Hi Dale,
It's not so much about "truth" as it is about being receptive to your environment and making on-the spot decisions as to where you want the shoot to go . For me I am always looking for different ways to shoot something whether it the angle ,light or incorporating more dynamic elements in a static frame. It's fun... Despite the outcome of this image, it's a learning process and always appreciate the feed-back.
As far as adding a bird with Photoshop it's not my style to add elements to my images. I do take things out though. Like that piece of litter in the foreground that you didn't see or dust on the sensor and even out of focus birds in the shot. Don't get me wrong, I love to throw plug-in technology at some images to see what sticks but I don't add things or do composites ( I'm not skilled enough).
Blair