Pssst! Spoonie with a Secret

From my day on Alafia banks with James Shadle in Feb. It looks to me like this Roseate Spoonbill is sharing a secret. What do people think of this crop? I can post full frame if people want to see, I did have the whole bird and it's quite a significant crop. I just liked the intimate feel of this close view. And wanted to feature the accordion-like fold of the wing.

Canon 7D
500mm
1/1600 sec
f/8.0
ISO 400

I did clone out some dreck on the beach, and did a bit of lightening in the shadows. Slight sharpening; NR. No saturation applied, wondered if I should even desaturate!

Thanks so much in advance for any C and C!

Beautiful range of feather colors and neat pose. Seems tight at the top. Do you have any more space at the top in the file or, if not, possibly adding more canvas at the top would help.

Hi Melissa, I do like the intimacy of the image and it does look like it is whipering a little secret!! I agree it is tight at top - and bottom (I'd prefer not to see the wing clipped).

Ok, here's a repost with more room at top and below, as well as to left...I think it is an improvement. Thanks for your input, Daniel and Richard.

I much prefer the looser crop of the repost. I do prefer the luminosity of the first one though.

Well, third time's a charm. I hope. I had brightened it the second time around, as I suddenly thought perhaps it was too dark, but when I compare them now, I see exactly what you mean....hence the repost yet again. Thanks, Daniel.