'Bloodied' Greenfinch (Carduelis ambigua)

I didn't notice through the viewfinder the red staining on the finch's beak. Then, when I saw the image at 100% for the first time, my initial thought was that it must have been scrapping with another bird, perhaps over territory. Then I realised there was a much more plausible explanation – the finch had been feeding on autumn berries and the juices were the cause of the staining. Whatever the back story, the red splashes add drama to what I think is a competent shot of one of our more common garden birds. The other aspect of the shot I'm drawn to is the perfect lighting on the bird's tail feathers…

Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100-400mm L IS USM lens, 1/50th sec, f/5.6, 400mm at ISO 400