7th definitive stamps of South Africa (1)

R3 : Woodland Kingfisher (林地翠鳥) ; 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 (白尾鷲)
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.

Domestic fowl of Cyprus

L : Rock Pigeon (原鴿) ; R : Red Junglefowl (茶花雞)
Cyprus (2009)
13th September, 2009. Nicosia
22nd September, 2009. Hongkong

After 18 years, Cyprus releases its new bird issue, it features four domestic fowls. Same as other similar issues, no surprising of the stamps illustrate dove, hen, geese and turkey again, but luckily stamps are different than Belarus and Faroe Islands issues. Above cover sent by Nosia affixed two separately stamps Rock Pigeon and Red Junglefowl, they are come from this Cyprus issue which have been appeared on Algeria and Timor-Leste covers before. Red Junglefowl originally lives in south-east Asia and southern Asian countries, they are widely live in forest not fed by human. The bird be imported to Europe for food since colonial era.

Common Snipe

Common Snipe (田鷸)
Algeria (2005)
10th August, 2009. Setif
2nd September, 2009. Hongkong

Thanks Ouari again in here as he sometimes sent me first day covers and other interesting items from Algeria, however I feel sinning as I haven't sent him beautiful covers, and some of them may be damaged during postal processing. Above cover with detailed illustrations of Common Snipe, was printed by Ouari himself.

Common Snipe commonly actives in north part of the earth, some of them are resident birds but they may migrate to south in winter. Normally habits alone or in a small group appear on the fields and wetlands, it owns excellent protected colours which mainly in brown and black, with some yellow or white spots. It is not easy to be observed when they stay in the fields or yellowed grasslands.

Endangered birds of India

From left to right :
Lesser Florican (鳳頭鴇) ; Manipur Bush Quail (阿薩姆林鶉)
Black-chinned Laughingthrush (黃胸噪鶥) ; Greater Adjutant (大鵚鶖)
India (2006)
8th September, 2009. Srinivasapuram

Although it is not first mail from India, it is the first completed cover with Indian bird stamps in my collection. Above stamp set with oddly coloured background released on 2006 and it also the latest bird issue, features four endemic or near-endemic species of India and now they listed as endangered situation, thanks Veeraraghavan of this excellent cover.

Lesser Florican widely lives in southern Asian countries like India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and south-west China. Different than other birds, males of Lesser Florican is smaller than female birds. Manipur Bush Quail is endemic to north-east area of India and Nepal, mostly to be found in Himalayan area, likely appears on dawn and sunset times. Black-chinned Laughingthrush is endemic to the forest of southern India Peninsular, appears on the branch over 3m high in morning and late afternoon. Greater Adjutant is a large wading water bird diets frogs and insects, sometimes it catches small birds. Population breeds in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka to Borneo ; and migrates to southern countries like Thailand and Burma in winter. The bird also to be found in China before, but as over and illegal hunting, the bird has been extinguished to the country.

Raptors and snakes in sub-Saharan area

Front

See below picture for description

From left to bottom :
Crowned Eagle (冠鷹雕) ; Long-crested Eagle (長冠鷹)
African Rock Python (非洲岩蟒) ; Gaboon Viper (加蓬噝蝰)
Mali (1996)

In sub-Saharan area, there have many dangerous animals or raptors. As the poor environment of desert area, those species need powerful weapon or behaviour to find enough food, above sheet issued by Mali shown four of species to be found in this area commonly. Crowned Eagle is a huge and powerful raptor, mostly lives in south of Saharan countries like Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad. It diets monkeys or other middle-sized mammals. Like Crowned Eagle, Long-crested Eagle also inhabits in this district, and the diet nearly same. Gaboon Viper is a large herbivore snake and also the world's heaviest viperid, widely lives in sub-Sahara and tropical rain forest of Africa. It length 120cm to 150cm, and some of them near 2m long, diets plants mainly but sometimes catches small birds and animals. African Rock Python is a non-venomous python species in sub-Saharan area, it has maximum 6m long and it is one of the longest snake in the world. However it is not much danger to human and only had few accident records about the attack.

The stamp sheet be illustrated by colourful background shown the landscape of sub-Saharan in Mail. The rock seems a Mount Hombri inside Mopti region of southern Mali, there is the highest point of this country.

Some stamps on the back side are for the make-up rate of the mail, so pity that they overlapped by French registration label, two of these stamps are issued on 2009.

Back
7th September, 2009. Bamako Darsalam
via France
18th September, 2009. Hongkong