⭕️White-tailed Eagle

White-tailed Eagle (白尾鷲)
Sweden (2016)
25th March, 2016. Uppsala

The white-tailed eagle is one of the best examples of where humans not only can cause environmental destruction but also create something fantastic through active environmental improvements. Environmental toxins in the Baltic Sea eradicated almost the entire population of white-tailed eagles. These toxins made the shells of the birds’ eggs so thin that they broke during brooding. Today, white-tailed eagles have made a strong comeback. One reason for this has been in part the decrease in environmental toxins and in part Project Sea Eagle.

Animals in threatened habitats

From left to right :

2:20 kr : White-tailed Eagle (白尾鷲) ; 2:30 kr : Ural Owl (長尾林鴞)

2:40 kr : Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (小斑啄木鳥)

Sweden (1988, 1989)

7th September, 2010. Uppsala

According to couple of posts are jammed, the shortest time to finish all the jammed posting possibly on next March. Thus I decided post all mails before this Christmas which sent by friends on August and September. The first one is from Sweden, thanks Ronald for the cover, the stamps on above cover issued over 20 years but they not look old enough. These three species are quite common in Europe however as the title says Animals in threatened habitats, it means they are facing damage of their habitats, at least at this moment. In mid-20th century, most of woodlands be destroyed for their paper-making, furniture-making and other industrials related to wood.

Herring Gull or Yellow-legged Gull

50th anniversary of Lions Israel (以色列獅子會五十週年紀念)
Israel (2010)
27th January, 2010. Jerusalem

In last post of Israel covers, I have been said that there has another cover about 50th anniversary of Lions Israel. It is a blue coloured stamp with a small bird which near unidentified. Of course, thanks Eli again of the cover, this time the postmark is matched with the stamp. I don't have comment on Lions due to it is out of topic, but Yellow-legged Gull (黄腿鷗) is a common large seabird mostly to be found in coast of European countries and seashores of Asia or North America. The bird originally was a sub-species of Herring Gull (銀鷗), L. a. michahellis, the one resident bird of southern Europe area Mediterranean Sea.

Below Swedish maxicard more clearly to show what does the bird look like, L. a. argentatus is another sub-species of Herring Gull in bulky size and with extensive white in the wing-tips while compare with L. a. michahellis, the another formally sub-species of Herring Gull. This maxicard bears intaglio multi-coloured stamp and attractive purpled Sturkö date-postmark, Sturkö is an island in the southernmost of Sweden, there have many islands nearby and is one of famous birdwatching place of this country.

MaxicardHerring Gull (銀鷗)
Sweden (2001)
9th February, 2010. Sturkö

Golden Oriole

Golden Oriole (金黃鸝)
Sweden (2005)
17th October, 2007. Kiruna

Golden Oriole is a common species which can be found in Eurasia, south Asia and middle east, it lives in woodlands and parks, especially in northern Europe, in summer it migrates to southern area like England, south Europe and northern Africa, However it is not easy to obverse as it lays under the leave as canopy, Golden Oriole looks yellow with blacked wings, tail and legs, also reddish bill, mostly eats insects and fruit.

Sweden is the type locality of nominate subspecies of Golden Oriole, another one Shinjang's subspecies Oriolus o. kundoo type locality at Dukhum, India.

Prey of birds, Sweden

L : Short-eared Owl (短耳鴞) ; R : White-tailed Eagle (白尾鷲)
Sweden (2009)
26th March, 2009. Stockholm (first day postmark)
8th April, 2009. Stockholm

Sweden Post issued a set of stamps feature 4 preys, they are commonly can be found in this country and other northern countries from Norway to Russia. Follow the style of Swedish stamps, four stamps used traditional intaglio multicolour processor to print the stamp in reel format. Of course, I must say thanks to Sweden Post of their kindly help, their help was beyond my imagine.

Actually I don't like osprey or eagle, due to their size are too large and like catch small species. This pair of covers, illustrated an osprey caught a fish in pound, but printed in colour and black-and-write versions respectively.

L : Western Osprey (魚鷹) ; R : Eurasian Sparrowhawk (北雀鷹)
Sweden (2009)
26th March, 2009. Stockholm (first day postmark)
8th April, 2009. Stockholm

Northern Lapwing

Northern Lapwing (鳳頭麥雞)
Sweden (2001)
16th October, 2007. Stockholm

A beautiful maxicard from Sweden. Lapwing is a migratory bird which very common can be found in Eurasia, in Winter it lives in Europe and north of Asia, and flies to southern area like South-east China or North Africa. The postcard shown a hen feeding two chicken in grassland, mostly it nests in wetlands and breeds 3-4 eggs in each year.