Tawny Owl, feature Black Woodpecker and Great Tit

0,10€ : Tawny Owl (灰林鴞) ; 0,10 € : Black Woodpecker (黑啄木鳥)
0,15 € : Eurasian Nutcracker (星鴉) ; 0,27 € : Eurasian Woodcock (丘鷸)
Belgium (2009, 2008)
16th October, 2009. Ieper
16th October, 2009. Gent

Do you remember I had introduced Tawny Owl stamps issued by Vietnam and South Korea before ? So pity that these covers are not handsome as one was not a pretty stamp and one only for make-up rate stamp. Now turn to Europe side of Belgium and Estonia, these two countries issued Tawny Owl stamps in October respectively, just few days separated. Thank you Piro from Estonia and Thomas from Belgium who sent me these two wonderful covers.

First is Belgian one, artist Buzin who drawn this stamp series near 25 years, he illustrated an owl stay in a branch at day time - although Tawny Owl is active at night. The owl of this stamp be coloured as reddish-browned feather, this sub-species S. a. sylvatica mostly appears Western European countries include Great Britain.

Another one is an Estonian Tawny Owl first day cover, designer also illustrated an owl stay in a branch but the background looks near dawn. Please note that the owl is grey colour, most of Tawny Owls live in northern Europe are having this colour feather. This sub-species named as S. a. aluco, mostly lives in North and Central Europe, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, these two covers affixed couple of bird stamps. The Belgian Black Woodpecker stamp just issued before half month of Tawny Owl stamp, this bird is one of large woodpecker of this family widely resident in Eurasian forest. Great Tit is a common songbird widely to be found in Europe and Asia.

The woodcock and nutcracker are introduced in here before, they also easily to be found in European forest or backyard.

R : Tawny Owl (灰林鴞) ; L : Great Tit (大山雀)
Estonia (2009, 2003)
8th October, 2009. Tallinn (with first day postmark)

Kakapo - it has been near extinct

Kakapo (鴞鸚鵡)
New Zealand (2005)
8th October, 2009. Te Anau, Fiorldland

Nowadays, near 110 kakapos are living in Chalky Island and Anchor Island, where are located in Fiordland National Park, the largest conservation area in New Zealand. Kakapo is one of original resident in New Zealand since pre-history, and it lost flying ability as there did not have main preys. Before the colonisation of there by Polynesian and European, kakapo is widely to be found in both north and south Islands, afterwards the population were largely decreasing to it become endanger species when the pets come with these colonial. In 1890, governor of New Zealand began to conserve this species, unfortunately this action was not successful, during the year of 1990 to 1995, only estimate 50 birds to be found in protection areas and they were facing danger by wild cats and other invasive species. Until 2005, all of kakapos moved to four special islands where all invasive species are cleaned, the population were increasing back to nowadays quantity.

Fiorldland National Park is in the south-west of the South Island, just near the largest lake in the island Lake Te Anau and the town Te Anau. Another famous endangered species Takahe (南秧雞) also to be found in this area.

Above cover affixed with whole set WWF Kakapo issue sent from Te Anau, features with New Zealand Demoiselle (紐西蘭鯛) and Kotukutuku (倒掛金鐘) stamps, which issued on 1979 and 1999.

** Remind you that this post, and all old posts related to WWF thematic, are also specially post on WWF special page. Please kindly visit there, thank you.

Miscellaneous from Taiwan

I known it is not a time have conclusion of this beautiful Taiwan domestic bird definitive stamp set. However I would like to show three miscellaneous items include below newest pre-paid envelope which related to this stamp set, when the files stored in my computer couple of time.

Island Thrush (白頭鶇)
Taiwan (2009)
23rd September, 2009. Taipei (Processing Centre)

Above pre-paid envelope issued as traditional Chinese style to suitable most of Taiwanese writing habit, locals mostly write letter and envelope in vertical style and never change their habit for a long time. Nowadays in Chinese circle, only Taiwanese still keep this habit and most of others are using horizontal or western style. Pre-paid stamp is Island Thrush originally issued on January of this year with the denomination NT$9, now changed to NT$25 for basic domestic registered mail rate.

Siberian Rubythroat (野鴝)
Taiwan (2008)
30th October, 2008. Taipei

Second one is a returned mail sent from Taipei to Hengchun, the insufficient address and receiver were quite popular in last year which come from local awarded film Cape No. 7 and its name of actress. Special seal on the left side of envelope illustrated a screen of the film postmarked by Pingtung post office.

Special thanks James of these two interested items.

Maxicard

Daurian Redstart (黃尾鴝)
Taiwan (2007)
3rd November, 2007. Taipei

The last one is a failed maxicard, there may not have any problem when take a first look. But it is incorrect due to the card illustrated Common Redstart (紅尾鴝) and the stamp is Daurian Redstart.

Rediscovered woodpecker

Caatinga Woodpecker (皮奧伊啄木鳥) ; Mottled Owl (雜斑林鴞)
Brazil (2008)
14th October, 2009. Botafogo, Río de Janeiro

After 80 years of its disappear, an example of Caatinga Woodpecker been rediscovered in Goiatins, the border between Tocantins and Maranhão on year 2006. Before this year, ornithologist though that it was extinct after 1926 and only one specimen collected by museum of Brazil but it stored in New York, it originally considered as a sub-species of Rufous-headed Woodpecker (棕頭啄木鳥) which also to be found in Brazil. On 2007, total recorded 23 individual examples live in Água Branca to Dianópolis.

Mottled Owl is a sized between 28 to 38 cm owl to be found in range from Mexico to Argentina, include Brazil. The owl is locally common of South American countries, mostly habits in dry forests and woodlands up to 7500 feet above sea level. Thanks Cristina of this pretty cover, the stamp set issued as Mercosul series, it is a regional trade agreement of South America with 5 member countries.

7th definitive stamps of South Africa (1)

R3 : Woodland Kingfisher (冠翠鳥) ; R20 : Violet-crested Turaco (紫冠蕉鵑)
5c : Palette Surgeonfish (黃尾副刺尾魚)
R1,30 (L) : Blue Marguerite (蘭雛菊) ; R1,30 (R) : Botterblom (美麗勳章菊)
South Africa (2000)
23th September, 2009. Pretoria
7th October, 2009. Hongkong

In millennium, South Africa released their seventh definitive stamps after its independence. Stamps illustrate South African flowers, butterflies, fishes and birds, and also moths of its extended issues on 2002. Only 5 high value stamps are bird thematic issue, above cover is two of them. Woodland Kingfisher is one of the most common species in Africa, mostly lives in south of Sahara. It looks similar with Common Kingfisher (普通翠鳥) but smaller, and with reddish bill. Violet-crested Turaco widely to be found in eastern African countries include Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa, it is a national bird of Swaziland.

Other species appear on this cover also seem attractive. Botterblom is a popular colourful flower of backyard or garden, original planted in east and north parts of South Africa ; and widely to be found them in Lesotho, Swaziland and Zambia. Blue Marguerite is a local wild flower, commonly planted in north and north-west of Africa. Palette Surgeonfish is a common surgeon live in the range of topical pan-Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, blue coloured body with sharp yellow tail likes a valuable jewelle. It became famous pet fish after it visible on the cartoon movie Nemo.

Seabirds of Maldives

From left to bottom :
Rf 8 : Audubon's Shearwater (奧杜邦氏鸌) ; Rf 3,50 : Cinnamon Bittern (栗小鷺)
Rf 2 : Black-headed Gull (紅嘴鷗) ; Rf 3 : Koel (噪鵑)
Maldives (1990, 2002, 2007)
30th September, 2009. Male (Processing Centre)

Thank you Clearecne selected four nice Maldives' bird stamps for me, they come from three different stamp sets issued on 1990 to 2007, four seabirds are very common to be find in Indian Ocean and they are not endangered species. Audubon's Shearwater to be found in topical islands over the world, range from West Indies, mid to east Pacific, Indian Ocean and St Helena. Cinnamon Bittern and Koel are very common to be found in southern Asia, Indian Ocean and shores of west Pacific Ocean, they breed in north and migrate to south for summer. Black-headed Gull lives in Eurasia , east from Great Britain to west of Japan, it also migrates to south like sub-Sahara, India, south-east Asia for winter.

Birds of Hongkong (2) - Overpaid and due

20c : Collared Scops Owl (領角鴞) ; $1,80 : Roseate Tern (粉紅燕鷗)
$3 : Red-whiskered Bulbul (紅耳鵯) ; $5 : Long-tailed Shrike (棕背伯勞)
$1,40 : Fork-tailed Sunbird (叉尾太陽鳥) ; 10c : White-bellied Sea Eagle (白腹海鵰)
$1 : Common Kingfisher (普通翠鳥) ; $2 : Little Egret (小白鷺)
Hongkong (re-print 2009, 2006)
22nd January, 2009. Shatin Central

After couple of months, Hongkong Post released reprint definitive stamps on July. Same as before, all details are same except top-margin printed with EX prefix number. Above cover with whole set of re-print stamps bears prefix number was sent on the day of issue. In here I shall not repeat to write these species, however there is very interesting that the cover postmarked with sign Overpaid, customer informed, it is because the total value of the stamps has overpaid the basic domestic registered mail rate, and it discovered by counter.

Oppositely, if there is not enough postage stamps to be affixed, post office will charge the due tax to customer. For domestic mail, customer normally will be charged double how much does the domestic letter owe. Below one is an example of recorded delivery mail owed 40 cents of postage, it finally be changed double. 80 cents postage due labels are affixed, also cancelled with sign To pay and regular date-postmark by North Point post box office on May 17 of 2008, very specially it was last day service of this post office and no other replacement.

Red-whiskered Bulbul (紅耳鵯)
Hongkong (2006, postage due label : 2004)
14th May, 2008. International Mail Centre
17th May, 2008. North Point

Pro Juventute (2)

In August, I have been posted a cover of Switzerland which franked full of 1968 Pro Juventute stamps. As I said, Swiss Post issued Pro Juventute stamps featured domestic birds during 1968 to 1971, here is another one cover with such stamps. Thanks zasa again of this nice cover, although I delayed two months.

Same as before, stamps are designed in small format, perhaps this reason and the huge quantity of print, the stamps not valuable in market. But the birds appear on this cover are very popular and famous in Switzerland or European countries, most of European countries have been issued stamps related to these species.

After counted this cover, I still owe 6 bird stamps which Switzerland issued, either in mint, used or in other formats. Seem it is a good record.

From left to right :
Goldfinch (金翅雀) ; Eurasian Jay (松鴉)
Redstart (紅尾鴝) ; Bluethroat (藍喉歌鴝) ; Peregrine Falcon (擬游隼)
Switzerland (1969, 1971)
14th July, 2009. Bern (Philatelic Bureau)

About bird covers : As near the end of the year, most of items are finished and only few covers are waiting for post. Situation of some covers now are waiting return back from remote countries and I guess them shall not come back very soon. Therefore it is time to slow down the update of this blog, but it is not end.

To have more attractive of the cover and avoid damage, I suggest use C6 or B6 size envelope to arrange the cover, of course it is not must. If there do not have enough space or the stamps not related to birds, it is better to frank them on back side if post office allowed.

Joint issue - Portugal and Iran

0,32 € : Western Osprey (魚鷹) ; 0,80 € : White-tailed Eagle (白尾海鵰)
Portugal (2009)
21st September, 2009. Lisbon (with first day postmark)

It is a quite interesting joint issue, originally the stamps to be issued on 24 June of individual country and all kind of thing are ready before day of issue. However only issue of Iran was come out on this day, Portugal one was suspended suddenly and to be delayed on 21 September as unexpected reason.

Here is the posted first day cover of Portugal sent by philatelic bureau in Lisbon, unfortunately I still haven't collect Iran's cover when this thread posted. Stamps are illustrated two common prey of birds of these two countries, these two bird shown here before respective in Sweden and Uzbekistan issues. So pity that stamps designed in se-tangent style but printed independently of Portugal issue.

It is third and the last bird issue of Portugal and its archipelagos in this year., other issues are Bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin and Lakes of Azores.

Biodiversity : Foundation of the Prince Albert II of Monaco

Lammergeier (鬍兀鷲) and Bonelli's Eagle (白腹山鵰)
Monaco (2008)
8th September, 2009. Monte-Carlo

To help public and private organisations develop initiatives in the fields of research and studies in area of climate change, water and biodiversity, Prince Albert II of Monaco set up a new foundation on 2008 which supports the implementation of innovative solutions. The members of the board of directors come from different countries and Prince Albert II is one of the member.

Monaco Post Office issued a stamp to commemorate this event, the stamp illustrates two prey of birds Lammergeier and Bonelli's Eagle. Lammergeier widely lives in the area of The Himalayas, Middle East and Corsica, also to be found in Kenya and South Africa. It normally diets bird eggs, wild rabbits or dead animals. It has a habit throw bones or turtle to stone for eat the preys easier.

Thanks David sent the cover from Monaco, the stamps cancelled by computer slogan postmark to promote the stamp exhibition held in Monte-Carlo on 4-6 of December.