Great job Mark. For this one, you need to look at the Commenters score and forget that other one. This is a great image and you have every right to be proud of it. I don't understand how anyone can give this a low score.
Excellent image. Nice detail throughout. Sharp without being overly so. I like the subtle tones in the beak. Great colors. I wonder (just out of curiousity) what this would look like in black and white.
A solid image that is crisp, sharp and properly framed and composed - a technical success in every way. From an artistic standpoint, it has significant impact being richly colored with excellant detail. A perfect demonstration of the power of properly controlled light and focus. A top ten image and a very strong contender for a ribbon. Well done.