Black-billed Amazon Parrot

Black-billed Amazon (黑嘴亞馬遜鸚鵡)

Jamaica (2006)

5th January, 2009. Kingston

It is second mail with parrot stamps from Caribbean, thanks for Jamaica Philatelic Bureau kindly helpful. The last one is from Cuba which is also WWF issue has been shown in here before. Same as Cuba Parrot, Black-billed Amazon is a sub-species of Amazon Parrot and they are endemic in Cuba or Jamaica separately. Amazon Parrots are commonly in green colour however their bill or head is in different colours. In recent years, it is very common to find them in pet markets, they are very beautiful but noisy enough.

Spur-winged Goose

Spur-winged Goose (距翅雁)

Guinea-Bissau (2001)

24th December, 2008. Bissau

Guinea-Bissau again, it is second mail from there after a week of first mail. Of course, this mail same as last one which comes from the request of 2007. Stamp is come from a beautiful sheetlet issued on 2001, I have this sheetlet however don't want to use it as it is hard to find. Posted envelopes from Guinea-Bissau are rare in market so dealers mark them in high selling price, I bid one before and it costed me 10 euro.

Spur-winged Goose has been suggested be a national bird of Gambia, actually it lives in southern of Sahara of whole Africa mainland and southern of Arab Peninsular.

Christmas Island Imperial-Pigeon and Hawk-Owl

(L) Christmas Island Imperial-Pigeon (聖誕島帝鴿) and

(R) Christmas Island Hawk-Owl (聖誕島鷹鴞)

Christmas Island (2002)

8th August, 2008. Christmas Island

A beautiful gutter block appears on the envelope cancelled by special cancellation of Christmas Island which illustrated Christmas Red Crab (聖誕島紅蟹). Those three species are only can be observed in Christmas Island and its neigbourhood Cocos (Keeling) Islands, these two area are overseas territories of Australia located in eastern Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia. They have their own stamps inscriptions are Christmas Island or Cocos (Keeling) Islands separately. However those stamps are valid for postage in Australia mainland.

Birds of Hongkong (1)

Although Hongkong is a small place in the world, it is a good place for bird-watchers, in Maipo, Taipo Au or parks in urban area can be found different species of birds. In the end of 2006, Hongkong Post issued a set of new definitive stamps featuring 16 different birds, Little Egret has been introduced in here last month, now is other stamps of this bird series.

$1,40 : Fork-tailed Sunbird (叉尾太陽鳥) ; 20c : Collared Scops Owl (領角鴞)

10c : White-bellied Sea Eagle (白腹海鵰) ; $5 : Long-tailed Shrike (棕背伯勞)

$3 : Red-whiskered Bulbul (紅耳鵯) ; $2 : Little Egret (小白鷺)

$1 : Common Kingfisher (普通翠鳥)

Hongkong (re-print 2009, 2006)

22nd January, 2009. Shatin Central

White-bellied Sea Eagle is not common in Hongkong but mostly can be found in Victoria Harbour. A couple became a news last year as they nesting on electric pagoda in Aberdeen. Collared Scops Owl, Folk-tailed Sunbird and Red-whiskered Bulbul are commonly found in urban parks. Kingfisher can be found in country parks near reservoir and Long-tailed Shrike in fields of northern area. Above is the first day cover of third reprinted definitive stamps (paper margin printed with ES-prefix running number), hand-drawing illustration is a Long-tailed Shrike resting on thorn.

Maxicard

Northern Shoveler (琵嘴鴨)

Hongkong (2006)

20th October, 2007. Santin

Four high values of the set are little bit larger and featuring security perforations. Two maxicards with those two stamps shown Northern Shoveler and Common Magpie.

Maxicard

Common Magpie (喜鵲)

Hongkong (2006)

22nd October, 2007. Garden Road

Tristan da Cunha - remotest inhabited islands

8p : Nightingale Finch (南丁格爾地雀) ; 3p : Sooty Albatross (黑信天翁)

5p : Antarctic Tern (南極燕鷗) ; 1p : Kerguelen Petrel (短嘴圆尾鸌)

Tristan da Cunha (2005)

15th September, 2008. Tristan da Cunha

Tristan da Cunha is in the middle of south Atlantic Ocean, 2,816 km from South Africa and 3,360 km from South America. Only 300 inhabitants living in the island daily and make it be the remotest inhabited islands in the world. Many seabirds can be found in the islands, especially Nightingale Islands and Gough Island. Gough Island is designated as a world heritage site by UNESCO for wildlife reserve. Seabirds are come from Southern Ocean Islands and Antarctica. Commonly are Albatross, Penguin, Petrel.

The first envelope are sent by regular mail, 5 stamps are low value definitive stamps issued on 2005. Kerguelen Petrel, Sooty Albatross and Nightingale Finch are endemic birds only recorded in Nightingale islands. Below envelope sent on the same day by registered mail. Spent three months on its own way to Hongkong via South Africa. Gough Island Finch also is an endemic bird recorded in Gough Island.

Gough Island Finch (戈夫島地雀)

Tristan da Cunha (1996)

15th September, 2008. Tristan da Cunha

via South Africa

20th December, 2008. Hongkong

Birds of Taiwan

NT$34 : Japanese White-eye (綠繡眼) ; NT$20 : Eurasian Magpie (喜鵲)

NT$15 : Tree Sparrow (麻雀) ; NT$7 : Eastern Turtle Dove (金背鳩)

Taiwan (2008)

5th June, 2008. Sing-an, Taipei

Since 2007, Taiwan releases a set of definitive stamps featuring 16 Taiwanese domestic birds, most of species are very common in Far East or special in Taiwan. The last four of part 4, country name on the stamps changes to Republic of China (Taiwan), have been issued on last week. Here shown two of first day covers, part 3 and part 4 of this definitive stamp set which sent by James and David. Thanks for their excellent covers. The extra stamps on the below cover are Siberian Rubythroat (野鴝) and Long-tailed Shrike (棕背伯勞).

NT$0,5 : Greater Painted-snipe (彩鷸) ; NT$9 : Island Thrush (白頭鶇)

NT$13 : White-breasted Waterhen (白胸苦惡鳥)

NT$17 : Yellowish-bellied Bush-warbler (黃腹樹鶯)

Taiwan (2009)

15th January, 2009. Ai 3rd Road, Keelung

(featuring first day special postmark)

19th January, 2009. Hongkong

Diving Petrel

Common Diving-petrel (鵜燕)

French Southern and Antarctica Territory (2001)

17th September, 2008. Port-aux-Français

A very common diving-petrel inhabit in sub-Antarctica, Indian Ocean and sometimes southern Australia and America. It also named Smaller Diving-petrel or Diving Petrel. Envelope was sent from Port-aux-Français, which is an island in the south of Indian Ocean. Spent near a half of year to dispatch as it needs go through Reunion and France. The postmark on the left-bottom marked the location of the island.

Chinstrap Penguin

Chinstrap Penguin (南極企鵝)

South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands (2008)

10th July, 2008. King Edward Point (First day special postmark)

9th September, 2008. King Edward Point

via Falkland Islands and London

7th October, 2008. Hongkong

One of new WWF issues in 2008. A cute penguin species in the world which normally seen in South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, South Orkney Islands, and islands around Antarctic Circle. They also call Ringed Penguins or Bearded Penguins as they are look like wearing black helmets. Cover is not sent on first day of issue due to the transport problem, it bears a regular postmark on the back side with one 90p Chinstrap Penguin and 5p definitive stamps.

Caribbean's birds (3) - Cuba

Cuban Conure (古巴小鸚哥)

Cuba (1998)

21st December, 2007. Havana

24th January, 2008. Hongkong

A special cover from secret country, the country closed over 50 years but now it beginning open to the world. Cuban Conure only breeding and living in Cuba, the population fewer than 5,000 individuals. However, from the data of BirdLife, it still appears on domestic market for trading. On the meantime, two domestic bird stamps also appear on the cover, they are Wild Turkey (野火雞) and Helmeted Guineafowl (珠雞). Seem all the birds can be found in Cuban markets.

Red Junglefowl

Red Junglefowl (茶花雞)

Timor-Leste (2005)

16th September, 2008. Dili

22nd October, 2008. Hongkong

Red Junglefowl is origin species of domestic chicken, mostly found in South-east Asia and partly India. In China, some of them live in south part of Guangxi, Yunnan and Hainan, moreover it protected by law currently. Red Junglefowl also a national bird of Timor-Leste, it appears on the coin and above stamp. Thanks the information listed in Portuguese forum, I sent cash to there and advise these stamps. so surprise they are using UPU standard registered label now, as their labels were provided by Portugal Post in recent years.

European Roller

European Roller (藍胸佛法僧)

Lithuania (2008)

8th September, 2008. Vilnius (First day special postmark)

6th October, 2008. Vilnius

11th October, 2008. Hongkong

A very common and large globe population bird in the old days, which can be found from Eurasia to North Africa, estimated 100,000 pair recorded in Europe. However the amount decreasing largely in following years, nowadays only 30 pairs can be observed in Latvia and Lithuania and no record of Estonia and Central Asia. The conservation states now is near threatened. This first day cover sent after a month of issue day, beside these 4 nice European Rollers, two bird stamps franked on the back side, which they are Great Snipe (巨鷸) and Corn Crake (長腳秧雞) separately.

Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail (針尾鴨)

Congo, Republic of (1991)

22nd May, 2008. Brazzaville

A very common migratory bird can be observe in Eurasia and North America, sometimes can be seen in wetlands near equator but no record in Republic of Congo. The postcard shown a pair of Pintail which are male and female separately, seems look very different than the stamp, it is because male in winter will change their feathers.

This request I sent on January of 2008 to Brazzaville and come back on June, I surprise post office sent it by registered mail with French regarding letter.

Caribbean's birds (2) - Cayman Islands

Vitelline Warbler (卵黃林鶯)

Cayman Islands (2006)

27th August, 2008. Seven Mile Beach

Cayman Islands issued a set of bird definitive stamps in two years ago, they are beautiful but also expensive enough, the highest one is CY$20. I tried to send IRC and some stamps to exchange some mint stamps, unfortunately it disappear. Afterward I sent US$5 notes to their, and exchanged back few stamps.

Here is one of 12 stamps, 50c is Vitelline Warbler. Only Cayman Islands had issued this species, of course as it only can be found in there and Honduras.

Mallard

Mallard (綠頭鴨)

Faeroe Islands (2007)

7th February, 2008. Nólsoy

Happy new year ! Most people only collect wide birds or specify which family like penguins, terns or owls, however I don't have any specific, I collect those stamps which they are beautiful enough. Mallard now is a very common domestic bird, but also widely seen in wetlands or pounds of Europe and Asia.

Total values of stamps on this envelope are high enough, totally 60KR (around HK$92 in February of 2008). I sent six IRC to Faroe Post to exchange these three stamps, you can think I earned about HK$10 (IRC in here is HK$14 per sheet). But, I sent the request by registered mail, did I earn ?