Poultry

Poultry (家禽)
Belarus (2009)
5th May, 2009. Pochtamt, Minsk
12th May, 2009. Hongkong

It is the second poultry issue shown in here, the last one is Faroe Islands. Hens, ducks and geese are ordinary poultry, not only in Belarus. They are very common and sell in cheap price in market over the world. However there have different cook style in each country or area. The stamps and sheet illustrated the farmland in Belarus, which observed that wide birds is living together with poultry, as each stamp also has one magpie (喜鵲).

Birds of Philippines again

From left to right :
5 pesos : Brown Shrike (紅尾伯勞) ; 8 pesos : Apo Myna (阿波王椋鳥)
10 pesos : Blue-crowned Racquet-tail (藍冠扇尾鸚鵡)
50 pesos : Grey-headed Fish-Eagle (灰頭漁雕)
Philippines (2009)
4th May, 2009. Manila
5th May, 2009. Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila

Philippines reissued some domestic bird definitive stamps with new designs in this year, thanks Myron again of this cover, franked four of them on the envelope. Brown Shrike Apo Myna and Blue-crowned Racquet-tail are endemic resident species of Mindanao Island, in the south of Philippines ; moreover Blue-crowned Racquet-tail also appears in Luzon Island. Brown Shrike is very common in far east, living and bleeding in north-east China, Korea and Japan and migrates to south-east Asia countries in winter. Grey-headed Fish-Eagle is resident bird can be found in Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Burma.

Palestine Sunbird

Palestine Sunbird (北非橙簇花蜜鳥)
Israel (1993)
8th October, 2007. Kiriat Motzkin

In 1992 to 1995, Israel issued a set of definitive stamps illustrate domestic birds, total ten stamps and shown here is Palestine Sunbird. The bird also named Northern Orange-tufted Sunbird, which can be found in Israel and neighbourhood countries like Jordan and Palestine, also sub-Saharan of Africa.

Stamp illustrates male bird in black with dark-green feathers, catching a worm on the plant. The tag, is illustrate female bird flying over couple of flowers.

Domestic birds of Switzerland (3)

1,90 CHF : Red Kite (紅鳶) ; 1,40 CHF : Rock Partridge (石雞)
Switzerland (2009)
8th May, 2009. Schanzenstrasse, Bern
18th May, 2009. Hongkong

As the domestic tariff of Switzerland planned to adjust on April 1st, two new stamps issued on the same day for the domestic bird definitive series, and they separate are Red Kite and Rock Partridge will be last two of this series. Those two birds are common resident birds in continent of Europe. Rock Partridge mostly lives in forest of high mountain areas, and also can be found in north-east of China and west of America, it is popular game in China, some says its taste better than Common Pheasant (雉雞). Red Kite can be found in whole area of Switzerland, either in cities, villages or forest areas.

The design of first day cover same as last three issues, illustrated different footprints of some species. The cover also features one definitive stamp Grey-faced Woodpecker (灰頭綠啄木鳥) has been shown in this blog before.

Red-masked Parakeet

Red-masked Parakeet (紅面具錐尾鸚鵡)
Ecuador (2006)
8th May, 2009. Aeropuerto, Guyaquil

Red-masked Parakeet or called Red-masked Conure which only lives in western Ecuador and north-west part of Peru. It is a beautiful but noisy bird, sometimes can found them in cities or villages but mostly lives in rain forest which range under 1000m level. It also a popular pet in many countries as it looks cute and nice.

The cover illustrated wildlife Red-masked Parakeet flies over a village and fields in mountain area of Ecuador, and the stamp shown a parakeet taking a rest at branch. Thanks John of his great cover and postcard, they really are nice collection for me.

Greylag Goose

Greylag Goose (灰雁)
Belarus (2009)
31st March, 2009, Pochtamt, Minsk

A bird stamp issued by Belarus of same series of Year of Bird, this time is Greylag Goose, thank you Alexander again of this nice first day cover. A very common bird habits and bleeds in northern Europe to southern Siberia, includes north part of China and Mongolia. In winter it migrates to south and arrive southern Europe, seashore of Mediterranean Sea and south-east of China.

Greylag Goose doesn't be listed as endangered species, nevertheless as over-hunting or environment be damaged in area of Lake Poyang and Lake Dongting, the populations are being decreased in recent years.

Below cover was sent from Iceland on last year, with the maxicard posted in here few months ago. Same as the maxicard, the postmark is not clear enough and hard to read it.

Greylag Goose (灰雁)
Iceland (2005)
7th May, 2008. Garður

Original posted on 10th April, reversed on 18th May.

Preserve the Polar Regions and Glaciers

Arctic Tern (北極燕鷗)
Canada (2009)
27th April, 2009. Semans, Saskatchewan

In late-2008, two postal admissions Finland and Chile decided to cooperate hold a project of preserve polar regions and glaciers issue, facing the environment problem of glaciers in polar regions and high mountains are disappearing in recent years, two postal admissions known that stamp is the best media to promote this affair to each people in different corners. More than 40 countries joined this campaign and will be issued the same theme stamps in this year, here shown two of them, Canada and Algeria, different designs telling what species live in two polar regions or artist illustration of this affair.

Canadian stamps shown three species : Arctic Tern originally lives and breeds in wide range of North Pole area, after summer the bird migrates to another pole - Antarctica, for finding food until the autumn of Antarctica is coming, it flies over 38,000 km approximately between two poles in each year. Adélie Penguin (阿德利企鵝) and Emperor Penguin (皇帝企鵝), which shown in the lower part of souvenir sheet's frame are live in Antarctica.

Preserve the Polar Regions and Glaciers (保護極地與冰川)
Algeria (2009)
28th March, 2009. M'Sila (First day special postmark)
2nd April, 2009. Sétif
4th May, 2009. Hongkong

Domestic birds of Singapore

From left to right :
5c : Crimson Sunbird (黃腰太陽鳥) ; 20c : Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (白眉姬鶲)
30c : Blue-throated Bee-eater (藍喉蜂虎) ; 45c : Yellow Wagtail (黃鶺鴒)
50c : Stork-billed Kingfisher (鸛嘴翡翠)

55c : Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot (藍冠短尾鸚鵡)
65c : Common Goldenback (金背三趾啄木鳥)

80c : Jambu Fruit Dove (粉頭果鳩)
Singapore (2007)

27th April, 2009. Jurong West
4th May, 2009. Hongkong

In 2007, Singapore issued a new series of definitive stamp illustrated flora and fauna. Eight of the whole set stamps are different birds, however some of these birds are not easy find in Singapore, but they are widely live in south-east Asian countries from India to Indonesia, or migrate from northern countries in winter time. They mostly appear in the forest area or conservation parks in this country.

Above cover franked all of 8 stamps which printed in different period, four versions are marked 2007A to 2007D for indicate what version they are. Thanks Lee of his great help of this cover, and wish health of his mother being better.

White Stock

Palácio Ribeiro da Cunha, Lisbon (里斯本 里貝羅宮)
Portugal (2007)
25th April, 2009. Vila Nova Santo André, Santiago do Cacém
(features a special postmark White Stork (白鸛)
8th May, 2009. Hongkong

White Stork is common bird in south European countries and northwest of Africa. In Portugal and Spain, storks like nest at the top of highest buildings in the town, like church or clockhouse. The special postmark, illustrated a white stork finding food in wetland, was using in a philatelic function of Santo André. The place is a new town nearby Atlantic Ocean with 11,000 residents, also is a best place for white stork as there is not far away from wetlands.

Exploring in South Pole

Snow Petrel (雪鸌)
China (2002)
8th August, 2008. Guangzhong Road, Shanghai
15th August, 2008. Hongkong

Beside those traditional countries like Norway, Argentina, Australia and Great Britain, some countries especially asian countries like Japan, South Korea and China begin to explore this secret continent in recent years. They built couple of research stations in Antarctic or nearest South Pole for science observatories. Selected two series of stamps are issued by China and South Korea. 2008 is the 20th anniversary of foundation of King Sejong Station, which is a year-round station established by South Korea, the stamp was commemorated this event. China also built two year-round stations in Antarctic, they named Great Wall and Zhoungshan, opened on 1985 and 1989 separately, the stamp shown above is illustrated the Grove Mountain in Antarctic.

Left : South Polar Skua (南極賊鷗) and Gentoo Penguin (巴布亞企鵝)
Right : Chinstrap Penguin (南極企鵝) and King Penguin (國王企鵝)
Korea, Republic of (2008)
15th February, 2008. Kang Nam, Seoul (features first day special postmark)

Red Kites

Red Kite (紅鳶)
Great Britain (2007)
22nd September, 2007. Doune, Perthshire

Red Kite is a resident bird of Isles of Britain, mostly can be found in Central Wales, mid-Scotland and parts of England. However the population of the bird has been reduced to extinct by early 1900's year. After re-introduced, red kites increasing their population again in England and Scotland, and now huge numbers live in Chilterns of England and Argaty of Scotland.

Doune is in the south part of Scotland, small village nearby Argaty, it located in the west of Dundee and the north of Glasgow. The post office in Doune founded in 1793, over 200 years !

Fauna of Spain

Eurasian Capercaillie (松雞)
Spain (2009)
17th April, 2009. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Islas Canarias

From 2006, Spain post office begins new series of Fauna and Flora, two booklets with one bird and flower separately issue on each season, there have 28 stamps with 14 birds and 14 flowers have been issued.

Show here are two of bird stamps issued on 2007 and latest one issued on 2009. Two birds are very common in European countries, and Nightingale migrates to topical forest of Africa in winter each year. In Spain, two subspecies of Capercaille can be found in Cantabria region and the Pyrenees, however Canary Islands is exception place to find Capercaille.

Nightingale (夜鶯)
Spain (2007)
9th August, 2007. Torrelavega, Cantabria