Below is a before and after of a recent image I took.
Run raw file through DX Pure raw. Noise reduction and import to photoshop
Exposure correction
Layer mask used to adjust background - Levels/curve adjustment
Layer mask used to adjust subject - Level/curves and minor contrast increase
Removal of distractions - Dust spots and a small reed caught on the tail.
There really isn’t much more to it than that. This is a general idea of what my workflow looks like for most of my wildlife images I’ve taken.
I’ll try to make a few more of these and detail my workflow in more depth in the future. I often get asked how I edit my images so I hope this gives you a bit of an idea!