Loveday crewelwork: Blackbird finished (almost!)

The last stitches on the back of the Blackbird body were super quick to embroider! Some stem stitch at the left edge in the photo below and the seeding around the black leaf shapes and I was ready to move to his head. (For some reason this bird is a "he" rather than a "she". Don't know why....)All three areas are worked in satin stitch and, again, I took the time to outline each ear with split stitch before I did the satin stitch in that area. I embroidered the dark grey area first, then the black and lastly the lighter grey, working from the background to the foreground. To help me keep the stitches going at the correct angle I drew in stitch guidelines.The next bits were the eye and the beak. This time I didn't edge the eye with split stitch - the area is too small! - before I worked satin stitch in the middle. The white is a french knot sitting on top of the satin stitch.Stem stitch around the eye and the satin stitch beak were the last bits to do and the Blackbird was finished...almost.There are tiny beads and silver thread to add when I am all finished with the rest of the piece. I decided that the delicate beads around his eyes and the pretty silver thread that will outline his body might get more wear on them as I stitch, so it would be best to wait until the very end. He looks pretty chipper though, doesn't he?