Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Tree Sparrow (麻雀)
Macao (2013)
1st November, 2013. Macao

Eurasian Tree Sparrow is widespread in the towns and cities of eastern Asia, but in Europe it is a bird of lightly wooded open countryside, with the House Sparrow breeding in the more urban areas. The Eurasian Tree Sparrow's extensive range and large population ensure that it is not endangered globally, but there have been large declines in western European populations, in part due to changes in farming practices involving increased use of herbicides and loss of winter stubble fields. In eastern Asia and western Australia, this species is sometimes viewed as a pest, although it is also widely celebrated in oriental art.

Tree Sparrow (麻雀)
Macao (2013)
1st November, 2013. Centro Cultural

Our city in a Garden

Our city in a Garden (我們的花園城市)
Singapore (2013)
18th October, 2013. Change Alley

In the 1960s, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew mooted the creation of a clean and green environment to mitigate the harsh concrete urban environment and improve the quality of life in the city. This was the beginning of Singapore’s development into a Garden City. As a result, Singapore’s clean and green environment has allowed us to meet the lifestyle and recreational needs of an increasingly affluent population, and enhanced Singapore’s attractiveness as a destination for foreign businesses and talents. Our green policies have contributed to the transformation of Singapore into a distinctive and vibrant global city.

Going forward, the plan is to evolve Singapore into a City in a Garden—a bustling metropolis nestled in a lush mantle of tropical greenery.

Bras d'Eau National Park

Bras d'Eau National Park (Bras d'Eau國家公園)
Mauritius (2013)
16th October, 2013. Waterfront

In the east of Mauritius, the Bras d'Eau Reserve stretches out over an area of 1,235 acres. It takes its name from the mass of water in the shape of an arm that traverses it. Originally made up of the Bras d'Eau and Mare-Sacelle Nature Reserves, it has been listed as a national park since October 2011. It brings together various animal and plant species in an area that mainly consists of forests. The park is notably home to trees that rise 40m tall, such as the Australian White Eucalyptus and the Florida Mahogany.

Mascarene Martin (馬島原燕)
Mauritius (2013)
16th October, 2013. Central Flacq

Blue Tit

Blue Tit (藍山雀)
 Germany (2013)
6th October, 2013. Wirges

Seems it still an extension series of Germany birds, which issued on August, 2013.

Blue tits, usually resident and non-migratory birds, are widespread and a common resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and western Asia in deciduous or mixed woodlands with a high proportion of oak. They usually nest in tree holes, although they easily adapt to nest boxes where necessary. The main rival for nests and search for food is the much larger Great Tit.

Tristan Albatross

Tristan Albatross (特島信天翁)
Tristan da Cunha (2013)
12th August, 2013. Tristan da Cunha

Tristan Albatross (Diomedea dabbenena) is a large seabird from the albatross family, which was only widely recognised as a full species in 1998. Due to the difficulty in distinguishing them from Wandering Albatrosses, their distribution at sea is still not fully known, but the use of satellite tracking has shown that they forage widely in the South Atlantic, with males foraging west of the breeding islands towards South America and females to the east towards Africa. There have been sightings near Brazil and also off the coast of Australia.

The Tristan Albatrosses are endemic to the islands of the Tristan da Cunha group and more specifically Gough Island. The majority of the world's population nest on Gough Island, around 1500 pairs. On some years a pair breeds on Inaccessible Island.

Red Book of Moldova

From left to right :
85b : Glossy Ibis (彩䴉) ; 1.20l : Eastern White Pelican (白鵜鶘)
5.40l : Eurasian Spoonbill (白琵鷺) ; 1.20l : Ferruginous Duck (白眼潛鴨)
Moldova (2011)
30th October, 2013. Chisinau

It is the second issue related to birds of 'Red Book of Moldova' stamp series, the first one issued on 2003.

Glossy Ibis is the most widespread ibis species, breeding in scattered sites in warm regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Atlantic and Caribbean region of the Americas. It is thought to have originated in the Old World and spread naturally from Africa to northern South America in the 19th century, from where it spread to North America. This species is migratory; most European birds winter in Africa, and in North America birds from north of the Carolinas winter farther south. Eastern White Pelican, breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia and in Africa in swamps and shallow lakes. It usually to be found in and around shallow, (seasonally or tropical) warm fresh water. Well scattered groups of breeding pelicans occur through Eurasia from the eastern Mediterranean to Vietnam. In Eurasia, fresh or brackish waters may be inhabited and the pelicans may be found in lakes, deltas, lagoons and marshes, usually with dense reedbeds nearby for nesting purposes.

Eurasian Spoonbill is a Palearctic species, breeding from the United Kingdom and Spain in the west through to Japan, and also in North Africa. In Europe, only The Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Hungary and Greece have sizeable populations. Ferruginous Duck is a medium-sized diving duck from Eurasia. The species is known colloquially by birders as "Fudge Duck". It breeding habitat is marshes and lakes with a metre or more water depth. These ducks breed in southern and eastern Europe and southern and western Asia. They are somewhat migratory, and winter farther south and into north Africa.

Red-vented Bulbul

Red-vented Bulbul (黑喉紅臀鵯)
Pakistan (2013)
21th October, 2013. Karachi

Red-vented Bulbul is resident breeder across the Indian Subcontinent, including Sri Lanka extending east to Burma and parts of Tibet. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world and has established itself in the wild on several Pacific islands including Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Hawaii. It has also established itself in parts of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand. It is included in the list of the world's 100 worst invasive alien species.

Singapore-Vietnam joint issue

Grey Peacock-pheasant (灰孔雀雉) ; Red Junglefowl (茶花雞)
Singapore (2013)
18th October, 2013. Change Alley

Singapore and Vietnam once again to issue common theme stamps on 2013, to celebrate the 40 years of diplomatic relations between two countries.

Grey Peacock-Pheasant is a large Southeast Asian member of the order Galliformes, the national bird of Myanmar. It is a large pheasant, up to 76 cm long and greyish brown with finely spotted green eyespots, an elongated bushy crest, bare pink or yellow facial skin, white throat, and grey iris, bill and legs. To be distributed in lowland and hill forests of mainland Assam and Southeast Asia, but excluding most of Indochina as well as the entire Malayan Peninsula.

Red Junglefowl is thought to be ancestral to the domestic chicken, with some hybridzation with the Grey Junglefowl. The Red Junglefowl was first domesticated at least five thousand years ago in Asia, then taken around the world, and the domestic form is kept globally as a very productive food source of both meat and eggs.

Kerguelen Tern (Revised)

Kerguelen Tern (克格倫燕鷗)
French Australia and Antarctica Territories (2010)
20th October, 2010. Port-aux-Français, Kerguelen
17th December, 2010. Hongkong

Kerguelen Tern is a dark grey tern with reddish bill mostly appears in Southern Hemisphere, it near endemic to Kerguelen Islands, the part of French Territories in south Indian Ocean. Although the bleeding place is Kerguelen Islands, it also to be found in the Prince Edward Islands and Crozet Islands, while they are in small colonies. Total population of Kerguelen Tern is around 3,500 to 6,000 individuals, however it is not final data as the main breeding place Kerguelen Islands was not include.

The above cover specially thanks to Jean-Pierre of his great help, just spent two month on the way from sub-Antarctica islands to Hongkong. Please note that TAAF still using traditional registration label instead of common UPU standard 13-digit barcode label, it is perhaps there is not possible to install computerised postal system in Antarctica and lack of demand.

Kerguelen Tern (克格倫燕鷗)
French Australia and Antarctica Territories (2010)
18th February, 2013. Port-aux-Français, Kerguelen

Surtsey

Left : Glaucous Gull (北極鷗) ; Right : Surtsey (敘爾特塞)
Iceland (2009, 2013)
12th September, 2013. Reykjavík (First day special postmark)

Surtsey is a volcanic island off the southern coast of Iceland. At 63.303°N 20.6047°W Coordinates: 63.303°N 20.6047°W, is the southernmost point of Iceland. It was formed in a volcanic eruption which began 130 metres below sea level, and reached the surface on 14 November 1963. The eruption lasted until 5 June 1967, when the island reached its maximum size of 2.7 km². Since then, wind and wave erosion have caused the island to steadily diminish in size: as of 2002, its surface area was 1.4 km².

A gull colony has been present since 1984, although gulls were seen briefly on the shores of the new island only weeks after it first appeared. The gull colony has been particularly important in developing the plant life on Surtsey, and the gulls have had much more of an impact on plant colonisation than other breeding species due to their abundance. An expedition in 2004 found the first evidence of nesting Atlantic Puffins, which are extremely common in the rest of the archipelago.

The bird of the year 2013 (Revised)

Postmark : Common Snipe (田鷸)
Germany (2013)
20th July, 2013. Ober-Mörlen

This year, Germany choose Common Snipe as the bird of the year. The bird adults are 25–27cm in length with a 44–47cm wingspan and a weight of 80–140g (up to 180g pre-migration). They have short greenish-grey legs and a very long straight dark bill. The body is mottled brown with straw-yellow stripes on top and pale underneath. They have a dark stripe through the eye, with light stripes above and below it and the wings are pointed.

Overall, the species is not threatened. Populations on the southern fringes of the breeding range in Europe are however declining with local extinction in parts of England and Germany), mainly due to field drainage and agricultural intensification.

Personal stamp : Common Snipe (田鷸)
Germany (2013)
15th September, 2013. Oepfershausen

Pierre Bignon

Gentoo Penguin (巴布亞企鵝)
French Australia and Antarctica Territories (2011)
18th February, 2013. Port-aux-Français, Kerguelen

However, very sorry it is impossible to find biographic of Pierre Bignon, only known he was born in 1921 and died on 1990. He seems a scientist always research in Antarctica area, so the stamp illustrated Gentoo Penguin but his portrait on the tag.

Gentoo Penguin breeds on many sub-Antarctic islands. The main colonies are on the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Kerguelen Islands; smaller populations are found on Macquarie Island, Heard Islands, South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. The total breeding population is estimated to be over 300,000 pairs. Nests are usually made from a roughly circular pile of stones and can be quite large, 20 cm high and 25 cm in diameter. The stones are jealously guarded and their ownership can be the subject of noisy disputes between individual penguins. They are also prized by the females, even to the point that a male penguin can obtain the favors of a female by offering her a nice stone.

Birds of Germany

From left to right :
58+27c : Goldfinch (紅額金翅雀) ; 90+40c : Eurasian Bullfinch (紅腹灰雀)
145+55c : Blue Tit (藍山雀)
Germany (2013)
8th August, 2013. Berlin

Finally, I got a cover from Germany with features real bird issue. Three species are selected for the stamps but they are quite ordinary to European area. It seems not necessary to make any descriptions again to these three species, however I received another cover which sent by an eBay seller, it is so pity that the postmark not in good condition but the stamps cancelled on August 6, two days before day of issue. Is it situation ordinary in Germany ?

From left to right :
145+55c : Blue Tit (藍山雀) ; 58+27c : Goldfinch (紅額金翅雀)
90+40c : Eurasian Bullfinch (紅腹灰雀)
Germany (2013)
6th August, 2013. Herten

Goldfinch (紅額金翅雀)
Germany (2013)
8th August, 2013. Walsorde

Eurasian Bullfinch (紅腹灰雀)
Germany (2013)
8th August, 2013. Berlin

 

Blue Tit (藍山雀)
 Germany (2013)
8th August, 2013. Berlin

Owls of Thailand

From left to right :
Collared Scops Owl (領角鴞) ; Collared Owlet (鵂鶹)
Barred Eagle-Owl (馬來雕鴞) ; Barn Owl (倉鴞)
Latvia (2013)
29th August, 2013. Bo Sang, Chiang Mai

Thailand is a paradise for bird lovers. Especially the many natural parks offer plenty of opportunities for birdwatching. The following is an alphabetical list of more than 900 bird species in Thailand*. Many of these can be found in and around Chiang Mai. Favorite spots for birding near Chiang Mai include Doi Inthanon (the highest mountain of Thailand: 2565 m) and Doi Chiang Dao (2175 m).

Above 4 species on the stamps are quite ordinary to be found in Chiang Mai, and near round mountain areas, however they are not endanger species.

SEPAC 2013

Yellow-legged Gull (黄腿鷗)
Monaco (2013)
5th June, 2013. Monte-Carlo

This year, the stamps issued by the postal administrations that are members of SEPAC (Small European Postal Administrations Cooperation) will feature "animals" as their joint theme. Gull is chosen as Monaco stamp, a very common marine bird in this small country. The species depicted on the stamp is the Yellow-legged Gull which is characteristic of the Mediterranean.

Above is the maxicard shown the gulls waiting at pier, once the fishing boats come back, they can fly to see what they can eat as fast as they can, this shot is normally to be found in Southern Europe.

Yellow-legged Gull (黄腿鷗)
Monaco (2013)
5th June, 2013. Monte-Carlo

The Red Book of Lithuania

From left to right :
2,15Lt : Aquatic Warbler (水棲葦鶯) ; 2,90Lt : Tawny Pipit (平原鷚)
White-tailed Eagle (白尾鷲)
Lithuania (2013, 2011)
18th September, 2013. Vilnius

In September 2013, Lithuania Post continues to release two new stamps from the series 'The Red Book of Lithuania' after 2011.

The Aquatic Warbler is the only species of European passerine birds included into the list of globally endangered species. The Aquatic Warbler breeds in the territories stretching from the western France to the River of Ob. In the north, the habitats cover the southern part of the Baltic Sea Coast, southern Finland, and the upper reaches of the Rivers Volga and Kama. In the south, the habitats embrace the upper reaches of the River of Belaja, northern Ukraine, the Balkans, and the lower reaches of the River of Rona.

The Tawny Pipit prevails in the temperate climate zone of Europe, in part of Asia, and north-western Africa. This migrant bird spends winters in Africa and Indian subcontinent. In Lithuania, it is found in the Curonian Spit and the coast of the Baltic Sea as well as in the south east of the country.

The stamp on the far right, issued on 2011, is White-tailed Eagle.

Biodiversity hotspots in India

From left to right :
25rp : Bugun Liocichla (布坤藪鶥) ; 5rp : Nicobar Megapode (尼柯巴塚雉)
5rp : Hoolock Gibbon (白眉長臂猿) ; 5rp : Venated Gliding Frog (橙腹樹蛙*)
India (2012)
11th September, 2013. Bangalore International Airport

A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans. The concept of biodiversity hotspots was originated by Norman Myers in two articles in “The Environmentalist” (1988), & 1990 revised after thorough analysis by Myers and others in “Hotspots: Earth’s Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions”. In India there has two biodiversity hotspots, one is Indo-Burma, and other one is Western Ghats.

Indo-Burma is a biodiversity hotspot designated by Conservation International, which extends from eastern India and southern China across Southeast Asia, and includes Australia, but excluding the Malay Peninsula. The Conservation International hotspot includes all of the World Wildlife Fund's Indochina Bioregion, but also includes the Meghalaya subtropical forests, which the WWF includes in its Indian Subcontinent Bioregion.

Eagle's Nest Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area of India in the Himalayan foothills of West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh. It conjoins Sessa Orchid Sanctuary to the northeast and Pakhui Tiger Reserve across the Kameng river to the east. Altitude ranges extremely from 500 metres (1,640 ft) to 3,250 metres (10,663 ft).

Those 2 bird species appears on the stamps are endemic to Indo-Burma or Eagle's Nest Wildlife Sanctuary.

Biodiversity SOAR of Ireland (2013)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (大斑啄木鳥)
Ireland (2013)
1st August, 2012. Dublin

As last few years, Ireland An Post continues to issue Biodiversity definitive SOAR this year and it is the fourth series of 2013, eight labels issued cover variety family as well as before. The two birds chose as Great Spotted Woodpecker and Black-legged Kittiwake.

The Great Spotted Woodpecker can be found in both broadleaved and coniferous woodlands and forests and recently has been spotted in gardens and parks. They feed on seeds, invertebrates, and occasionally bird eggs and nestlings. During spring they can be heard ‘drumming’; a sound produced by rapidly pecking on a dead branch or other resonant object.

The Black-legged Kittiwake is a small, cliff-nesting gull, named for its loud, nasal ‘kitti-wake’ call. Its short legs are usually black, helping to distinguish it from the Red-legged Kittiwake. The hind toe of each foot is reduced to a mere bump, meaning it has only three functional toes instead of four, giving the Black-legged Kittiwake its scientific name, tridactyla, which means ‘three-toed’.

Black-legged Kittiwake (三趾鷗)
Ireland (2013)
1st August, 2012. Dublin

Great Spotted Woodpecker (大斑啄木鳥)
  Ireland (2013)
1st August, 2012. Dublin

Ducorps' Cockatoo

Ducorps' Cockatoo (杜氏鳳頭鸚鵡)
Solomon Islands (2013)
21st June, 2011. Honiara

The Ducorps' Cockatoo, also known as Solomons Corella or Broad-crested Corella, is a species of cockatoo endemic to the Solomon Islands. This small white cockatoo is larger than the Tanimbar Corella yet smaller than the Umbrella Cockatoo. The species is common across most of the Solomons, absent only from Makira in the south. It inhabits lowland rainforests, secondary forests, cleared areas and gardens. The Solomons Cockatoo nests in tree cavities. The eggs are white and there are usually two in a clutch. The eggs are incubated for about 25 days and the chicks leave the nest about 62 days after hatching.

The northern common cuscus, also known as the grey cuscus, is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family native to northern New Guinea and adjacent smaller islands, but is now also found in the Bismarck Archipelago, south-east and central Moluccas, the Solomons and Timor, where it is believed to have been introduced in prehistoric times.

Two species are not endanger species but appear on the stamps.

Northern Common Cuscus (灰袋貂)
Solomon Islands (2002)

Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park

Nationalpark Wattenmeer (下薩克森瓦登海國家公園)
Germany (2013)
1st July, 2013. Berlin

The Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park was established in 1986 and embraces the East Frisian Islands, mudflats and salt marshes between the Bay of Dollart on the border with the Netherlands in the west and Cuxhaven as far as the Outer Elbe shipping channel in the east. The national park has an area of about 345,800 hectares. The National Park organisation is located in Wilhelmshaven. Since June 2009 the Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea and the Dutch Wadden Sea.

The first day cancellation illustrated Common Gull (海鷗), an ordinary seabird of North Sea.

New bird series of Latvia (2)

From left to right :
Left : European Bee-eater (黃喉蜂虎) ; right : Long-tailed Duck (長尾鴨)
Latvia (2013)
24th July, 2013. Riga
31st July, 2013. Riga

As well as last year, I contacted philatelic office of Latvia Post again, they issued the forth issue of new bird series. Here is the first day cover and maxicards shown the two species European Bee-eater and Long-tailed Duck.

The European Bee-eater breeds in southern Europe and in parts of north Africa and western Asia. It is strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, India and Sri Lanka. This species occurs as a spring overshoot north of its range, with occasional breeding in northwest Europe. This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly-coloured, slender bird. It has brown and yellow upper parts, whilst the wings are green and the beak is black. The Long-tailed Duck is a medium-sized sea duck. It is the only living member of its genus, Clangula; this was formerly used for the goldeneyes, with the Long-tailed Duck being placed in Harelda. An undescribed congener is known from the Middle Miocene Sajóvölgyi Formation of Mátraszõlõs, Hungary. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

European Bee-eater (黃喉蜂虎)
 Latvia (2013)
7th June, 2013. Riga

 

Long-tailed Duck (長尾鴨)
Latvia (2013)
7th June, 2013. Riga

Black Crowned-crane

Black Crowned-crane (黑冠鶴)
The Gambia (2006)
7th July, 2013. Banjul

Black Crowned-crane is a bird in the crane family Gruidae. It occurs in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although in nests in somewhat wetter habitats. This species and the closely related Grey Crowned-crane (東非冕鶴), which prefers wetter habitats for foraging, are the only cranes that can nest in trees. Like all cranes, Black Crowned-crane eats insects, reptiles, and small mammals. It is endangered, especially in the west, by habitat loss and degradation.

Black Crowned-crane (黑冠鶴)
The Gambia (2006)
27th February, 2006. Banjul

New rate stamps for Ireland

Golden Eagle (金雕)
Ireland (2013)
2nd April, 2013. Dublin

March 1, 2013, An Post welcomes the approval by ComReg of its application for an increase of 5c in the standard domestic letter rate from 55c to 60c. The international letter rate for all destinations outside the island of Ireland will increase from 82c to 90c. Old price has remained unchanged for six years and new rate still among the very lowest in Europe.

As the new rate effective on April 2, An Post released couple of new coils and booklet stamps, those stamps still as well as Biodiversity definitive series. However An Post did not have special postmark to match those stamps, here are the maxicard and first day cover of the stamps.

Goldfinch (紅額金翅雀)
Ireland (2013)
2nd April, 2013. Dublin

Berchtesgaden National Park

Berchtesgaden National Park (貝希特斯加登國家公園)
Germany (2013)
1st July, 2013. Bonn

Berchtesgaden National Park is in the south of Germany, on its border with Austria, in the municipalities of Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden and Schönau am Königsee, Berchtesgadener Land, Free State of Bavaria. The national park was established in 1978 to protect the landscapes of the Berchtesgaden Alps. Headquartered in the town of Berchtesgaden, the park was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1990.

The first day postmark illustrated Griffon Vulture (黑白禿鷲) which is one of ordinary bird of prey to be found in the national park.

Owls of Taiwan (3)

From left to right :
NT$5 : Collared Scops Owl (領角鴞) ; NT$10 : Tawny Fish Owl (黃魚鴞)
NT$25 : Ryukyu Scops Owl (蘭嶼角鴞) ; NT$5 : Eastern Grass Owl (東方草鴞)
Taiwan (2013)
18th July, 2013. Lanyu

After releasing “Owls of Taiwan” stamp sets in 2011 and 2012, Taiwan is following up with last set of four stamps in 2013 featuring 4 owls, 12 owls have been shown while 13 owls was discovered in whole islands.

Specially with Ryukyu Scops Owl, it only to be found on Orchid Island, which is off the East Coast of Taiwan proper. It has a brown facial disc and ear tufts. Its head and upper body feathers are brown with dark brown and tan stripes. Its breast and belly feathers are tawny. It lives mainly in forests.

  

NT$5 : Collared Scops Owl (領角鴞)
 NT$25 : Ryukyu Scops Owl (蘭嶼角鴞) 
Taiwan (2013)
26th June, 2013. Postal Museum, Taipei

26th June, 2013. Taitung

  

NT$10 : Tawny Fish Owl (黃魚鴞)

NT$5 : Eastern Grass Owl (東方草鴞)
Taiwan (2013)

26th June, 2013. Nantou

26th June, 2013. Pingtung

Récifs d'Entrecasteaux

From top to bottom :
110F : Austropacific Masked Booby (藍臉鰹鳥/西太平洋亞種)
150F : Eastern Reef Heron (太平洋岩鷺)
New Caledonia (2013, 2012)
31st May, 2013. Noumea (Philatelic Office)

Récifs d'Entrecasteaux are coral outcropping northwest of New Caledonia, uninhabited. Are located at 180 km from the north-western tip of Grande Terre, in line with Belep Islands which are separated by the "Grand Passage" Strait of 500 to 600meters deep. They form the northern boundary of the lagoon of the archipelago of New Caledonia.

The Récifs d'Entrecasteaux have an important seabird area, and as such is listed as important area for bird conservation by BirdLife International. The most sedentary species are represented, for example, the Great Frigatebird and Lesser Frigatebird, Austropacific Masked Booby, Brown Booby and Red-footed Booby. It is also an important nesting site for several species of terns : Crested Tern or Sooty Tern, representing approximately 1% of the world population.

Falcoaria

From left to right :
I 20g : Golden Eagle (金雕) ; E 20g : Eurasian Sparrowhawk (北雀鷹)
A 20g : Northern Goshawk (蒼鷹) ; N 20g : Peregrine Falcon (擬游隼)
Portugal (2013)
23rd March, 2013. Salvaterra de Magos

Falconry is the hunting of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. There are two traditional terms used to describe a person involved in falconry: a falconer flies a falcon; an austringer (German origin) flies a hawk (Accipiter and some buteos and similar) or an eagle (Aquila or similar). In modern falconry the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) and the Harris hawk are often used. The words "hawking" and "hawker" have become used so much to mean petty traveling traders, that the terms "falconer" and "falconry" now apply to all use of trained birds of prey to catch game.

In early English falconry literature, the word "falcon" referred to a female falcon only, while the word "hawk" or "hawke" referred to a female hawk. A male hawk or falcon was referred to as a "tiercel" (sometimes spelled "tercel") as it was roughly one third less than the female in size. Many contemporary practitioners still use these words in their original meaning. The practice of hunting with a conditioned falconry bird is also called "hawking" or "gamehawking".

White Stork in Switzerland

White Stork (白鸛)
Switzerland (2013)
7th May, 2013. Bern

In 1949, Switzerland’s white stork population disappeared, leaving a landscape totally devoid of bill clattering. Max Bloesch (1908–97), known as the “Father of the Storks”, successfully reintroduced these long-legged birds to Altreu (Canton Solothurn). Today, some 300 breeding pairs circle the skies between the plain of the River Orbe and Canton St. Gallen’s Rhine Valley.

These two first day covers and maxicards are feature the postmark of Bern and Selach. Where are the official first day cancellation and the reintroduced place of White Storks. And the last, a pair of cover and maxicard feature postmark of Brittnau, which the postmark illustrated a pair of White Stork.

It is the 500th post of Philatelic of birds, after 5 years of its open.

White Stork (白鸛)
Switzerland (2013)
7th May, 2013. Selach

White Stork (白鸛)

Switzerland (2013)

7th May, 2013. Bern / Selach

White Stork (白鸛)

Switzerland (2013)

5th July, 2013. Brittnau