Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow (樹燕)
St Pierre et Miquelon (2012)
4th January, 2012. St Pierre

Do you remember the amazing photo features tree swallow family laid in fire hose? It appears on the last Canada issue. So pity that the postmark wasn't good enough - perhaps it is common in Canada. However, no worry on that, another tree swallow stamp issued by St Pierre et Miquelon this year and I was made the maxicard successfully.

Tree swallow is common to North America, mostly found in Canada and north United States. In winter, they migrate to southern United States and Mexico.

So interesting that St Pierre et Miquelon stamp feature bird-nest again but this time is hand-made wooden nest house.

Birds of prey in Hungary

From left to right :
140Ft : White-tailed Eagle (白尾鷲) ; 180Ft : Red-footed Falcon (紅腳隼)
80Ft : Eastern Imperial Eagle (白肩鵰) ; 345Ft : Saker Falcon (獵鷹)
Hungary (2012)
4th May, 2012. Budapest

Thanks to Hu of his coordinated, the first day cover successfully reached to me after few weeks of issue. But it doesn't have any damage and looks pretty. Of course, in recent years, Hungary issued many beautiful stamps and seem collectable, it is one example to show how beauty they are.

4 birds of prey are common to eastern Europe but sorry as seem hard to find postcards, I don't have plan to coordinate maxicard in short period. Hope the country will issue other bird stamps again in future.

White Stork in Albania

White Stork (白鸛)
Albania (2003)
3rd May, 2012. Tirana

Actually I don't have hope it come back as the country have many poor records to stamp collector. But it still came back, many thanks to the post office. It looks fine although the postmark not clear enough, at least most of detail still readable. White Stork, I don't need have more description of the bird, it commonly to be found in southern Europe, and of course includes Albania.

Old sheetlets cancelled on recent days

For some collectors, they don't wish the old stamps used in modern days' mail due to their logic is it looks oddly and unreasonable. However, once the stamps still have their value, and post offices accepted. Why do they ignore them outside their collection? Here is an example of Solomon Islands.

I bought two souvenir sheets in the stamp fair on February, as I missing them and they are selling in bargain price. So I try to affixed them on envelope and card then send to Solomon Islands Philatelic Bureau. As my wish, they done and return to me after a while. The first sheet issued on 1982 to commemorate the stamp exhibition in Australia, features four common birds to be found in Solomon Islands and Australia.

From left to right :
12c : Little Pied Cormorant (小斑鸕鷀) ; 18c : Pacific Black Duck (加姆島野鴨)
35c : Nankeen Heron (棕夜鷺) ; $1 : Oriental Dollarbird (三寶鳥)
Solomon Islands (1984)
2nd April, 2008. Honiara

Second sheet was issued on 1996. I owned block of 4 of whole set stamps for a long time but missing the sheet. Sadly, the sheet colour looks fade out and no attractive. I decided tear the stamp out and becomes below maximum card.

Massena's Lorikeet (馬仙納氏吸蜜鸚鵡)
Solomon Islands (1996)
2nd April, 2008. Honiara

European Bee-eater

European Bee-eater (黃喉蜂虎)
Spain (2008)
4th May, 2012. Horcajo de los Montes, Ciudad Real

Once again the redo maxicard. European Bee-eater seems common in southern Europe and sub-Sahara area during migratory seasons. In Spain, the European Bee-eater easy to be found in Extremadura and Castile–La Mancha. Tablas de Daimiel National Park is one of birdwatching place in the province of Ciudad Real, Castile–La Mancha.

Horcajo de los Montes is only a small town in Ciudad Real, with population 1,000. Probably is the nearest town to Tablas de Daimiel National Park.

Africa Hoopoe

Africa Hoopoe (非洲戴勝)
Namibia (2002)
18th April, 2012. Windhoek

What is different between Africa Hoopoe and Eurasian Hoopoe (戴勝) ? Some website consider that the colour of the features, Africa one is darker than Eurasian one. However it really hard to identify as Eurasian Hoopoe is a migratory bird which fly to sub-Sahara area during winter.

The stamp issued by Namibia marked the bird as Africa Hoopoe. The illustration of the bird really in dark brown, but two of identify website still cataloged it as Eurasian Hoopoe !