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