Tufted titmouse + repost

Excellent detail and exposure, John.  I like the pose. 

Nice detail and sharpness on a difficult bird to photograph, John. Don't know how you feel about cloning, but I would think about removing the dark diaganal twig going across the frame.

Details look good.  The stick in the background is a major distraction for me though.
 

The stick behind needs to go. Good shot with excellent detail where it counts. You probably could have squeezed a little more 
DOF at f/8, but I don't think it would have made much difference. Next time try f/8 and see if it doesn't work better. F/8 seems to be a sweetspot for this lens on a long zoom.

You've got nice feather detail and a good exposure on the bird, but I think you are fighting too many negatives with this. The dark  branch just behind the head is an image killer for me. I also find the perch a bit on the heavy side. The near head-on view is also less than ideal.

What control do you have over the setting at the Nature Center? Is there a way to shoot from a differen angle where you might get more of a side-on view?

The sharpness in the bird is great but I have to agree with the other comments regarding stick in the bg John.

My PSE skills are not that great, but here is a re post with the heavier branch removed.  At this particular place at the Nature Center there is not a lot of room to move around. 

Hi John,

I like your repost with the dark stick removed  Nice and sharp and it is a very tight composition.  It would be nicer if the bird's head were turned slightly, but I think that this image has some cuteness and charm that justifies the shot....................Jim

An excellent example of an effective use of cloning to remove a distrction in a strong photo. The shot violates osme of the "rules" – it's tight and lacks a head turn – but it is charming and amusing as a result. Well done.