Thx Brenda and Lew.
I wouldn't get the opportunity to practise on such shots if it were not for RR forum so I enjoy it and a learning experience for me too.

For reference what I did: duplicate layer changed blending mode to soft light, adjustment layers for levels and curves to do minor tweaks to suit taste, adjustment layer for HSL and desaturated Cyans and Blues a lot and increased saturation on Reds and yellows a lot (I liked the beak), finally new layer filled with mid grey 50% opacity, added a mask to it show all, used elliptical marque tool with lots of feather to make vignette and filled it with black to paint it out.

Message edited on: 01/30/2006 21:31

And every one said, 'If we only live,
We too will go to sea in a Sieve,---
To the hills of the Chankly Bore!'
Far and few, far and few, Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue, And they went to sea in a Sieve.

Edward Lear
http://www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/ns/jumblies.html