Birds of Slovenia

From left to right :
70t : Lesser Grey Shrike (黑額伯勞) ; 60t : European Roller (藍胸佛法僧)
13t : Lesser Kestrel (黃爪隼)
Slovenia (1995)
9th October, 2007. Brežice

Those three stamps, with one another stamp issued by Slovenia illustrated its country's domestic birds. They are Lesser Grey Shrike, European Roller, Lesser Kestrel and Black-headed Bunting (黑頭鵐), which not shown on the above cover. European Roller has been shown in this blog before now just introduce other two. Lesser Grey Shrike is widely live in south and east Europe and mid-Asia ; migrate to Africa during winter ; Lesser Kestrel can be found in the areas where level higher than 3,000 feet, especially actives in the area of rocks and mountains. Same as Lesser Grey Shrike, it habits southern Europe to northern Africa, and also mid-Asia to northern China.

Alpine tundra

Left : White-tailed Ptarmigan (白尾雷鳥)
Right : Brown-capped Rosy Finch (褐頭紅嶺雀)
United States (2007)
28th November, 2008. Herndon, Virginia

The cover features two stamps came from Natural of America series again, but they issued on 2007 illustrated species of Alpine tundra. Alpine tundra is highest place of Rocky Mountain National Park, approximately one-third area is inside northern Colorado. Although it is in high-level and cold in whole year, likes as other tundra there can be found many animals and plants. White-tailed Ptarmigan and Brown-capped Rosy Finch are two normal species in this tundra, White-tailed Ptarmigan is widely can be found in North America but Brown-capped Rosy Finch only habit in Rocky Mountains and migrate to lower places in winter.

Above cover also features one Red-headed Woodpecker (紅頭啄木鳥) stamp which was issued on 1996. It still keep in use traditional format - not a self-adhesive stamp.

Voided stamp

Greater Flamingo (大紅鶴)
Portugal (2000)
8th October, 2008. Vendas Novas

Greater Flamingo is one beautiful bird in the world, it widely lives in southern European countries and africa, and also parts of Asia. As a migratory bird, it flies to southern Africa in winter. Many parks and zoos in the world also feed many Greater Flamingos. Above postage label was issued by Portugal in 2000, the denomination of the label marked as Escudo, which is old currency of Portugal and fully replaced by Euro on 2002, those stamps are not valid for postage after this year. However the above label, still postmarked on 2008 !

Northern Lapwing

Northern Lapwing (鳳頭麥雞)
Sweden (2001)
16th October, 2007. Stockholm

A beautiful maxicard from Sweden. Lapwing is a migratory bird which very common can be found in Eurasia, in Winter it lives in Europe and north of Asia, and flies to southern area like South-east China or North Africa. The postcard shown a hen feeding two chicken in grassland, mostly it nests in wetlands and breeds 3-4 eggs in each year.

Many-coloured Fruit-Dove

Many-coloured Fruit-Dove (雜色果鳩)
Fiji (2009)
2nd March, 2009. Suva

Fijian fruit dove issue again, this cover only features Many-coloured Fruit Dove. On the time of preparing the cover, postage to Hongkong was $1,70 and that means above stamps meet the Fijian postage rate. However when I checked a month ago, it is $2,20 for 30g mail, anyway it is excellent cover in my collection.

The cover on the left hand side features an overprinted stamp, original issued on 1998 but overprinted in unknown day. I have been advised Fiji Post, it didn't have answer but listed how many overprint stamps post office have. Who have more information of the stamp ? Please email to me, thanks !

Pigeons

15,00 Dinar : Rock Pigeon (原鴿) ; 10,00 Dinar : Wood Pigeon (斑尾林鴿)
Algeria (2005)
22nd February, 2009. Sétif
18th March, 2009. Hongkong

It is the second mail from Algeria and also related to birds, thank you Ouari who sent me this beautiful cover and postcard from Sétif. These two pigeons are very common in the world, especially urban area they can live together with human. They like turnover rubbish bin to find food or wait people feed them in public area, some public plaza in european cities can see a lot of pigeons stay in there. However they seem poor as they mostly preyed by human or eagle. In Chinese, Rock Pigeon is a best traditional medical food, the population had decreased in the past years.

Cover also features a Rosa x odorata (pink) rose (彩暈香水月季) definitive stamp. On the back of the cover, it is not ordinary as there have two Hongkong postmarks appeared, perhaps it maybe a mistake after the first cancellation postmarked.

Owls of Belarus

900r : Great Grey Owl (烏林鴞)
From left to right :
500r : Little Owl (縱紋腹小鴞) ; 500r : Eurasian Eagle-Owl (鵰鴞)
1000r : Ural Owl (長尾林鴞) ; 1000r : Eurasian Scops Owl (西紅角鴞)
Belarus (2005, 2008)
2nd March, 2009. Minsk

Again, thanks Alexander of the great help of the cover. This cover bearing five different owl stamps, the left hand one was issued on 2005 and other four are in one set was issued on 2008. Those owls, except Scops Owl can't be found in northern European area, they are commonly live in Eurasia continent.

The cover also features two flower definitive stamps issued on 2008, they are Petunia (矮牽牛) and Narcissus (水仙).

Greetings from Finland

Willow Grouse (柳雷鳥)
Finland (2000)
9th March, 2009. Oulu

Great thanks Susanna let me feel great surprise on this week ! She sent me two beautiful covers, one made with map is her home town Oulu, and another one is blue coloured mosaic paper with a lovely ribbon. Two of them also franked with nice bird stamps, those three species are very common in Finland and also widely of northern Europe to Far East area of Russia.

Susanna also quoted an old Finnish verse on her letter, which praises the summer will come when birds arrive. The verse as below :

Kuu kiurusta kesään
puoli kuuta peipposesta
västäräistä vähäsen
nääskysestä ei päivääkään

Left : Sky Lark (雲雀) ; Right : Siberian Jay (北噪鴉)
Finland (2003)
9th March, 2009. Oulu

Undiscovered talent

Azores Bullfinch (亞速爾紅腹灰雀)
Azores (2008)
24th October, 2008. Sete-Rios, Lisbon

In Chinese, there have a phrase undiscovered talent (滄海遺珠), it means a treasure forgotten by someone. Here are two covers received recent days, two species Azores Bullfinch and Green Peafowl have been shown here before. Anyway, I would say a great thanks to José of Lisbon and Ray of Nanjing, who sent me these two nice mails.

Green Peafowl (綠孔雀)
China (2004)
8th March, 2009. Fuqiao, Nanjing
11th March, 2009. Hongkong

Juvenile birds of pan-Antarctic area

10p : Gentoo Penguin (巴布亞企鵝)
50p : South Georgia Pintail (南喬治亞黃嘴鴨)
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2004)
12th March, 2008. King Edward Point

Very few stamps illustrated juvenile of the species, shown above was issued by South Georgia who done a best job on 2004, a set of definitive illustrated 12 different juvenile. However only seven are birds and others are marine life and deer. Above cover was for mailing maxicard which has been posted here on December of last year, with two of the stamps.

Gentoo Penguin is widely live in pan-Antarctica and Antarctica, but only breeds in pan-Antarctica islands like South Georgia. There are approximately ten thousands pairs bleed on the islands, each pair lay two eggs from early to late October, but mostly only one chick can be successfully bled each year. South Georgia Pintail is an endemic subspecies of Yellow-bill Pintail (黃嘴鴨), only 1,000 pairs currently on the islands. It can't fly (carnivore) although it is teal, mostly the couple nest on grassland to bleed their chicken.

Blue-tailed Bee Eater

Blue-tailed Bee Eater (栗喉蜂虎)

Taiwan (2003)

4th June, 2008. Tingbao (Kinning Township), Kinmen

Blue-tailed Bee Easter is one species of Meropidae (蜂虎科), it widely lives in south-east Asia, New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka and India. In Taiwan, it only can be found in Kinmen, mostly in ditch of valleys, sand-wall beside seashore or pounds and a ridge between fields. As Kinmen nearest mainland China, it was closed to public before 1993, thus the natural environment can be kept as original. However the situation changed after 1993. Most of birds will fly to Kinmen on March to April in each years with their attractive sound, until to October they leave after they bred their chicken.

Field birds in British Isles

Here I would present three items came from British Isles but they were sent from three different places respectively. Those birds shown below are very common on the islands, either in field, gardens or bank of rivers. They are small, can sing nice songs and pleasant.

Great Britain

Maxicard

Song Thrush (歐歌鶇)

Great Britain (1998)

10th June, 2008. Chelmsford, Essex

A popular garden songbird can be found in farmland and most of gardens, however the populations in England are decreasing in recent years, now it is Red Listed species. In England, there are about one million residents recorded. The cancellation of the maxicard is date-postmark of Chelmsford, a city in the east of England. There have a wetland in the town centre and most bird-watchers obverse the birds in there.

Ireland

Left : Goldcrest (戴菊) ; Right : Common Blackbird (烏鶇)

Ireland (2002)

29th April, 2008. Dublin

Goldcrest is the smallest bird in isles, mostly can be found them in coniferous forests and woodlands, also suburban area and gardens. A resident in most area through whole the year but during summer in north Scotland. Common Blackbird is the most common in field and gardens. As named as blackbird, overall its feather are black but with yellowed bill. Above cover franked with three definitive stamps, birds were issued on 2002 and wildflower was issued on 2006, which for replaces bird issue. 10c is illustrated the Mountain Avens (仙女木), a Wild Flower common to the Burren.

Isle of Man

Barn Swallow (家燕)

Isle of Man (2000)

25th April, 2008. Douglas

Barn Seallow is very common in the world, which likes nesting under eaves. Can be found them where have worms or small insects, lives in northern area but widely seen them in summer. Isle of Man is in the middle of Britain and Ireland, a part of Crown dependency of Great Britain.

Grey Heron

Coronelli's globes (文森索 柯洛內里地球儀)

France (2008)

24th November, 2008. Amilly, Loiret

Vincenzo Coronelli (1650-1718) was born in Venice, Italy. Who was a Franciscan monk and encyclopedist, also known in particular for his atlases and globes. In 1683, his friend Cardinal César d'Estrées present a pair of globes for Louis XIV, one of globe refer to Coronelli's atlases which drew in 1681-1683. The globes made with canvas showing the exploration history of five continents.

The stamp issued by France is commemorate birth of Coronelli 290th anniversary, it illustrated his globes and a Grey Heron (蒼鷺). Grey Heron is very common in the world except America and Australia, some of birds are migrating to central Africa when they live in northern area in summer, but birds in southern Africa will stay there whole year.

Above nice envelope shown the sights of Auvergne, a region in the middle of France. It includes Allier, Cantal, Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dôme four departments. Thanks Mr. Jean-Pierre who sent me this beautiful cover and cards.

National and conservation parks

Körös-Maros National Park and Órségi National Park, Hungary

36 Fo. : Great Bustard (大鴇) ; 220 Fo. : Red Crossbill (紅交嘴鳥)

Hungary (2001, 2008)

3rd March, 2009. Józsefváros, Budapest

Few days ago I received a cover has two different national park stamps sent by Majoros in Budapest, thanks for the nice mail. Hungary issued 10 stamps present all of 10 national parks in the country from 1998, they are designed in same style which illustrated bird and its environment, and also the founder. The above two stamps are Körös-Maros National Park and Órségi National Park individually. Körös-Maros National Park (501.34 km²) in the border of Ukraine, created in 1997. Órségi National Park established in 2002, located in the border of Germany and Austria where have about 440 km² protection area.

The stamps also shown Great Bustard and Red Crossbill. Great Bustard breeds in southern and central Europe, where it is the largest species of bird, and across temperate Asia. In China, some people call master of brothel is bustard, but it is national bird of Hungary and called túzok. Red Crossbill is a common bird live in North America's spruce forests to mainland of Europe and Asia.

Tapada de Mafra, Portugal

2,00 € : Bonelli's Eagle (白腹山鵰) ; 1,00 € : Eurasian Eagle-Owl (雕鴞)

Portugal (2007)

13th October, 2007. Pombal

Tapada Nacional de Mafra owned 8 km² protection land following the building of the Mafra National Palace, Mafra. Founded in the reign of Portugal king João V, now there can be found many different species like deer, foxes, birds of prey. These two bird stamps on the envelope, issued by Portugal in 2007 for Tapada Nacional de Mafra, six stamps with one souvenir sheet and only these two feature birds. Bonelli's Eagle and Eurasian Eagle-Owl are very common in Europe and Asia, sometimes they may visible in Hongkong.

Of course, I would say thanks José from Pombal of this mail.

Xianghai National Nature Reserve, China

Maxicard

Common Shelduck (翹鼻麻鴨)

China (2005)

30th July, 2005. Xianghai, Jilin

Xianghai National Nature Reserve is in the north-west of Tongyu County, Jilin near inner-Mongolia, an important conservation wetland for Red-crowned Crane (丹頂鶴) and other species. It founded in 1981 and has 105 km² area, included 5 towns and 12 villages.

China Post issued a set of 4 stamps illustrated four different birds live and can be found in Xianghai National Natural Reserve in 2005. Above maxicard is one of four, a couple of Shelducks nested bank of pound. Thanks Kristiina of her great card.

Hand-drawing envelopes

In past two months, I got many hand-drawing covers from different friends, or print the related photos on the envelopes, they are beautiful and make the envelopes more attractive. Now I would show three of them from the Netherlands and Portugal, as those covers are franked with nice bird stamps - although some stamps shown here already.

0,65 € : Hawfinch (錫嘴雀) ; 0,39 € : Great Cormorant (普通鸕鶿)

the Netherlands (2005)

24th February, 2009. Zwolle, Overijssel

The first one is from the Netherlands, two stamps are come from a set of two different souvenir sheets which commemorated 100 years of Natuurmonumenten (English: Society for preservation of nature monuments in the Netherlands), the organisation found in 1905 by Jac. P. Thijsse. These two sheets feature 8 different species and only two are birds, the cover presents Great Cormorant and male Hawfinch, and the stamp illustrated female Hawfinch.

0,39 € : Common Crane (灰鶴) ; 70+30c : Black-tailed Godwit (黑尾塍鷸)

the Netherlands (2006, 1984)

20th January, 2009. Grote Market, Goes

20th January, 2009. Rotterdam

The above cover come from the Netherlands again which illustrated with colour pencils, seems it is a White Stork (白鸛). It lets me remember pictorial books read in child time. Stamps are Common Crane (really is crane, great drawing !) and Black-tailed Godwit, they were issued on 2006 and 1984 respectively.

First roll :

0,61 € : Wilson's Storm Petrel (黃蹼洋海燕) ; 0,52 € : Razorbill (刀嘴海雀)

Second roll : 0,70 € : Black-eared Wheatear (白頂即鳥)

0,02 € : European Bee-eater (黃喉蜂虎)

Portugal (2008, 2003, 2002)

18th January, 2009. Avenida 5 de Outubro, Lisbon

Same as last cover, this cover also used colour-pencils, but it sent from Portugal. It looks very cute, especially the bill is in reddish colour, perhaps it is sharp enough in high-level area. Above two stamps have been shown here before, and other two are come from the definitive set issued on 2002 to 2003.

$1,40 : Fork-tailed Sunbird (叉尾太陽鳥) ; $1,80 : Roseate Tern (粉紅燕鷗)

$2,40 : Greater Painted Snipe (彩鷸) ; $3,00 : Red-whiskered Bulbul (紅耳鵯)

Hongkong (2006)

23rd February, 2009. Airmail Centre

At last, I would shown my illustration, this was drew at Shatin Park in last month. Those stamps are in coil format so they are smaller than normal size.

Thanks Else and Jetske from the Netherlands, and Paula from Portugal of all their great works.

Leopard Seal and Adelie Penguin

Leopard Seal (豹海豹)

Australian Antarctic Territory (2001)

15th February, 2009. Casey Station

Leopard Seal is second large seal in Antarctic, just after Southern Elephant Seal (南象海豹). Back colour is dark grey but light greyed abdomen, however it named leopard as its neck with black spots. Killer Whale (虎鯨) is its only natural enemy, smallest marine life like krill to large animal penguin also can become its food.

This set of WWF stamp shown the Leopard Seals playing with Adelie Penguins (阿德利企鵝), actually those penguins look facing danger as sometimes Leopard Seal kills them. When seal wants to catch them, it will lay under the water and wait penguins jump into water.

The cover was sent from Casey Station of AAT, that means I collected two station's postmarks. The postmark features a couple of Australian Sea Lion (澳洲海獅), they look very cute. Also have one signet on the left-bottom of envelope illustrated Adelie Penguins lay on a wooden case, do you think these three penguins look like escape the dangerous ?

Cyprus Wheatear

Cyprus Wheatear (塞浦路斯鵖)

Cyprus (1991)

29th November, 2007. Nicosia

A migratory bird only lives and bleeds in Cyprus but stays in southern Sudan and Ethiopia in winter, this species seems very common and large populations in Cyprus. This set of stamps, illustrated four different birds are juvenile, male and female, above cover is shown three of these four stamps.

Cyprus is a small island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, it gained dependence from Great Britain in 1960 however after the violence event and seized by Turkey, Northern Cyprus founded in 1975, under the support from Turkey.

Pen-pal from Kenya

5/- : African Fish Eagle (吼海鵰) ; 1/- : Red and Yellow Barbet (紅黃擬啄木鳥)

Kenya (1994, 1993)

15th January, 1996. Karatina

Have you meet pen-pal before ? It seemed a very famous hobby during 90's year of last century, just spend one US dollar and then they will send you one or two addresses. I have been met two pals come from Kenya and South Korea separately. We are not exchange mail frequency but always enclosed special things in the mail, the surprise is a piece of chocolate from Kenya ... oops ! I think I want coffee bean more. Nowadays everyone are using email and forget this interesting hobby, nevertheless there have an organization called Postcrossing which exchanging postcards over the world.

Above piece is come from an envelope, as it is too long and not convenient to keep it. Franked 10 stamps feature two different species birds, African Fish Eagle and Red and Yellow Barbet. These two species are very common in east African countries : Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. Stamps in small format as they were issued as definitive stamps, but printing quality are excellent as they printed in Switzerland.

Fijian fruit doves

From left to right :

50c : Many-coloured Fruit-Dove (雜色果鳩)

65c : Crimson-crowned Fruit-Dove (緋紅頂果鳩)

90c : Velvet Dove (黃頭果鳩) ; $3,00 : Orange Dove (橙色果鳩)

Fiji (2009)

17th February, 2009. Suva (features first day illustrated postmark)

6th March, 2009. Registration office, Fiji

This year Fiji Post issues four Ptilinopus (鳩鴿科) stamps for annual bird theme, those four doves may very common in south-west Pacific or endemic to Fiji. Many-coloured Fruit-Dove as same as its name, it has colourful feather and lives in Fiji, the Samoan Islands and Tonga. Crimson-crowned Fruit-Dove also can be found in same area, but sometimes it lives in Marshall Islands to Micronesia. Velvet Dove and Orange are endemic to Fiji, Velvet Dove can be found in Kadavu and Ono in the Kadavu Group but Orange Dove lives in the forests of Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Rabi, Kioa, Qamea and Laucala islands.

The above cover is self-printed envelope, which special for this issue, however the registered label overlapped the illustration. The postmark, is illustrated Many-coloured Fruit-Dove, it is not clear enough as the ink seem colourless.

Nightingale

Simon Gregorčič (西蒙 克萊高里)

Slovenia (1994)

20th September, 2007. Soča

Simon Gregorčič (1844-1906) is a Slovenia poet born in Vrsno, Kobarid, a small village above the river Soča. His famous poem Soči (To The Soča) is one of the masterpieces of Slovenian poetry. Slovenia issued 4 stamps to commemorate 150th anniversary of his birth and other three poets' birth or death on 1994. This stamp illustrated a Nightingale (夜鶯), a honorary title of his one lyrics nightingale of Gorica and sight of Soča.

Nightingale is in grey colour. Feathers not beautiful but it can sing nice songs. Not likes other birds, it can sing at night so it got the name as this behaviour.

Sultan Tit and Spot-necked Babbler

Left : Sultan Tit (冕雀) ; Right : Spot-necked Babbler (斑頸穗鶥)

Vietnam (2000)

30th July, 2008. Hung Vuong Road, Hanoi

4th August, 2008. Hongkong

A great mail from Vietnam, originally it may sent from Japan but it lost, so my friend sent it from Hanoi, thanks Pham his mail and stamps. Those two beautiful birds are come from a set of 5 stamps issued on 2000. Actually I like this one more than mail from Japan, as I rarely find swap partner lives in Vietnam.

These two colouful birds normally live in the range from Vietnam to Hainan Island of China. Sometimes Sultan Tit habits southern Guangdong but Spot-necked Babbler can be found in Sumatra, Indonesia.

Traditional style registered label still in uses in Vietnam. In my mail collection, only 4 countries and places same as Vietnam, most of countries now using UPU standard or barcode format labels. Vietnam has been issued many bird stamps, hope I can collect them in future.

Tibetan Bunting

Tibetan Bunting (藏鵐)

China (2002)

9th January, 2009. Qamdo, Tibet

Once again, it is my self-illustrated bird envelope features same species stamp, it doesn't look similar as the original photograph is different. Qamdo located in the eastern of Tibet, eastern bank of Yarlung Zangbo River. In Xi Han Dynasty, it was an important city of Ancient tea route, which is a trade network between Burma and Central China.

Tibetan Bunting, is an endemic species habitant in mountain area of eastern Tibet and western Sichuan, also can be found in origin and sub-branch of Yarlung Zangbo River. Now the conservation status listed as Near Threatened.

The postmark included two languages Tibetan and Chinese, and please note that the number 38 on the postmark means cancelled in 38th hour in the working day ! All post offices in minority group of China are using double languages postmark, it mostly features Chinese and local language.

Cinereous Vulture

Cinereous Vulture (灰禿鷲)

Armenia (2007)

4th December, 2007. Yerevan

Armenia is in the middle of Asia, neighbourhood of Iran and Turkey. However it has best fellowship with European countries and related unions. It issues beautiful stamps since it gained independence from former-USSR, above example is one of nice issue in 2007.

Cinereous Vulture is widely live from Mediterranean Sea to western part of China, include most mid-Asian countries. Mostly can be found in high level's grasslands and mountains, it doesn't have feather as it can't be cleaned when eating dead animals. In Tibet, it also eats dead human when locals hold sky burial.

Turkey definitive stamps

250.000 Lira : Rüppell's Warbler (魯普氏林鶯)

600.000 Lira : Melodious Warbler (優音籬鶯)

1.000.000 Lira : Chaffinch (蒼頭燕雀) ; 100.000 Lira : Firecrest (火冠戴菊)

Turkey (2004)

15th August, 2007. Konak, İzmir

Sorry for the small scan, I known that it is very small, however I forgot to save high resolution image in library. This is beautiful definitive stamp set issued on 2004, disappointed it features 8 stamps only. I hope I can get some envelopes with full of these stamps, until now I got one which sent by ebay seller. Most of species of the set not very special and have been appeared on this blog before. Exception is those two warblers. They are widely found in Europe and Great Britain. Stamps shown them clearly and I do not need any description.

Steller's Eider

Front

Steller's Eider (小絨鴨)

Åland (2001)

Back

Arctic Tern (北極燕鷗)

Åland (2000)

16th February, 2009. Mariehamn

Before I only collect bird stamps, issues from some countries are very attractive for me and continue to collect them, Åland is one of them. It doesn't issue many stamps in each year, just around 20 to 25 stamps, and they are not costly. However, it is not easy to find posted envelope from there - if not visit or travel to there.

Above mail, thanks for correspondence of Åland Post, helped me coordinate the cover. As the registered label too large for C6 size envelope, they found a plastic bag put all things together. I franked it on the back side of envelope after it arrived.

Steller's Eider is a rear migratory bird found in northern countries. As seen in the stamps, male feather is much colourful than female which only have browned colour. They bleeding in small pound but live in near shore. On the back side of the cover features another bird called Arctic Tern, it has been appeared on Portugal stamp and shown here before.

Dear swap partners, as some reasons, swap posted First Day Cover activity will be suspended on May, that means I will not have ability to send you posted First Day Cover in future, I am sorry for this information. However normal exchange will not have any change, I am happy to swap ordinary covers from your place, thank you.

Southern Florida wetland

Left : Bald Eagle (白頭鷹) ; Right : American White Ibis (美洲朱鷺)

United States (2006)

28th November, 2007. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

4th December, 2007. Hongkong

Since 1999, United States begins to issue a series of Natural of America, I have been bought first two souvenir sheets of this series. Although they are very beautiful as many species in one large illustration, one sheet contains 10 stamps cause it costly, thus I never buy continued issues. As by postcrossing, I met some friends who live in different places of America, sometimes they sent me beautiful covers with nice United States stamps. Until now, I only got two covers with different issues. Hope I can receive more in future.

First one from Pittsburgh, thank you Patty, she also enclosed some bird stamps inside the letter. I felt surprise as she has Chinese name and written it as signature in her letter. She used two stamps are come from eighth series illustrated Southern Florida wetland which located in the south-east of North America.

Chinese Monal Pheasant

Chinese Monal Pheasant (綠尾虹雉)

China (2006)

23rd May, 2008. Mount Emei, Sichuan

(features same illustration pictorial postmark)

30th May, 2008. Hongkong

A colourful blue-greenish pheasant only lives in high level grasslands, it is an endemic species only can be found in south-east of Qinghai, and mountain areas of Sichuan. Only males have beautiful feather and skin, females look similar but in dark browned colour. The bird listed as IUCN status due to illegal hunting and their living places are damaging by locals.

Cover postmarked at sight area of Mount Emei, the sight with Leshan Giant Buddha have been listed as UNESCO world heritage sites in 1996. Mount Emei is one of four sacred Buddhist mountains of China, which located in south-west of Sichuan province.