⭕️Aerogramme of Vanuatu

From left to right :
Pacific Imperial-pigeon (太平洋皇鳩) ; Purple Swamphen (紫水雞)
Streaked Fantail (點胸扇尾鶲)
Vanuatu (2012)
21st September, 2016. Port Vila

The Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres has a fascinating migration story compared to the Vanuatu Petrel Pterodroma occulta which breeds on Vanua Lava while the Vanuatu Scrubfowl Megapodius layardi (Namalao), found on Ambryn Island, predominantly incubates its eggs in geothermally-heated soil. Nambiru or the Purple Swamphen Porphyrio Porphyrio has a very loud explosive call described as a "raucous high-pitched screech”. The Dark-brown Honeyeater Lichmera incana is also loud and noisy in contrast to the endemic Southern Shrikebill Clytorhynchus pachycephaloides which is a beautiful songbird. Long-tailed Triller Lalage leucopyga simillima is endemic to Vanuatu and not threatened.

The Streaked Fantail Rhipidura spilodera is also endemic on all except the smallest islands from Vanua Lava to Efate. These can be compared to the Red-bellied Fruit Dove Ptilinopus greyii, which is considered to be capable of flying between islands. Of the others, the Pacific Imperial Pigeon Ducula pacifica (locally known as Nawemba) dines on fruiting native trees; the Silvereye Zosterops lateralis has a distinctive olive coloured head and white eye-ring and the Striated Mangrove Heron Butorides solomonensis reaches only 45cm in height but has interesting behavioural traits.

⭕️Ruddy Turnstone

Ruddy Turnstone (翻石鷸)

Vanuatu (2012)
8th October, 2013. Port Vila

Ruddy Turnstone is a small wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family Charadriidae. It is a highly migratory bird, breeding in northern parts of Eurasia and North America and flying south to winter on coastlines almost worldwide. It is the only species of turnstone in much of its range and is often known simply as turnstone.

It is a fairly small and stocky bird, 22–24 cm (8.7–9.4 in) long with a wingspan of 50–57 cm (20–22 in) and a weight of 85–150 g (3.0–5.3 oz). The dark, wedge-shaped bill is 2–2.5 cm (0.79–0.98 in) long and slightly upturned. The legs are fairly short at 3.5 cm (1.4 in) and are bright orange.

At all seasons, the plumage is dominated by a harlequin-like pattern of black and white. Breeding birds have reddish-brown upper parts with black markings. The head is mainly white with black streaks on the crown and a black pattern on the face. The breast is mainly black apart from a white patch on the sides. The rest of the underparts are white. In flight it reveals a white wingbar, white patch near the base of the wing and white lower back, rump and tail with dark bands on the uppertail-coverts and near the tip of the tail. The female is slightly duller than the male and has a browner head with more streaking.

Herons of the reef

Eastern Reef Heron (太平洋岩鷺)
Vanuatu (2007)

4th June, 2009. Port Vila

Very oddly, is it really sent on 2009 ? If you remember that I have been posted an envelope from Trinidad & Tobago is the last one cover on 2009, you may think I was writing incorrect information. However if you find the history posts under Vanuatu catalogue, you will be noted that I have two missing covers during stamp exhibition 2009. Here is one of them which receive again on September, 2010. In the time of typing this post (1st October, 2010), it really the last cover of 2009.

I don't have interest to write again Eastern Reef Heron, due to I have introduced the species before. The stamps as above originally in souvenir sheet format but as in my collecting rule, souvenir sheet is not necessary and out of range. Thus I only bough single stamps in the exhibition.

The postmark reads 'postage paid' seem meaningless. The stamps have enough for 1st grade airmail registered mail to Asia, anyway it is good luck to receive them again.

⭕️Massena's Lorikeet

Massena's Lorikeet (馬仙納氏吸蜜鸚鵡)
Vanuatu (2011)
23th August, 2011. Port Vila

After a year, Vanuatu Post issues again WWF series to commemorate 50th anniversary of the organisation, which found in 1951. This time features beautiful and attractive Massena's Lorikeet in strip of 4 format. The species not new to Vanuatu stamps but in first time to use illustration style to produce stamps.

Massena's Lorikeet is a sub-species of Rainbow Lorikeet (彩虹吸蜜鸚鵡), this complicate species has 21 sub-species which have different features and inhabit area. For Massena's Lorikeet, it endemic to Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, and some of them rarely to Vanuatu, further south of its traditional inhabit area.

As above introduction, Massena's Lorikeet is not the first time shown on the stamps. Below aerogramme, issued couple of years features three Vanuatu domestic birds, one on the left side is Massena's Lorikeet, the imprinted postage is Eastern Reef Heron and also on the backside is Vanuatu Kingfisher, which is endemic bird of Vanuatu.

Imprinted stamp : Eastern Reef Heron (太平洋岩鷺)
Illustration : Massena's Lorikeet (馬仙納氏吸蜜鸚鵡) and
Vanuatu Kingfisher (和栗腹翡翠)
Vanuatu (2007)
23th August, 2011. Port Vila

Beach Thick-knee

Beach Stone-curlew (澳洲石鴴)
Vanuatu (2009)
25th November, 2009. Port Vila

In 2009, there have 20 of stamp sets included in WWF series, and 8 series related to birds. However due to many situations and unexpected reasons, I only ordered stamps issued by Sao Tomé e Príncipe, Malawi, North Korea and Vanuatu ; and other four will be purchased in future. In here I would show third one issued by Vanuatu, an official first day cover by Vanuatu Post. The last one, an aerogramme issued by North Korea, to be shown on early April.

Beach Stone-curlew is a large sea bird to be found in coastlines of South-east Asia and southern Pacific countries. Mostly visible from the range of the Philippines, India, Myanmar, Malaya Peninsula, Indonesia to those islands in south Pacific include Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. The bird was easily to be found in above area but after the over development, the population decrease due to the damage of inhabited area. Now it listed as Threatened species in IUCN list.

Thanks Vanuatu Philatelic Bureau to send me this nice first day cover, in the meantime there have another first day cover received, which is a beautiful stamp set Frangipani (赤素馨花).

Greetings from Vanuatu

From left to right :
250v : Fairy Tern (長尾熱帶鳥) ; 130v : White-tailed Tropicbird (白尾熱帶鳥)
45v : Eastern Reef Heron (太平洋岩鷺) ; 100v : Greater Crested Tern (大鳳頭燕鷗)
Vanuatu (2009)
7th September, 2009. Port Vila

At the stamp exhibition of 2009, I had passed couple of covers to 8 postal administrations include Bhutan, Gibraltar, Singapore, Vietnam, Pitcairn Islands, New Caledonia, Greenland and Vanuatu. All of them are came back safety except Greenland one is lost. Here is the last one sent from Vanuatu franking with whole set of Greetings from Vanuatu, actually it is a redone cover as the first one without registered label and lost when sent back to Vanuatu. Unfortunately this one ruined by ball-pen during postal processing but it still looks fine.

Stamps are illustrated bird's-eye view of Vanuatu, and decorated with flower of Flamboyant (鳳凰木). The tree having reddish flowers during summer time of Vanuatu, when it is Christmas in there. Thus locals call the tree as Christmas Tree. Four sea birds shown on the stamp set are quite common in South Pacific, from Guam to New Caledonia and French Polynesia.

In a meantime, a postcard also receive from Vanuatu, it is a first and only underwater post office's postcard ! Officially it says it is waterproofed and specially cancelled in its underwater post office. However the postmark does not bear any date and hard to be observed.

Postcard