Is it to tight in the frame? Are the OOF cranes in the BG a distraction?
Taken recently (couple of days after Christmas) at the Bosque del Apache
crane pools.This is great, John. Glad you flagged this for me. It might be just lucky, but getting one bird to pose sharply focused among such a crowd of birds is not only pleasing but quite remarkable. And by all means the framing works wonderfully, something I would be proud of.
Great pose and detail in the subject crane. For me the background cranes add to the interest of the photo. Well done.
A very cool catch, John. It is a bit tight, particularly on the left and top. If you have anything you can add back in in those two directions it would help. I like the crane crowd in the background. You could slightly desaturate the background o make the main subject pop more. A very nice catch.
I would agree with Dennis on the comp. But the background is fine. I love these group shots and in this one it is quite obvious which bird is the main subject - being separated mostly by it’s pose. The light is wonderful. Nicely done!
Thanks for the feedback guys, I really appreciate it. 
Great pose and light. The OOF cranes make a very good background to the main bird. To answer your question on composition, I think the frame is too tight in the bottom and also I think positioning the crane a little more to the right will make this an exceptional image.
Hi John:
Another image that just screams Bosque Del Apache. Perfect exposure. I’d prefer to see more of the frame to allow more context. To me, that’s part of the story there. Looks like an ice bracelet kind of morning!
Keith,
Right you are about it being a cold morning, one goal I have it to get some good ice bracelet shots. While I did capture a few cranes walking around or picking up their feet with ice bracelets they aren’t anything to shout home about. No cranes taking flight with bracelets, guess that’s one more reason that keeps me coming back. 
