110th anniversary of Naardermeer Nature Reserve

Great Crested Grebe (鳳頭鸊鷉)

The Netherlands (2015)
28th April, 2015. Naarden-Energiestraat

Naardermeer Nature Reserve was the first-ever natural area to be managed by the Dutch Nature Preservation Society, having been acquired as early as 1906. “More than a century on, visitors continue to enjoy the lake, swamp forests and surrounding fields every day and see what a sanctuary this unique reserve represents for plants and animals. I would imagine that the stamps will inspire many nature lovers to visit Naardermeer Nature Reserve and enjoy the beautiful scenery and all that it has to offer”, said Marc van den Tweel, Managing Director of Natuurmonumenten.

Naardermeer Nature Reserve is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year, and it remains a great source of pride to many people in the Netherlands

 

From left to right :

Eurasian Reed Warbler (蘆葦鶯) ; Great Cormorant (普通鸕鶿)
The Netherlands (2015)
28th April, 2015. Naarden-Energiestraat

Centenary of Burger's Zoo, Arnhem

Left : Hyacinth Macaw (紫藍金剛鸚鵡) ; right : Jackass Penguin (非洲企鵝)
the Netherlands (2013)
8th March, 2013. Geerdinksweg, Hengelo

To celebrate the centenary of Burger's Zoo in Amhen, TPG issued a sheetlet of ten stamps features variety species of the zoo. There are only 2 stamps related to bird as above, same as other zoo stamps, these two - macaw and penguin are not domestic or endemic species. However the stamps look cute and attractive to me so I decided to have them.

Thanks my dealer selected these two stamps on the envelope, and with excellent an clear hand-postmarking.

Carel Fabritius

Goldfinch (紅額金翅雀)
The Netherlands (1999)
27th February, 2012. Kerkplein, The Hague

Carel Fabritius (bapt. 27 February 1622 - 12 October 1654) was a Dutch painter born in Beemster. In the early 1640s he studied at Rembrandt's studio in Amsterdam, along with his brother Barent Fabritius. After ten years he moved to Delft and joined the Delft painters' guild in 1652. However two years later, he died.

Of all Rembrandt's pupils, Fabritius was the only one to develop his own artistic style, he interested in complex spatial effects which can be seen in A View in Delft, with a Musical Instrument Seller's Stall (1652) and also The Goldfinch (1654).

The Goldfinch now is the collection of Mauritshuis, The Hague.

Waddenzee

See below picture for description

From left to bottom :
Eurasian Oystercatcher (蠣鴴) ; Eurasian Spoonbill (白琵鷺)
Common Eider (歐絨鴨) ; Common Seal (港海豹)
the Netherlands (2003)
1st July, 2010. Amsterdam
29th July, 2010. Zwolle

Waddenzee, in English is The Wadden Sea. Is a shallow inlet of south-east part of North Sea, it lies from the coast of the northern Netherlands, Germany and ends in the south-west of Denmark. Together with Frisian Islands, where are the group of islands in the bank of Waddenzee, it is the most important wetland and natural reserve of North Sea.

Above souvenir sheet with another sheet not shown in here issued by the Netherlands on 2003 illustrated 8 different species to be found in Frisian Islands, 6 are birds and other three are mammals and crab. They are commonly to be found in this reserve area.

Waddenzee listed as UNESCO world natural heritage site on 2009, while it was designated as a Ramsar wetland on 1987. Below is another cover bought in ebay few years ago which is an illustrated envelope sent to Jordan. The illustration shown the map of Frisian Islands and Waddenzee.

L : Eurasian Spoonbill (白琵鷺) ; R : Eurasian Oystercatcher (蠣鴴)
26th August, 2004. Sportlaan, Wolvega
30th August, 2004. Al-Jufa

Hand-drawing envelopes

In past two months, I got many hand-drawing covers from different friends, or print the related photos on the envelopes, they are beautiful and make the envelopes more attractive. Now I would show three of them from the Netherlands and Portugal, as those covers are franked with nice bird stamps - although some stamps shown here already.

0,65 € : Hawfinch (錫嘴雀) ; 0,39 € : Great Cormorant (普通鸕鶿)

the Netherlands (2005)

24th February, 2009. Zwolle, Overijssel

The first one is from the Netherlands, two stamps are come from a set of two different souvenir sheets which commemorated 100 years of Natuurmonumenten (English: Society for preservation of nature monuments in the Netherlands), the organisation found in 1905 by Jac. P. Thijsse. These two sheets feature 8 different species and only two are birds, the cover presents Great Cormorant and male Hawfinch, and the stamp illustrated female Hawfinch.

0,39 € : Common Crane (灰鶴) ; 70+30c : Black-tailed Godwit (黑尾塍鷸)

the Netherlands (2006, 1984)

20th January, 2009. Grote Market, Goes

20th January, 2009. Rotterdam

The above cover come from the Netherlands again which illustrated with colour pencils, seems it is a White Stork (白鸛). It lets me remember pictorial books read in child time. Stamps are Common Crane (really is crane, great drawing !) and Black-tailed Godwit, they were issued on 2006 and 1984 respectively.

First roll :

0,61 € : Wilson's Storm Petrel (黃蹼洋海燕) ; 0,52 € : Razorbill (刀嘴海雀)

Second roll : 0,70 € : Black-eared Wheatear (白頂即鳥)

0,02 € : European Bee-eater (黃喉蜂虎)

Portugal (2008, 2003, 2002)

18th January, 2009. Avenida 5 de Outubro, Lisbon

Same as last cover, this cover also used colour-pencils, but it sent from Portugal. It looks very cute, especially the bill is in reddish colour, perhaps it is sharp enough in high-level area. Above two stamps have been shown here before, and other two are come from the definitive set issued on 2002 to 2003.

$1,40 : Fork-tailed Sunbird (叉尾太陽鳥) ; $1,80 : Roseate Tern (粉紅燕鷗)

$2,40 : Greater Painted Snipe (彩鷸) ; $3,00 : Red-whiskered Bulbul (紅耳鵯)

Hongkong (2006)

23rd February, 2009. Airmail Centre

At last, I would shown my illustration, this was drew at Shatin Park in last month. Those stamps are in coil format so they are smaller than normal size.

Thanks Else and Jetske from the Netherlands, and Paula from Portugal of all their great works.