Red-backed Shrike

Red-backed Shrike (紅背伯勞)
Estonia (2010)
13th May, 2010. Tallinn

Same as Belarus, Estonia also issues 'Bird of the year' in each issue year. Thanks Piro again she sent me the first day cover in this year, it makes my series not be suspended. This year, Estonia Post selected Red-backed Shrike and Grey-backed Shrike (灰背伯勞) to be actors, however the stamp only shown Red-backed Shrike and other one only appears on the first day cover.

Shrikes are beautiful birds with long-tail, the family widely to be found in Eurasia, Africa and North America, most of shrikes are catching insect, small manuals and small birds as their diet. Above two species, Red-backed Shrike and Grey-backed Shrike, are commonly inhabit and breed in Eurasian area, they will migrate to sub-Sahara area for winter.

Birds of Ecuador

From left to right :
Toucan Barbet (巨嘴擬鴷) ; White-winged Swallow (白翅燕子)
Crimson-rumped Toucanet (緋腰巨嘴鳥) ; Blue-crowned Motmot (藍冠)
Ecuador (2010)
14th May, 2010. Aeropuerto, Guyaquil
15th May, 2010. Guyaquil (Mail Aperture Centre)

During the stamp exhibition Birdpex 6. Many countries issued couple of stamp to commemorate this event, most of them are bird theme. In last month, here shown the Belgian one which celebrates the 25th anniversary of Buzin stamps, long life amazing bird definitive series. This time, is a beautiful bird set from a South American country - Ecuador. Thanks John of his great mail with whole set of attractive stamps.

Toucan Barbet is endemic to Ecuador and Columbia, this locally bird nowadays listed as near threatened as inhabit loss and illegal cage-bird trade. The bird to be found in humid forest of the west Andean slopes. White-winged Swallow is a resident bird of northern part of South America, it normally lives near water. The bird is quite commonly to be found in related area. Crimson-rumped Toucanet is endemic to humid Andean forest, where the range from Ecuador, Columbia and Venezuela. Different than other toucans, it looks green colour with partly reddish tail, and also the bill is in red colour. Blue-crowned Motmot is a beautiful bird as a jewellery fly in the wide range of forests and woodlands, from southern Mexico to central South America. It specially has a bluish crown with orange-brown features.

Birds, joint issue of Singapore and Malaysia

From left to bottom :
$1 : Black-naped Oriole (黑枕黃鸝)
$2 : White-belled Black Woodpecker (白腹黑啄木鳥)
40c : Asian Fairy Bluebird (銀耳相思鳥)
Domestic rate : Red-throated Sunbird (紅喉太陽鳥)
Singapore (2002)
24th April, 2010. Thomson Road

Each year, Singapore Post issues a set of stamps in common theme and design with other postal administration. They are mostly related to both countries in natural, culture, sport or scene. Above cover featuring a set of Singapore-Malaysia joint issue stamps released on 2002, illustrated four different domestic birds which common in both countries and South-east Asia.

Singapore is a small islands country in the southernmost of Malaya Peninsular, the country lacks of natural areas but exception in the middle and west parts of the island where are the wide nature reserves or reservoirs protected by government, in the meanwhile the government actives in making the country green, so it won the name 'Garden City' in the world. The cover was sent from the Thomson Road post office, where is located in Thomson area, nearby MacRitchie Reservoir and its nature reserve.

Ducks of Ireland

Ducks - from left to right :
60c : Red-breasted Merganser (紅胸秋沙) ; 48c : Tufted Duck (鳳頭潛鴨)
65c : Gadwall (赤膀鴨) ; 1,00 € : Garganey (白眉鴨)
Ireland (2004)
Definitives - from left to right :
60c : Atlantic Puffin (北極海鸚) ; 41c : Chaffinch (紅腹灰雀)
48c : Peregrine Falcon (擬游隼) ; 10c : Common Kingfisher (普通翠鳥)
Ireland (2002, 2003, 2004)
21st May, 2010. Cork (Mails Centre)
27th May, 2010. Hongkong

In my opinion, most of Irish stamps give me greyish, boring style. Perhaps the weather of there is humid and rainy all the year, it fades out all of colour. Anyway, some of stamps are still collectable. Above cover, and one shown in miscellaneous page are examples of recent Irish stamps using same demonstrated style. The ducks shown as above are very common in Ireland and European countries, Red-breasted Merganser and Gadwall also to be found in North America. All of four species are migratory birds, they will fly to south during winter.

The selected definitive stamps shown four domestic birds in Ireland, they widely and easy to be found in cliff, waterfront and backyard of the resident. Cork is the second largest city of Ireland, the Irish name Corcaigh means swamp.

Piping Plover

Piping Plover (笛鴴)
Barbados (1999)
5th May, 2010. St Lucy
6th May, 2010. Bridgetown (Registration Branch, GPO)

Piping Plover is a small size plover as little as House Sparrow (麻雀), it looks sand colour ; the legs of adult plovers in orange colour, and also with black brand between two eyes. During the breeding period, birds will have one more ring in the neck. Piping Plover mostly breeding in the coast of Five-lake zone, Canada ; also the Atlantic coastlines of Canada and the United States. In winter, they will migrate to south as far as Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean islands.

Above WWF series stamp issued by Barbados on 1999 shown the plover's eggs, juvenile, males and females respectively. The background illustrated they mostly appear on the bank or waterfront. In Barbados, only few (not more than 100 populations) Piping Plover to be found in each year during migratory seasons, they mostly live in north and east side of the country. This cover, was sent from St Lucy post office where is the northernmost parish of Barbados.

International Year of Biodiversity (4) - Hungary

Blue Tit (藍山雀)
Hungary (2010)
18th May, 2010. Józsefváros, Budapest

It is the forth cover related to International Year of Biodiversity, however I shall not collect them all due to some stamps are expensive and out of my topic. So here is the example to shown only the bird one from the whole set, and other three are other species to show how biodiversity of Hungary is.

Blue Tit is a common garden song bird in Eurasia, their diet habit is pests especially aphids (蚜蟲) but nowadays many people set up a garden behind their home which also have seed cans to attract Blue Tit and other common garden birds.

European Year of Nature Conservation

European Year of Nature Conservation (歐洲環境保護年)
San Marino (1995)
9th February, 2010. City of San Marino

In recent years, nature conversation is the hottest theme to discuss over the world, many cities, countries or regional organizations held number of events and meetings. Generally speaking, these events and meetings are not very useful to the world especially some countries do not want to be a vanguard as they may lose benefit and advantages. Anyway, at least in some countries, mostly in third-world countries, parts of nature areas be conserved. In 1995, San Marino, or most of European countries issued a joint theme stamp to commemorate European Year of Nature Conservation, above cover shown this example but unfortunately it sent after 16 years. The five stamps only featuring two birds Winter Wren (鷦鷯) and Mandarin Duck (鴛鴦), they almost commonly to be found in Europe.