Thank you very much for your comments. The body is indeed dark since it is backlit. The s/n ratio is in the verge of becoming non-printable so there is no room for more processing in PS :)
Julie said it. To capture a dusk creature like that in flight.. that would be the day..! Not sure how well he illustrates the movie, but it sure is an interesting little feller' :)
Light, DOF, and colors - all good. One detail: I wonder if his chest/belly are a little dark? Impossible to say without seeing the original of course - I'm merely guessing since you mentioned contrast curves (but not masks or blend modes).
