Birds in Xuan Thuy national park

15000d : Spot-billed Pelican (斑嘴鵜鶘)
3500d : Asian Dowitcher (半蹼鷸) ; 2000d : Black-faced Spoonbill (黑面琵鷺)
10500d : Grey-headed Lapwing (跳鴴) ; 6500d : Northern Shoveler (琵嘴鴨)
Vietnam (2013)
10th March, 2015. Hanoi

Xuan Thuy National Park is located 150 km southeast of Hanoi . Its rich alluvium soil supports a diversity of wetland flora and fauna, particularly migratory birds. Moreover, the park is the first wetland area to become a Ramsar site in Southeast Asia.

It has 150 species of vascular plants, 120 of which particularly thrive in the wetland habitat. The mangrove forest helps stabilise the alluvium soil, as well as provide food and shelter for marine life and other fauna while supporting storm and flood prevention.

Costal birds of Vietnam

From left to right :
2000d : Nordmann's Greenshank (諾氏青足鷸)
6500d : Spoon-billed Sandpiper (琵嘴鷸)
8500d : Saunders's Gull (黑嘴鷗) ; 10000d : Indian Skimmer (剪咀鷗)
Vietnam (2010)
13th July, 2010. Cai Rang, Can Tho

In my opinion, Vietnam issued a lot of bird stamps but except few sets, most of them are not attractive. It was very disappointed the stamps not beautiful enough or the species on the stamps not to be found in Vietnam. In the 25th May of 2010, this nation issued new bird stamp set again which featuring four rare coastal birds. The stamp sound attractive and thanks Mr. Tran sent me above nice cover from Cai Rang, a southern Vietnam town.

Nordmann's Greenshank is a migrate bird in far-east, nowadays population only leaves 1,000 birds and has been listed as endangered species in IUCN red list. Most of them breeds in northern Japan and some appear on north-east China. They migrate to south during winter, commonly stay in Malaya Peninsula but few of them in south Vietnam and the Philippines. Spoon-billed Sandpiper is a small wader breeds in north-east of Russia, as well as Nordmann's Greenshank, it will migrate to south for the winter where like Hongkong, India and Burma. In 2007, less than 100 pairs have been recorded by the statistics of BirdLife International. Now the sandpiper was listed as critically endangered species. Saunders's Gull is a species under Gulls (鷗科) family, this rare migrated gull to be found in the coastline of Russia, Japan, Korea Peninsula, China to northern part of Vietnam. As the habitat loss, the population of the species is decreasing and the status now is vulnerable. Indian Skimmer, it is one of three skimmers in the family, actually it formerly to be found in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos but now being extinct in this area. Now it can be found in river bank of India and Burma. The population is estimated about 6,000 to 10,000 individuals.

Thanks to Tran again below first day cover sent on 10th October, 2010. From Saigon.

From left to right :
8500d : Saunders's Gull (黑嘴鷗) ; 6500d : Spoon-billed Sandpiper (琵嘴鷸)
10000d : Indian Skimmer (剪咀鷗)
Vietnam (2010)
10th October, 2010. Saigon

Another mail from Vietnam

From left to right :
2000d : Pel's Fishing Owl (橫斑漁鴞) ; 1000d : Tawny Owl (灰林鴞)
400d : Eastern Brown Fish Owl (褐漁鴞)
10000d : Northern White-faced Owl (白臉角鴞)
5000d : Spotted Wood Owl (點斑林鴞)
Vietnam (1995)
22nd May, 2009. Hanoi
5th June, 2009. Hongkong

This mail arrived on the same day with last mail from Vietnam, actually they are same requests on the stamp exhibition. Same as last mail, it didn't send by registered mail although postage paid. Not surprise these five stamps not illustrate species of Vietnam again, as it is feature of this country. Pel's Fishing Owl is a large owl can be found in most African countries. Northern White-faced Owl and Brown Fish Owl can be found in some south-Asian countries, one of subspecies lives in Vietnam and south-east China called B. z. orientalis. Spotted Wood Ow can be found in south-east Asia, seems rarely live in Vietnam.

Cheating

From top to bottom :
5000d : Pied Harrier (花澤鵟) ; 400d : European Honey Buzzard (鵰頭鷹)
400d : Ornate Hawk-Eagle (飾冠鷹雕) ; 12000d : White-tailed Eagle (白尾鷲)
3000d : Common Buzzard (鵟) ; 400d : Northern Goshawk (蒼鷹)
Vietnam (1998)
22nd May, 2009. Hanoi
5th June, 2009. Hongkong

During the stamp exhibition of Hongkong, I passed few covers to some postal authorities which have booth at the exhibition. Above example is came from Vietnam, I feel very disappointed of their service as it is not sent by registered mail, especially I paid extra cost and reminded the staff must do it in Vietnam. I think cheating or corruption is not a big problem in there, as friends or travelling book always remind me those habit is popular in governor departments.

I don't want to use many words to introduce this stamp set, as most of species have been appeared on this blog and they can't be found in Vietnam except Northern Goshawk, Buzzard and Pied Harrier.

Sultan Tit and Spot-necked Babbler

Left : Sultan Tit (冕雀) ; Right : Spot-necked Babbler (斑頸穗鶥)

Vietnam (2000)

30th July, 2008. Hung Vuong Road, Hanoi

4th August, 2008. Hongkong

A great mail from Vietnam, originally it may sent from Japan but it lost, so my friend sent it from Hanoi, thanks Pham his mail and stamps. Those two beautiful birds are come from a set of 5 stamps issued on 2000. Actually I like this one more than mail from Japan, as I rarely find swap partner lives in Vietnam.

These two colouful birds normally live in the range from Vietnam to Hainan Island of China. Sometimes Sultan Tit habits southern Guangdong but Spot-necked Babbler can be found in Sumatra, Indonesia.

Traditional style registered label still in uses in Vietnam. In my mail collection, only 4 countries and places same as Vietnam, most of countries now using UPU standard or barcode format labels. Vietnam has been issued many bird stamps, hope I can collect them in future.