Kestrel at our B&B

Our bed and breakfast near Charlieu includes a large 3-story building from the 16th century. The top story is a high unfinished attic with complicated rafters, in which a pair of Eurasian Kestrels  has nested. Our host says there were originally five fledglings, of which only this one lingered before breakfast.  He was hard to photograph high among the rafters, but this perch was accessible (at ISO 6400). Although our American kestrels have declined in the Northeast, they remain relatively common in suitable European habitat [a [b]edit[/b] correcting my previous statement that they are not common--prodded by my naturalist emailer].

The temperature was well into the 90˚s F (at least 35˚C) today. We spent it in the environs, visiting the Abbaye Benedictine in Charlieu, as well as churches in St. Julien de Jonzy, Semur-en-Brionnais, and Anzy-le-Duc --all excellent examples of Romanesque architecture. The last was much the best --relatively large, coherently romanesque, with wonderful capitals. When I first met Marylee in June 1994, I told her one of my ambitions was to do a tour of Romanesque architecture in France. She replied, "I've done that."  We've done bits and pieces together since, but these eight days in Burgundy will be the best so far.
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