Birds of the Jordan Valley (2)

Common Crane (灰鶴)
Israel (2002)
25th November, 2009. Jerusalem
2nd December, 2009. Hongkong

Continuous from last Israel thread, the last stamp on this cover is not very surprisingly as it is very normally to be found in many issues of different countries, especially located the seashore of Mediterranean. Therefore, Common Crane is very commonly in this area, and of course includes Israel. The stamp illustrating a group of cranes flyover the fields of Jordan Valley, as the last description, there are about 11,100 residents living in Jordan Valley, either belong to Israel or Jordan.

The most interesting of the cover is the make-up rate stamp issued on 2009 - actually it is too sharp and covered the colour of bird stamp. It illustrates a melting earth on the cooking pan, make a serious warning to people our would is destroying if not start to protect it.

French DOM collection (3) - French Guiana

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Channel-billed Toucan (藍面巨嘴鳥)
France (2003)
21st November, 2009. Cayenne Central, French Guiana

As I need collaborate the production of new book publishing, sorry for about the late update schedule. Here I will present two covers from French Guiana and Israel on these few days of January. French Guiana is a DOM of France, seems it I have been introduced in here before - a species to be found in this South America nation. But different that is the cover really sent from there.

As the last description, the toucan is very normal to be found in the area from Trinidad to tropical forest of Brazil, sometimes may be visible in central Bolivia. There are 4 sub-species be classified and the stamp shown the nominate race R. v. vitellinus one, this sub-species mostly to be found in north-east of South America tropical rain forest.

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Crowned Solitary Eagle

Crowned Solitary Eagle (冕鵰) ; Argentine Tortoise (阿根廷陸龜)
Argentina (2009)
23rd November, 2009.
Av. Valentín Vergara (Berazategui Oeste), Buenos Aires

This time, I don't have any detail of these two species, actually I only know them are endemic or near endemic to South America,. Some Crowned Solitary Eagle to be found in Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia, mostly lives in woodland of these areas. From the Wikipedia says that it is an endangered bird of prey in South America, however I am not sure of this speech.

This stamp set issued on last year, but I didn't have any correspondent in there, this cover only sent by dealer on delcamp.com so there must bough full set of stamp from him, neither I don't collect tortoise stamp. The cover sounds nice, only one pity thing is not sent by registered mail - although I paid full charge to him.

Ostrich again

Common Ostrich (駝鳥)
South Africa (2008)
18th November, 2009. Cape Town
27th November, 2009. Hongkong

Just a short note this time, I receive this simple letter on few weeks ago from one philatelist (perhaps dealer) who lives in South Africa. Actually I found him actively as South Africa Philatelic Bureau made a big mistake of philatelic item, and this mail just a reply.

Ostrich has been shown in last Morocco thread, the maxicard seems match the orange backgrounded stamp excellently. Of course, ostrich is commonly to be found in tropical desert of Africa. From the north-westernmost country Morocco to southernmost South Africa. So it is not surprise more ostrich stamps to be shown in future.

Brunnich's Guillemot and Glaucous Gull

Front110Kr. : Brunnich's Guillemot (厚嘴海鴉) ; 130Kr. : Glaucous Gull (北極鷗)
Iceland (2009)
5th November, 2009. Reykjavík (First day special postmark)
16th November, 2009. Bolungarvík

After 4 years, Iceland issued two set of bird stamps in 2009, first one is an Atlantic Puffin (北極海鸚) sheetlet to commemorate the stamp exhibition Nordia 2009, and other one as above, however this set of stamps seems will not become new series as the post office does not plan to issue second series on 2010. Different than previous issues, the stamps designed in dark colour and illustrated, perhaps as two species mostly to be found in the region northern than Arctic Circle, to make the stamps in cold feeling.

Brunnich's Guillemot has a black coloured back, neck, head and bill but white coloured abdomen, similar with Penguins it can dive for 300 meters deep of the sea to find food. The guillemont nesting in cliff and its eggs in a pear shape. Glaucous Gull is a large gull very common in Arctic region and north part of Eurasia, in winter it migrates to North Atlantic and Pacific. It always be confused with Common Gull (海鷗) as they also in light-grey colour.

Above illustration cover has been ready in two months before day of issue, and sent to Iceland Post on mid-October. However disappointingly, the mail missed the first day cancellation of Bolungarvík due to the Hongkong Post jammed tons of mails in airport during October, It caused the mail delayed. Bolungarvík is a small fishing village in the north-west of Iceland, also is one of the nearest village of Jökullsargljufur.

I also collected a postmark of Brunnich's Guillemot, which was come from Svalbard, the northernmost region of Norway.

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Birds of the Jordan Valley (1)

L : Golden Eagle (金雕) ; R : Black Stork (黑鸛)
Israel (2002)
25th November, 2009. Jerusalem

The first post in 2010 is better to show series. Here I would show two covers from Israel during this January, which are the birds to be found in Jordan Valley. Thanks Eli of his great help to send me these nice covers from Jerusalem.

The first one is affixed with two stamps of the stamp set, Golden Eagle and Black Stork. Golden Eagle is a famous and very common prey of birds in the world, its characteristics like flying speed and the colour of feather are specially remind in people memory, mostly it to be found in valley and mountains. Black Stork also is a common bird in the world, In bleeding season, it widely lives in Eurasia, from western Europe to Far East of China, and migrate to the south for winter, like sub-African countries, south-east China or India Peninsula.

Jordan Valley is located in the border of Israel and Jordan, it is a geographical region and a a part of of Jordan Rift Valley. Now about 111,000 residents of these two countries are living in this area.

For enough postage of the mail, a make-up rate definitive stamp which issued on 1992 also be affixed on the far left of the envelope, it illustrates Tristram's Grackle (紅海栗翅椋鳥) is a species of Sturnidae (椋鳥科) endemic to the red sea area of Israel and Saudi Arabia.