'Coy'

Very cool, Howard. I know a lot of avian do a similar thing at times when sleeping. He is so peaceful looking here I was starting to relax to nodding a bit myself......

As an alternate look I might loop the twigs in the upper middle above his head and give them the content aware just to see how it looks. That is the only ones in the group that are a slight draw to me.

Regardless, this is a very neat take on this little hawk....

For Paul B.

.................

Nice image. I like this. It is different.The colors are beautiful.

Beautiful, Howard.  Wonderful to get this species preening.  I know it's cheating, but I'd be very tempted to steal the eye from a pose without the nictitating membrane deployed and clone it into this image, even though I know it's not realistic.

Lovely pose, bg and perch.

Beautiful pose, Howard. Re. the twigs, they initially did not bother them, the I looked at the version without them and thought, "sure, better without them", then I looked again at the original and thought it looks empty without the twigs. I'd leave them...if anything I'd try to remove the out of focus one on the right edge.....

Howard,

Great pose here with "muted" colour, I think it looks better without the twigs but they are not really a problem for me

Neat pose with nice soft lighting Howard, I think it would make a nice vertical as well.

Hi Howard,

Both versions look good, but I prefer your repost slightly..............................Jim

Very interesting behavior, and not something I've ever seen a Coopers do. Have you considered a vertical composition?

Not sue I have ever caught one doing this..at least not that I remember. Nice image Howard. Love seeing different behaviors like this. As far as the twigs....I was actually wondering what it would look like as a vertical which would get rid of all the little twigs. I like it with the twigs with this crop, but without as vertical. Nice work!