Very nice image... I look forward to seeing what lens you used. Excellent composition, placing the bird off center gives him punch... all the lines (esp his tail) help lead you back to him when your eyes wander. I notice a little catchlight in his eye and I was wondering if you used a fill flash to obtain that or was it natural?
This photo jumped out at me when I was viewing the thumbnails. The brilliant red of the cardinal against the earthtone backgroung truly fits the challenge.."Burst of Color" Good job.