Various bird stamps from Algeria

From left to right :
20,00 Dinar : Peregrine Falcon (擬游隼) ; 5,00 Dinar : Common Snipe (田鷸)
5,00 Dinar : European Serin (金絲雀) ; 10.00 Dinar : Eurasian Bullfinch (紅腹灰雀)
Algeria (2010, 1995, 2000)
27th November, 2010. Jijel

Those bird stamps which species illustrated come from Algeria have been shown before, except the serin. This smallest, pretty gold-yellowed colour bird is commonly to be found in Europe and also North Africa, large population are live in Canary. Formally the bird is resident but northern population migrates to south-east of Mediterranean countries during winter.

Raptors of Algeria

L : Golden Eagle (金雕) ; R : Peregrine Falcon (擬游隼)
Algeria (2010)
13th March, 2010. Setif

Unfortunately, until now. I don't receive a formal copy of the raptors FDC from the Algerian friend, so I only show the covers even they not look like attractive, I think it is time to give up wait for this item. Although Golden Eagle is commonly in worldwide, it only lives in Northern Africa from Tunisia to Morocco and part of Sahara area of Morocco. Peregrine Falcon, it also a common raptor in worldwide. Only F. p. pelegrinoides to be found in northern Algeria.

Also, I have been received two FDCs of this issue which sent by Ouari and Zinc, but what a shame that one of them damaged during mail processing. Only one stamp left on the cover.

Lanner Falcon (地中海隼)
Algeria (2010)
27th January, 2010. Setif
3rd March, 2010. Setif

20,00 Dinar : Peregrine Falcon (擬游隼) ; 15,00 Dinar : Golden Eagle (金雕)
20,00 Dinar : Lanner Falcon (地中海隼)
Algeria (2010)
27th January, 2010. Jijel
16th October, 2010. Jijel

World Wetlands Day 2010

0,01 € : European Green Woodpecker (綠啄木鳥)
0,02 € : European Bee-eater (黃喉蜂虎)
0,30 € : Rock Pigeon (原鴿) ; 0,45 € : Red-rumped Swallow (金腰燕)
Portugal (2002, 2003, 2004)
2nd February, 2010. Olhão (features special postmark)

On 2 February of each year, more than 95 countries mark the day as World Wetlands Day to commemorate Ramsae Convention signed on the same day of 1971, an Iranian city on the seashore of the Caspian Sea. In each year the day will have different theme, and the theme of 2010 is Wetlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change. As well as before, many events arranged by different organisations over the world ; the stamp exhibition held in Olhão was one of the event. Olhão is a town located in Algarve, the southernmost Portugal. It nears Ria Formosa and the nearby lagoons are important wetland and also is one of natural park of this country. In each year, many birds migrate from northern Europe for winter.

Above pre-paid postcard shown a special postmark of this stamp exhibition, the actress is Pied Avocet (反嘴鷸) which is commonly to be found in Ria Formosa Natural Park. The pre-paid postcard is part of series Aves de Portugal definitive stamps shown as well as before, and now the stamps were not valid for postage in Portugal.

On the opposite side of Portugal, the African country Algeria also has some wetlands located in the southern basin of Mediterranean Sea. Below two maxicards shown Pied Avocet and Greylag Goose (灰雁) respectively, also are common birds of El-Kala National Park, lakes area nearby El Kala. Although the cards cancelled at Sétif, the postmark date are interestingly marked on the 2nd February, 2011 !

MaxicardPied Avocet (反嘴鷸)
Algeria (2001)
2nd February, 2011. Sétif

Greylag Goose (灰雁)
Algeria (2001)
2nd February, 2011. Sétif

Common Snipe

Common Snipe (田鷸)
Algeria (2005)
10th August, 2009. Setif
2nd September, 2009. Hongkong

Thanks Ouari again in here as he sometimes sent me first day covers and other interesting items from Algeria, however I feel sinning as I haven't sent him beautiful covers, and some of them may be damaged during postal processing. Above cover with detailed illustrations of Common Snipe, was printed by Ouari himself.

Common Snipe commonly actives in north part of the earth, some of them are resident birds but they may migrate to south in winter. Normally habits alone or in a small group appear on the fields and wetlands, it owns excellent protected colours which mainly in brown and black, with some yellow or white spots. It is not easy to be observed when they stay in the fields or yellowed grasslands.

Preserve the Polar Regions and Glaciers

Arctic Tern (北極燕鷗)
Canada (2009)
27th April, 2009. Semans, Saskatchewan

In late-2008, two postal admissions Finland and Chile decided to cooperate hold a project of preserve polar regions and glaciers issue, facing the environment problem of glaciers in polar regions and high mountains are disappearing in recent years, two postal admissions known that stamp is the best media to promote this affair to each people in different corners. More than 40 countries joined this campaign and will be issued the same theme stamps in this year, here shown two of them, Canada and Algeria, different designs telling what species live in two polar regions or artist illustration of this affair.

Canadian stamps shown three species : Arctic Tern originally lives and breeds in wide range of North Pole area, after summer the bird migrates to another pole - Antarctica, for finding food until the autumn of Antarctica is coming, it flies over 38,000 km approximately between two poles in each year. Adélie Penguin (阿德利企鵝) and Emperor Penguin (皇帝企鵝), which shown in the lower part of souvenir sheet's frame are live in Antarctica.

Preserve the Polar Regions and Glaciers (保護極地與冰川)
Algeria (2009)
28th March, 2009. M'Sila (First day special postmark)
2nd April, 2009. Sétif
4th May, 2009. Hongkong

Pigeons

15,00 Dinar : Rock Pigeon (原鴿) ; 10,00 Dinar : Wood Pigeon (斑尾林鴿)
Algeria (2005)
22nd February, 2009. Sétif
18th March, 2009. Hongkong

It is the second mail from Algeria and also related to birds, thank you Ouari who sent me this beautiful cover and postcard from Sétif. These two pigeons are very common in the world, especially urban area they can live together with human. They like turnover rubbish bin to find food or wait people feed them in public area, some public plaza in european cities can see a lot of pigeons stay in there. However they seem poor as they mostly preyed by human or eagle. In Chinese, Rock Pigeon is a best traditional medical food, the population had decreased in the past years.

Cover also features a Rosa x odorata (pink) rose (彩暈香水月季) definitive stamp. On the back of the cover, it is not ordinary as there have two Hongkong postmarks appeared, perhaps it maybe a mistake after the first cancellation postmarked.

Water birds of Algeria

10,00 Dinar : White Stork (白鸛) ; 15,00 Dinar : Black Stork (黑鸛)

30,00 Dinar : Common Crane (灰鶴) ; 20,00 Dinar : White Spoonbill (白琵鷺)

Algeria (2006)

14th June 2008. Ain-tebinet, Sétif

This is not first day cover but glued with full nice set of Algeria water bird stamps, they are White Stork, Black Stork, White Spoonbill and Common Crane separately. This is second cover with Black Stork post in here while the first one is came from Belarus, sent by Arabian (as the return address is full of arabic) from Sétif and spent near one month dispatch to Hongkong, disappointingly it doesn't carry any 'arrival postmark' of Hongkong.