1. You can see the eye on your image. I find breeding-plumage terns challenging that way–it’s often hard to see the dark eye in the dark head. Without +1 1/3 EV, the eye would have disappeared.

2. The main problem is the foreground ridge, which would have blocked the tern’s feet if you’d been on the ground. Also, I suspect the background would have become cluttered with out-of-focus vegetation and other birds.

3. I would not have removed the blade of grass.

4. I love the shadow as it is.

5. There are two patches of dark material behind and to the right of the bird’s neck thatwere removed.