White-backed Woodpecker

White-backed Woodpecker (大赤啄木)
Finland (2010)
18th January, 2011. Helsinki

White-backed Woodpecker is a common woodpecker widely distributed in Eurasia, it overall similar to Great Spotted Woodpecker (大斑啄木鳥) but the snap of male White-backed Woodpecker is in red colour, and white bars across the wings.

Above pre-paid postcard issued by Finland illustrated different views of the bird in both sides, either of female in left and male in right side. In Finland, and nearby Nordic countries only can be found the nominate subspecies, however the population decreasing according to the inhabit lost.

Garden birds in northern nation

Maxicard

Blue Tit (藍山雀)
Finland (2001)
6th August, 2010. Kuopio

Not much special but these two card and cover are nice collection for my roller postmark series. Since new century the post office of Finland issues natural or culture self-adhesive definitive series on each year. Before, in here shown the series of 2000 and 2003. Now is the series of 2001 featuring Blue Tit, Golden Oriole and White Wagtail. Which are very common in Europe and Asia.

Above maximum card seems harmony as the background of the card and stamp also a branch of Pine (松樹). Pine is common tree to be found in woodlands area of northern countries. Most people pick the fruit of pine for decoration of present or tree during Christmas.

L : White Wagtail (白鶺鴒) ; R : Golden Oriole (金黃鸝)
Finland (2001)
6th August, 2010. Kuopio

Greetings from Finland

Willow Grouse (柳雷鳥)
Finland (2000)
9th March, 2009. Oulu

Great thanks Susanna let me feel great surprise on this week ! She sent me two beautiful covers, one made with map is her home town Oulu, and another one is blue coloured mosaic paper with a lovely ribbon. Two of them also franked with nice bird stamps, those three species are very common in Finland and also widely of northern Europe to Far East area of Russia.

Susanna also quoted an old Finnish verse on her letter, which praises the summer will come when birds arrive. The verse as below :

Kuu kiurusta kesään
puoli kuuta peipposesta
västäräistä vähäsen
nääskysestä ei päivääkään

Left : Sky Lark (雲雀) ; Right : Siberian Jay (北噪鴉)
Finland (2003)
9th March, 2009. Oulu