Black Redstart in Paris

This is a Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) on a chimney directly across from our Paris apartment (in the 13th); we saw it (likely the same individual) yesterday but only fleetingly; today it maintained this perch for several minutes. Its red tail gives it its name--start is old English for tail.

Substantially cropped--view it large to really see the bird. Marylee recalls seeing a redstart here last year, but that's the only previous one we can remember. Since we arrived on Monday the other notable birds have been wood pigeons and blue tits (both relative regulars).

It's my first contribution to Blip's Big Year for birds, organized by Blipfoto's Nature and Wildlife Group--I hope there will be many more.

Edit: This evening we attended a reception in Paris for our friend Sylvie Weil's latest book, Le Hareng et le Saxophone about her husband's family, who came from eastern Europe. I blipped her here, over two years ago at a reception for the English version of her book on her family, including her aunt Simone Weil, who is a legend in France.