a single subject for the eye to stop briefly at is a relief. I just don't think that every image has to have just a subject with all other elements subordinate to it. It's sort of like having cats in a garden scene—not really necessary, but fun to see.

I like it! Great color and detail in the cardinal IMHO. Also think the sparrow adds to the image. thanks for sharing.

Hey Howard,
Wonderful look at this Cardinal, I like the framing of the composition and the inclusion of the Sparrow. I agree with Phil that when ever an additional element is provided into a scene that takes it a step above the same old - same old it's a good thing. Besides that, how often do these two share a perch and pose so well together.
I am in Florida for my 4 week spring tour and finally get'n to put my new 7D M2 thru it's paces and trust me it is worth every penny you invest. The Auto Focus features were the hardest for me to get figured out but once I did, the AF is very impressive and works very well for wildlife and moving subjects.
Glad to see you back and I hope all is well with the family.

Great framing and composition here Nice job on the colors.

I so want to get some public funding for a 400mm f/2.8 Think of all the good I could do!

Very unique image Howard. I really like the conceptual thought behind this, but I am on the fence about it. I love the fact you stepped outside of the box...I get sort of tired of birds on sticks, so bravo for that...but I find myself wishing it was maybe another Cardinal, perhaps a female in the BG, or something that adds more to the story. I think that may have put this over the top into the great category. I think the sparrow ends up taking away from the main subject a little without adding may thing back in return. Thanks for trying something different!
By the way....Congrats on the new gear!

Nice juxtaposition on the two birds, Howard. Neat composition and the Cardinal in front really works well.

Hi Howard, I like it, I think the bird at the back adds interest and depth to the photo I agree with Phil, I think it just adds to the shot when you have the environment and other subjects in the frame. Nice capture

Howard, not only is this a stellar image of the Cardinal, the inclusion of the Sparrow makes it very different from the norm, and therefore more interesting to me

Great look at this Cardinal, Howard, with beautiful colors and terrific details. The Chipping Sparrow in the background is a good addition and makes this look like the bird line waiting to get to my feeder.

I am a little late to this one Howard. Cool shot I think the comp works well here with the cardinal sharp and sparrow out of focus on a diagonal.