Velvet Scoter

Velvet Scoter (斑臉海番鴨)
Åland (2014)
7th February, 2014. Mariehamn

Velvet Scoter also called a Velvet Duck, is a large sea duck, which breeds over the far north of Europe and Asia west of the Yenisey basin. A small, isolated population nests in eastern Turkey. The East Siberian and North American White-winged Scoter is sometimes considered conspecific with the Velvet Scoter, and its two constituent subspecies are then known as M. f. stejnegeri and M. f. deglandi. Velvet and White-winged Scoter, along with the Surf Scoter, are placed in the subgenus Melanitta, distinct from the subgenus Oidemia, Black and Common Scoters.

It winters further south in temperate zones, Europe as far south as Great Britain, and on the Black and Caspian Sea. Small numbers reach France and northern Spain. It forms large flocks on suitable coastal waters. These are tightly packed, and the birds tend to take off together.

Overprinted

Little Owl (縱紋腹小鴞)
Gibraltar (2013)
2nd November, 2013. Gibraltar

An overprint is an additional layer of text or graphics added to the face of a postage stamp, banknote or postal stationery after printed. Post offices most often use overprints for internal administrative purposes such as accounting but these have also been employed in the past for public mail. Gibraltar’s last overprinted stamp was released in 1991 when the 1987 Definitive Guns with the original value of £3 was overprinted with a £1.05 value. Due to the fact that new postal rates are being introduced in Gibraltar with the latest Christmas stamps, the Post Office required two additional values, a 14p and 28p.

From left to right :
£2,00 : Pallid Swift (蒼雨燕) ; 10p : Black Stork (黑鸛)
28p : Eurasian Eagle-Owl (鵰鴞) ; 14p : Little Owl (縱紋腹小鴞)
Gibraltar (2009, 2012, 2013)
27th January, 2014. Gibraltar

Inclusive arts

Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon (紫尾皇鳩)
Hong-Kong (2013)
15th October, 2013. Hong-Kong
29th October, 2013. Artsakh

Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion. The population of Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion. The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion . For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Birds of the Alps

From left to right :
Tengmalm's Owl (鬼鴞) ; Capercaillie (松雞) ; Grey-faced Woodpecker (灰頭綠啄木鳥)
Lammergeier (胡兀鷲) ; Rock Ptarmigan (岩雷鳥)
Italy (2013)
4th December, 2013. Feltre, Belluno

Thanks to my friend of this surprise, he sent me this cover on day of issue. After more than 18 years Italy Post Office released a set of birds again on last year, it looks beautiful, five stamps illustrated different species which mainly live in Alps, the northern part of Italy. The Alps divided Europe into two parts, southern Europe is mostly in warm and sunny weather, while rainy and cool in winter, thus there provides enough food and suitable to migratory birds for middle stop.

Rock Ptarmigan (岩雷鳥)
Italy (2013)
4th December, 2013. Feltre, Belluno

Capercaillie (松雞)
Italy (2013)
4th December, 2013. Spiazzo, Trentino

Seabirds of São Tomé e Príncipe

Top : Comb Duck (瘤鴨) ; Brown Booby (白腹鰹鳥) ; Cape Gannet (南非鰹鳥)
Bottom : Brown Booby (白腹鰹鳥) ; Cape Gannet (南非鰹鳥) ;
Fulvous Whistling-duck (草黃樹鴨)
São Tomé e Príncipe (2013)
1st November, 2013. Central

Sadly, the cover did not send by registered mail due to not enough postage, however it seems nicer than last cover, the Congo Grey Parrot. In recent years, São Tomé e Príncipe issues be positioning as commercial stamps by some collector due to their issues mostly not be used in postal system. By the way in my opinion some issues still collectable to theme collectors, if the stamps related to the country.

These 4 seabird species are commonly live in Atlantic Ocean, they of course reasonable to be found in São Tomé e Príncipe, the small island country near Equator of Atlantic Ocean.