⭕️The New Zwin

Common Shelduck (翹鼻麻鴨) ; Common Tern (普通燕鷗) ; Barn Swallow (家燕)
Pied Avocet (反嘴鷸) ; Eurasian Spoonbill (白琵鷺)
Belgium (2016)
16th June, 2016. Roesela

The new Zwin is the international migratory bird airport. It is a unique and varied top attraction where you experience nature to the full. The new Zwin has something in store for everyone.

The Zwin Nature Park is an interactive nature experience park for the entire family. It is a place where you can discover the special Zwin nature in an attractive and stimulating manner.

Apart from the Zwin Nature Park, the Zwin is accessible free of charge: the Zwin Bistro, the Zwin Shop, the Zwin Region Information Centre and no less than 220ha of Zwin dunes and polders which guide you to the Zwin Nature Park on foot or by bike from Knokke Het Zoute.

⭕️Northern Shoveler

Northern Shoveler (琵嘴鴨)
Belgium (2015)
30th May, 2015. Monk

Northern Shoveler is unmistakable in the northern hemisphere due to its large spatulate bill. The breeding drake has an iridescent dark green head, white breast and chestnut belly and flanks. In flight, pale blue forewing feathers are revealed, separated from the green speculum by a white border. In early fall the male will have a white crescent on each side of the face. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the drake resembles the female.

The female is a drab mottled brown like other dabblers, with plumage much like a female mallard, but easily distinguished by the long broad bill, which is gray tinged with orange on cutting edge and lower mandible. The female's forewing is gray.

They are 48 cm long and have a wingspan of 76 cm (30 in) with a weight of 600 g.

Buzin 2011

Northern Pintail (針尾鴨)
Belgium (2011)
0,05 € : Little Grebe (小鸊鷈) ; 0,57 € : Black Tern (黑浮鷗)
Belgium (2010, 2002)
15th January, 2011. Asse

The Buzin series seems never end, the first two came out in this 26th year are Northern Pintail and Osprey (魚鷹), low-value stamp for make-up rate value and high-value stamp for registered mail. Here it is, the first day cover with low-value stamp and some old Buzin issue.

Northern Pintail is a migratory bird as shown before. The pintail in Eurasia area mostly breeds in northern Europe and migrates to south from western Europe to sub-Shara Africa area and southern Asia.

Little Grebe and Black Tern are also common grebe and tern in Europe. The black turn has been recorded hybridisation habit between White-winged Tern (白翅黑燕鷗), the chicken of them are features characters of both species.

25th anniversary of Buzin, part 2

From left to right :
Common Buzzard (鵟) ; Eurasian Hobby (燕隼)
European Honey Buzzard (鵰頭鷹) ; Red Kite (紅鳶)
Northern Goshawk (蒼鷹)
Belgium (2010)
30th November, 2010. Bruxelles de Brouckere, Brussels

In last year, a souvenir sheet issued for the 25th anniversary of Buzin definitive stamp and thanks to Thomas he sent me a nice cover with one stamp and Buzin's autograph. When today is one year after its issue, here shown another cover with whole souvenir sheet. Thanks to Yoram of London who spent a day trip to Brussels for Christmas shopping. The sheet illustrate five birds of prey are common in Europe, but the main feature of the sheet is Buzin drawing a buzzard in countryside. It seems the first time he appears on stamps - even only in frames.

So pity that the postmark is not clear enough to read, the date and place of sending only to be found in the ugly postage counter label.

Buzin, part 8

From left to right :
4,09 € : Common Pheasant (雉雞) ; 0,02 € : Common Snipe (田鷸)
0,44 € : Common House Martin (白腹毛腳燕) ; 0,23 € : Western Jackdaw (寒鴉)
0,10 € : Tengmalm's Owl (鬼鴞) ; 0,75 € : Eurasian Kestrel (紅隼)
Belgium (2003, 2004, 2007, 2010)
30th November, 2010. Bruxelles de Brouckere, Brussels

As well as last year, I selected some Buzin definitive stamps for Christmas mail this year, thanks Yoram of his help and the dearest one 4,60 € stamp which is the latest issue of Buzin. I have many different pheasant stamp but this is first time on cover. Pheasant is commonly to be found Eurasia and North America, it also common hunting bird in the world. House Martin is common migratory bird breeds in Eurasia, the birds will fly to southern Asia or sub-Sahara for winter.

Elections

Eurasian Coot (骨頂雞)
Belgium (2010)
23rd May, 2010. Puurs

In May 12, Belgian Post issued a special Buzin definitive features Eurasian Coot, it specially for domestic election mails costs 0,28 €. After a while I sent an advise to dealer that I would collect a copy of mail, unfortunately he objected my advise but he suggested that he can make an example for me - that is shown as above. The national elections of Belgium will be held on 13 June of same year.

Eurasian Coot is a common bird in Europe, it looks black except white of their head. Coot mostly builds the nest on grass or dead reeds, birdwatchers maybe easy to find them as it is a noisy bird, it sounds whole day and night.

25th anniversary of Buzin

L : Little Grebe (小鸊鷈) ; R : Common Buzzard (鵟)
Belgium (2010)
12th April, 2010. Antwerpen

Thanks for Thomas his surprise, I found above mail in my mailbox on April 20, very luckily it avoided the suspension of air traffic on mid-April. This year, to commemorate the series of bird definitive stamps issued 25th anniversary, the post office specially issued a souvenir sheet featuring five bird of preys to mark this event during Birdpex 6, an international philatelic exhibition related to bird theme. Above cover features one stamp from the sheet and one definitive stamp issued on January respectively. Little Grebe and Common Buzzard are commonly to be found in Eurasia, however the grebe is minatory and buzzard is resident. In each winter, the grebes will migrate to sub-Saharan countries and Australia.

The cover also have an autograph of Buzin, it is the second cover with his signature.

Buzin, part 5

0,78 € : Black-tailed Godwit (黑尾塍鷸) ; 4,60 € : White-tailed Eagle (白尾鷲)
0,27 € : Eurasian Woodcock (丘鷸)
Belgium (2006, 2009)
9th December, 2009. Bruxelles de Brouckere, Brussels

Once again, not surprise a mail from Belgium is franking with Buzin stamps, either from Belgian friends or tourist from other European, thanks Yoram of this great mail when he spent a day-trip in Brussels. After his mail, the Belgian 2009 Buzin series is completed, the lasts are Eurasian Woodcock, Black Woodpecker (黑啄木鳥) and Tawny Owl (灰林鴞).

Black-tailed Godwit to be found in the shores or grasslands, northern from Iceland through Central Asia of Russia ; and in winter the bird migrates to south to Australia. western Europe or west Africa. Now the population of this species is decreasing to approximate 63,000 to 80,000 birds, it has been classifed as Near Threatened in IUCN list.

Tawny Owls, feature Black Woodpecker and Great Tit

0,10 € : Tawny Owl (灰林鴞) ; 0,01 € : Black Woodpecker (黑啄木鳥)
0,15 € : Eurasian Nutcracker (星鴉) ; 0,27 € : Eurasian Woodcock (丘鷸)
Belgium (2009, 2008)
16th October, 2009. Ieper
16th October, 2009. Gent

Do you remember I had introduced Tawny Owl stamps issued by Vietnam and South Korea before ? So pity that these covers are not handsome as one was not a pretty stamp and one only for make-up rate stamp. Now turn to Europe side of Belgium and Estonia, these two countries issued Tawny Owl stamps in October respectively, just few days separated. Thank you Piro from Estonia and Thomas from Belgium who sent me these two wonderful covers.

First is Belgian one, artist Buzin who drawn this stamp series near 25 years, he illustrated an owl stay in a branch at day time - although Tawny Owl is active at night. The owl of this stamp be coloured as reddish-browned feather, this sub-species S. a. sylvatica mostly appears Western European countries include Great Britain.

Another one is an Estonian Tawny Owl first day cover, designer also illustrated an owl stay in a branch but the background looks near dawn. Please note that the owl is grey colour, most of Tawny Owls live in northern Europe are having this colour feather. This sub-species named as S. a. aluco, mostly lives in North and Central Europe, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, these two covers affixed couple of bird stamps. The Belgian Black Woodpecker stamp just issued before half month of Tawny Owl stamp, this bird is one of large woodpecker of this family widely resident in Eurasian forest. Great Tit is a common songbird widely to be found in Europe and Asia.

The woodcock and nutcracker are introduced in here before, they also easily to be found in European forest or backyard.

R : Tawny Owl (灰林鴞) ; L : Great Tit (大山雀)
Estonia (2009, 2003)
8th October, 2009. Tallinn (with first day postmark)

Eurasian Woodcock

Eurasian Woodcock (丘鷸)
Belgium (2009)
4th April, 2009. Brussels (with first day special postmark)
16th April, 2009. Hongkong

Thanks Thomas his great help of this nice first day cover, he helped me obtain the autograph of the stamp designer - André Buzin, the famous animal artists and designer of belgian bird definitive stamps ! It really lets me surprise. Seem I must continue to illustrate self first day cover of this series in future.

Woodcock is a very common species can be found in Europe and Asia, it's food normally earthworms. Interesting that it likes lay in the dead leaves on the ground, and suddenly flies away when human approaching it closer as the colour nearly same as dead leaves, eyes located in higher area of each side of head can see 360º monocular vision.

Illustration on the cover shows the woodcock catching a earthworm on the ground, which full of dead leaves.

Teals of Belgium

From left to right :
Eurasian Teal (小水鴨) ; Northern Shoveler (琵嘴鴨)
Northern Pintail (針尾鴨)
Belgium (1989)
7th April, 2008. Antwerpen

A mail from dealer again, it comes from Belgium with three teal stamps issued on twenty years ago, not special as I have been shown those three species in here before. The special of these bird stamps are in large format, different than the Buzin definitive and other special stamps. The pity thing that the postmark not cover all stamps, it is because why I don't like machine postmark, even it is more clear than hand-postmark.

Buzin

Since 1985, Belgium releases a series of bird definitive stamps, about 120 stamps have been issued and the series is continuing. All stamps are illustrated by famous Belgian animals and plants artist André Buzin. As this series of stamps, he got the award of 'Prix du Roi'. Here I shown two covers franked with recent issues, sent by an ebay seller and Thomas separately. Thank you Thomas for his great mail.

0,70 € : Common Swift (普通樓燕) ; 0,23 € : Eurasian Jackdaw (寒鴉)

Belgium (2007)

7th October, 2007. Bruxelles

Common Swift can be widely found in European countries and northern Asia, in winter it migrate to southern islands in Atlantic and Indian Ocean. Same as swift, dunnock and jackdaw also widely live in Eurasian countries but not migratory. Nutcracker is live in northern Europe to Far East area of Russia. Green-winged Teal can be found in North America and most places of northern area of Europe and Asia, and they will fly over million miles to southern islands in South Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean in winters. Those three owls, are widely live in Europe and Asia.

1st column - 0,15 € : Eurasian Nutcracker (星鴉) ; 0,10 € : Dunnock (林岩鷚)

2nd column - 0,10 € : Tengmalm's Owl (鬼鴞)

3rd column - 0,06 € : Little Owl (縱紋腹小鴞) ; 0,23 € : Eurasian Jackdaw (寒鴉)

4th column - 0,40 € : Long-eared Owl (長耳鴞) ; 0,05 € : Green-winged Teal (綠翅鴨)

Belgium (2007, 2008)

4th February, 2009. Gent