Sri Lanka returned cover

On 2003, Sri Lanka issued a sheet of Resident Birds of Sri Lanka, it features 25 pretty birds from bulbul to hornbill, it as well as a bird cyclopaedia. Most of birds are endemic to Sri Lanka or its nearby country India, and some of them are first time appear on stamps Thanks to Dharshana, I got first ten mint stamps on 2007 and arranged a Black-necked Stork (黑頸鸛) maxicard afterwards, however he never send it back to me until now. I felt very upset and disappointed to him.

FrontFrom left to bottom :
Scarlet Minivet (赤紅山椒鳥) ; Blue-faced Malkoha (小綠咀地鵑)
Sri Lanka Scimitar Babbler (霍氏鈎嘴鶥) ; Painted Partridge (花彩鷓鴣)
Red-backed Woodpecker (小金背啄木鳥) ; Malabar Pied Hornbill (冠斑犀鳥)
Jungle Owlet (林鵂鶹) ; Rufous-bellied Eagle (棕腹隼鵰)
White-rumped Shama (白腰鵲鴝)
Sri Lanka (2003)
8th February, 2010. Kandana*
20th February, 2010. Hongkong
8th March, 2010. Nawalapitya*

Nevertheless, after four years, thanks to my Sri Lanka friend George who works in Maldives, he sent me a beautiful cover features 9 from this sheet when he came back to his country. Unfortunately he wrote incorrect address on the envelope and it only could be bounce back to Sri Lanka. Above scan picture shown the cover which he sent me again in another envelope. The envelope with two cachets 'RETURN / RETOUR' (CN15) and 'STA30' (number of delivery beat of Hongkong), all of them postmarked by Shatin Central delivery office, also the office postmarked a machine date-stamp on the back side of envelope. Very sorry I don't know Sinhala, so I misunderstand the postmarks of Sri Lanka which appear on both sides.

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The very first definitives of TAAF

From left to right :
0,40 F : Brown Skua (褐賊鷗)
1,00 F & 0,50 F : Southern Rockhopper Penguin (南跳岩企鵝)
0,30 F : Light-mantled Albatross (淡額黑信天翁)
French Southern and Antarctic Territory (1956, 1959)
31st January, 2010. Martin de Vivies, Amsterdam Island

Since November of 1955, French Southern and Antarctic Territory (In French TAAF) begins to issue its own stamps. The first one, overprinted red-text on Madagascar's Long-tailed Ground Roller (長尾佛法僧) stamp which originally issued on 1954. After half year, the first new four TAAF stamps were ready to public and released on April of 1956 ; and afterwards on the December of 1959 and November of 1960, the territory released more 6 stamps. These ten stamps illustrated couple bird species of the territory and above cover was selected 4 of these stamps.

Brown Skua, as known as Great Skua is a long-haul migratory bird commonly live in tropical Atlantic and Southern Ocean regions. Except its food fishes and rotten animals, It also attacks penguin's chicken and eggs. Eastern Rockhopper Penguin is a sub-species of Rockhopper Penguin (跳岩企鵝), it is very similar with Western Rockhopper Penguin (西跳岩企鵝) but it breeds in sub-Antarctic islands of Indo-Pacific Ocean. Light-mantled Sooty Albatross is the near-threatened species also to be found in sub-Antarctic region's islands. In last 100 years, the populations decreased over 25% to 58,000 pair of birds.

Martin de Vivies is an only habitation of Amsterdam Island, where different than other islands of the territory it has mild and oceanic climate. There to be found trees and a critically endangered species Amsterdam Albatross (阿島信天翁) only have 130 populations is endemic to this island.

Birds of the Serbian cities

22d : House Sparrow (家麻雀)
33d : Caucasus Black Redstart (高加索赭紅尾鴝)

46d : Rock Pigeon (原鴿) ; 50d : Great Tit (大山雀)
Serbia (2010)
12th April, 2010. Belgrade (first day postmark)
26th April, 2010. Kanjiza
5th May, 2010. Hongkong

In last month (April, this post was written on mid-May), Serbia Post issued a set of attractive bird stamps with Serbian city sights, they are Pigeon Highflier, Great Tit, House Sparrow and Black Redstart respectively. These four birds are commonly to be found in south-east European countries, especially in the cities of this area. The Pigeon Highflier, also calls Rock Pigeon but the stamp shown Serbia one is in oddly reddish colour. House Sparrow is widely lives in Eurasian area, however due to the destruction of environment, the bird near extinct in Guangdong area of China except Hongkong and Macao. Black Redstart, formally called Caucasus Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros ochruros is a sub-species of Black Redstart which only to be found in Eastern Europe and Caucasus.

Each stamp designs match major signature of each cities. Rock Pigeon shown the castle nearby Tašmajdan Park, Belgrade. There is one of the famous places to see pigeon in the world. Great Tit stamp illustrates panorama of Subotica in background, the building looks like local town hall. Subotica is a border city of Serbia with 10 thousands population. The stamp of House Sparrow also illustrates sight of Belgrade, but it is Kalemegdan and the shore Sava River. The last one, Black Redstart shown Lazaric Church of Kruševac.

This pair of beautiful first day covers also have attractive illustrations Common Dove and Rock Pigeon separately, thanks Lajsák of his great help who sent me the covers from Kanjiza.

Saddle-bill Stork and Black-cheeked Lovebird

FrontK200 and K900 : Saddle-billed Stork (鞍嘴鸛)
K300 and K500 : Black-cheeked Lovebird (黑頰情侶鸚鵡)
Zambia (1996)
30th March, 2010. Kansenshi, Nodla
30th March, 2010. Nodla
31st March, 2010. Lusaka

Do you remember a cover from Malawi features a WWF stamp set of Nyasa Lovebird (尼亞情侶鸚鵡) ? It was a great and lovely stamp set in WWF series. Until now, only two stamp sets in WWF series are featuring species in Agapornis (情侶鸚鵡) genus, Malawi one is the second and the first one issued by Zambia on 1996 which shown as above. Above illustrated cover affixed whole set of stamps sent from Nodla, so you can find all two species in the stamp set. As well as last two Zambian mails, this cover be regraded by Mr. Ramsey, many thanks for his great help.

Saddle-billed Stork is a great stork widely to be found in sub-Saharan area, from Sudan to South Africa. Height 1,5m and the wings can be width 2,7m, except head, neck, back and tail in black colour ; black legs with pink knees, and huge reddish with black bar bill, it almost in white. The bird mostly lives in tropical marshes and wetlands, nesting in branch with deep and wide nest. Black-cheeked Lovebird is mainly in green with blackish head and reddish bill, it is endemic to Victoria Waterfall area of Zambia, as it habits in relatively small range area caused the bird easy be effected by habitat change, now it listed as vulnerable in ICUN list. Same as most lovebirds, it also is a popular pet over the world, in wild area it mostly inhabits woodland.

Above cover was sent from Kansenshi, where is a town in south-west of Nodla. Below is the back side of above envelope demonstrated how the mail processing in Zambia. And also a maxicard features Black-cheeked Lovebird, thanks Yoram of London, who had exciting safari trip on late-May.

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MaxicardBlack-cheeked Lovebird (黑頰情侶鸚鵡)
Zambia (1996)
31st May, 2010. Nodla

Elections

Eurasian Coot (骨頂雞)
Belgium (2010)
23rd May, 2010. Puurs

In May 12, Belgian Post issued a special Buzin definitive features Eurasian Coot, it specially for domestic election mails costs 0,28 €. After a while I sent an advise to dealer that I would collect a copy of mail, unfortunately he objected my advise but he suggested that he can make an example for me - that is shown as above. The national elections of Belgium will be held on 13 June of same year.

Eurasian Coot is a common bird in Europe, it looks black except white of their head. Coot mostly builds the nest on grass or dead reeds, birdwatchers maybe easy to find them as it is a noisy bird, it sounds whole day and night.

Common birds of the Faroes

From left to right :
70 Øre : Faeroe Common Snipe (法羅田鷸) ; 250 Øre : Whimbrel (中杓鷸)
180 Øre : Islandic Oystercatcher (冰島蠣鷸)
The Faroes (1977)
13th April, 2010. Tórshavn

Few days ago, on April 26. I received back the philatelic request of the Faroes, it was my second times to send things to this northern beautiful islands, the first one was a registered mail featuring poultry sent on 2008. The islands, located between England and Iceland is a territory of Denmark, it began to issue its own stamps since 1976 and above illustrated cover, seems one unidentified cliff in the Faroes, featuring two sets of bird stamps issued on 1977 plus one Beaked Whale (梭氏中喙鯨) WWF stamp issued on 1990.

Those three species are commonly to be found in the islands. Faeroe Common Snipe is a sub-species of snipe which only lives in Iceland, the Faroes and Shetland Orkney ; the bird will migrate to Africa for winter. As well as the snipe, Islandic Oystercatcher also is a sub-species of oystercather, the bird mostly to be found in northern area and also migrates to south during winter. Islandic Oystercatcher is the national bird of the Faroes. Whimbrel is also a migratory bird to be found in northern Europe and northwest Asia.

25th anniversary of Buzin

L : Little Grebe (小鸊鷈) ; R : Common Buzzard (鵟)
Belgium (2010)
12th April, 2010. Antwerpen

Thanks for Thomas his surprise, I found above mail in my mailbox on April 20, very luckily it avoided the suspension of air traffic on mid-April. This year, to commemorate the series of bird definitive stamps issued 25th anniversary, the post office specially issued a souvenir sheet featuring five bird of preys to mark this event during Birdpex 6, an international philatelic exhibition related to bird theme. Above cover features one stamp from the sheet and one definitive stamp issued on January respectively. Little Grebe and Common Buzzard are commonly to be found in Eurasia, however the grebe is minatory and buzzard is resident. In each winter, the grebes will migrate to sub-Saharan countries and Australia.

The cover also have an autograph of Buzin, it is the second cover with his signature.

Seabirds of the Faroes

In the beginning history of the Faroese independence issues, it released couple of bird stamp sets, below three attractive and fantastic maxicards are affixed with the Faroese seabirds stamp set issued on 1978, and cancelled with three different secret and remote (at least for non-Faroese) places' postmarks respectively.

Northern Gannet (北鰹鳥)
Faroe Islands (1978)
12th April, 2010. Vestmanne

Vestmanne is a westernmost town of the Faroese largest island Steymoy, the island also is the location of Faroese capital Tórshavn. There has a tunnel and road link between two towns and nearby islands and towns. In the north-west of Vestmanne is a good birdwatching place as there is a cliff to provide breeding place for number of seabirds. Gannets, puffins and skua are ordinary visitors of this area.

Northern Gannet is a common seabird in north Atlantic to be found in east and south of Iceland ; western Steymoy, the Faroes ; northern Scotland and coast of Canada and Newfoundland. The species with large number of population and is a migratory bird, in winter it migrates to further south of Atlantic.

Atlantic Puffin (北極海鸚)
Faroe Islands (1978)
9th April, 2010. Mykines

Mykines is a small village located in the westernmost island of the Faroese named same name as Mykines, only 11 inhabitant live in the village whole year. However, it is a colonies of seabirds especially puffins. It is quite oddly for foreigner but very normal in local, puffin is a daily food in the Faroes. Residents always climb up the cliff to catch puffins and their eggs. In the Faroes, all parts of puffin are useful and never wasted.

Faroese Guillemot (法羅海鴉)
Faroe Islands (1978)
8th April, 2010. Kirkja

Kirkja also is a small village with population 25 in the north-easternmost island Fugloy. The village has a road connect to another village Hattarvík where has 17 inhabitant. However the island doesn't have road connect with other islands and helicopter or ferry are only transport between neighbourhood islands. In the north-west of the island also is a famous birdwatching place of the Faroes, as same as Vestmanne, there has a attractive cliff to seabirds.

Faroese Guillemot is a sub-species of Common Guillemot (普通海鴉), the main different of the sub-species is it only to be found in the Faroes and it has white lines from eyes to its neck.