World Wetlands Day 2010

0,01 € : European Green Woodpecker (綠啄木鳥)
0,02 € : European Bee-eater (黃喉蜂虎)
0,30 € : Rock Pigeon (原鴿) ; 0,45 € : Red-rumped Swallow (金腰燕)
Portugal (2002, 2003, 2004)
2nd February, 2010. Olhão (features special postmark)

On 2 February of each year, more than 95 countries mark the day as World Wetlands Day to commemorate Ramsae Convention signed on the same day of 1971, an Iranian city on the seashore of the Caspian Sea. In each year the day will have different theme, and the theme of 2010 is Wetlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change. As well as before, many events arranged by different organisations over the world ; the stamp exhibition held in Olhão was one of the event. Olhão is a town located in Algarve, the southernmost Portugal. It nears Ria Formosa and the nearby lagoons are important wetland and also is one of natural park of this country. In each year, many birds migrate from northern Europe for winter.

Above pre-paid postcard shown a special postmark of this stamp exhibition, the actress is Pied Avocet (反嘴鷸) which is commonly to be found in Ria Formosa Natural Park. The pre-paid postcard is part of series Aves de Portugal definitive stamps shown as well as before, and now the stamps were not valid for postage in Portugal.

On the opposite side of Portugal, the African country Algeria also has some wetlands located in the southern basin of Mediterranean Sea. Below two maxicards shown Pied Avocet and Greylag Goose (灰雁) respectively, also are common birds of El-Kala National Park, lakes area nearby El Kala. Although the cards cancelled at Sétif, the postmark date are interestingly marked on the 2nd February, 2011 !

MaxicardPied Avocet (反嘴鷸)
Algeria (2001)
2nd February, 2011. Sétif

Greylag Goose (灰雁)
Algeria (2001)
2nd February, 2011. Sétif