Herons & Egrets

From left to right :
800K : Eastern Cattle Egret (牛背鷺) ; 3400K : Eastern Great Egret (大白鷺)
700K : Intermediate Egret (中白鷺) ; 3100K : Grey Heron (蒼鷺)
Laos (2001)
Top : Red Junglefowl (茶花雞)
Laos (2005)
30th August, 2010. Vientiane

This time, I don't want to talk about birds, as these four egrets and heron are commonly to be found in south-east Asian countries.. Laos, perhaps is a secret country to western since they considered to close its country in mid-70's years and opens to the world on 1991. Nowadays, except its capital Vientiane, few of people understand the country except its famous opium in Golden Triangle area.

Above cover with a great help of a stamp dealer in Vientiane, it may be an only stamp dealer in this country. The stamps look different than single stamps which have white frames, as they were come from Philanippon '01 souvenir sheet. However it is disappointed to the sheet not printed in high quality while the colour almost blur and overall not sharp enough, I do think the reason is the stamps printed in Vietnam, instead of most new issues printed in China.

The original souvenir sheet shown as below. Please note that there have a serial code on the top-right corner.

Post & Go labels (II)

From left to right :
Common Blackbird (烏鶇) ; Common Magpie (喜鵲) ; Eurasian Collared-Dove (灰斑鳩)
European Greenfinch (金翅雀) ; Long-tailed Tit (銀喉長尾山雀) ; Chaffinch (蒼頭燕雀)
Great Britain (2011)
24th January, 2011. Trafalgar Square, London

After three months of first bird theme Post & Go labels, the Post Office released second set on January also features 6 common birds. The new set similar to first sixes are illustrated by Peter Horridge but not colourful as first sixes. Once again, thanks to Yoram sent me this cover on the day of issue. As before, the labels are obtained from Trafalgar Square according to the code imprinted on labels.

Dusk at Poyang Lake

Dusk at Poyang Lake (江西 鄱陽湖)
China (2001)
5th August, 2008. Gulou, Nanjing

Very sorry I forget to show you this beautiful pre-paid postcard two years ago ! It was sent by a friend who lives in Nanjiang. Poyang Lake is famous wetland conservation in Jiangxi, the national reserve founded on June, 1983. Now it is the important bird-watching paradise in mainland China.

The picture Dusk at Poyang Lake drawn by unknown artist, who illustrated a group of Oriental Stork (東方白鸛) active in the bank of Poyang Lake during dusk. In the past, Oriental Stork wrongly defined as sub-species of White Stork (白鸛) but they are inhabiting in different places. In post-19980s, they divided to two species and Oriental Stork now is an endangered species in eastern countries.

Kent Ridge Park Trail

65c : Straw-headed Bulbul (黃冠鵯) ; 80c : White-bellied Sea Eagle (白腹海鵰)
Singapore (2010)
4th October, 2010. Kent Ridge

In September 2009, Singapore Post issued a strip of 4 stamps illustrated Kent Ridge Park Trail, which the panorama style similar as 150th anniversary of foundation of Singapore Botanic Gardens, issued on 2009. These two stamp sets specially illustrated three different bird species, Mute Swan (疣鼻天鵝) in Singapore Botanic Gardens but not domestic species ; Straw-headed Bulbul and White-bellied Sea Eagle appear on Kent Ridge Park Trail.

Kent Ridge Trail is a 280m long canopy walk open in October 2003 link with Kent Ridge Park and reflections at Bukit Chandu. Kent Ridge Park, southern part of Singapore. The park founded in 1954, named as commemoration of a visit by the Duchess Kent and her son on 3rd October, 1952. In 1995, the park was gazetted as World War II heritage site. The stamp value '2nd local' shown the heritage building and the related monuments.

Straw-headed Bulbul is an endangered species in south-east Asia as they losing habitat, it normally to be found in topical rainforest, lowlands, wetlands of North Borneo, Malaya Peninsula and Myanmar. White-bellied Sea Eagle lives in India, south part of Asia and coast of Australia, which is the second large raptors in Australia. It normally nesting in large trees or cliff, neighbour of other sea-eagle.

Above cover specially thanks to Singapore philatelic bureau, be sent on Kent Ridge and the anniversary day of park opening.

Domestic birds of Moldova

Front side of envelope
From left to right :

85b : Goldfinch (紅額金翅雀) ; 1L : House Sparrow (家麻雀)
1,20 L : Ural Owl (長尾林鴞) ; 4,50 L : Common Magpie (喜鵲)
Moldova (2010)
21st September, 2010. Bender
22nd September, 2010. Tiraspol

In these two years, I had shown different domestic birds of each countries, they are located in variety continents but mostly the species are same. This time, a new country to show is Moldova, a small and poorest country in Eastern Europe. After it independence from former USSR, the area between eastern part of Dniester River and Ukraine, as known as Transnistria to find independence from Moldova. Now they call itself Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and its capital as Tiraspol.

Why do I quote the history of this area ? Please take a look of this cover, the cover sent from Bender, the forth large city in this small country via Tiraspol to Hongkong. The back postmark Tiraspol is similar as Bender which indicated with country name Moldova.

Back to the birds, they are not special to me as they almost shown many times, the latest two House Sparrow and Goldfinch just appeared last week !

Back side of envelope

⭕️International Year of Biodiversity (8) - Bolivia

From left to right :
Bs 3.50 : Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant (灰胸雀霸鶲)
Bs 2.00 : Andean Cat Alliance (南美山貓)
Bs 2.50 : Three-coloured Harlequin Toad (厄瓜多爾三色箭毒蛙)
Bs 1.00 : Queen of the Andes (萵氏普亞鳳梨)
Bolivia (2010)
19th December, 2010. La Paz

The postal administration chose 4 variety endemic endangered species for the issue of IYB 2010. Here only have a description of Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant, and other three also shown in IYB special page. The grey bird only to be found in Bolivia and Peru, mostly lives in subtropical or topical moist montanes. 3 sub-species identified and the stamp probably shown A. a. bolivianus which is endemic to the Cordillera Oriental of Peru, and the Cordillera Real of Bolivia. There are only 150-300 birds recorded inside Bolivia during 2007.

⭕️Petrels and Shearwaters

From top to bottom :
27p : Sooty Shearwater (灰鸌) ; 70p : White-chinned Petrel (白額鸌)
95p : Southern Giant Petrel (南方巨鸌) ; £1,15 : Great Shearwater (大鸌)
Falkland Islands (2010)
8th July, 2010. Stanley
12th August, 2010. Stanley

After the Albatrosses issue on 2009, Tony Chater illustrated new series of seabird again on 2010 which features 4 species of Procellariidae (水薙鳥科). Four species are fairly common in Southern Ocean and its islands. Sooty Shearwater widely to be found in Pacific and Atlantic. The bird breeds in the islands of south Pacific and Atlantic, especially South Island of New Zealand and Falkland Islands, in the spring of southern world, it migrates long-distance to north for whole summer (there is autumn and winter of northern world) in Mexico, Guadalupe Island, Norway and Scotland. White-chinned Petrel is a large shearwater lives range of Southern Ocean, and also south Australia, Peru and Namibia. Mostly it breeds in the islands of Southern Ocean and one of them is Falkland Islands. Southern Giant Petrel is a common petrel in the world, same as White-chinned Petrel, it also breeds in same range of islands. Falkland is the largest breeding place of the bird near 19.500 pairs recorded on 2005. Great Shearwater, mostly breeds in the islands of south Atlantic from Tristan da Cunha to Falkland, during summer it migrates to north arrive Great Britain and Ireland.

Four shearwaters are catching fish and squid as their food, formally they don't have natural hazards. However most of shearwaters and albatrosses lost their life due to the longline fisheries in southern area, their populations decreasing quickly in recent years. For example population of White-chinned Petrel decreased 40% in these 40 years and now the species classified as Least Concern in IUCN list.

Ruff

Ruff (流蘇鷸)
Switzerland (1997)
20th November, 1997. Bern (first day cancellation)
18th October, 2010. Köniz

Thanks to Zasa for this nice first day cover, unfortunately it was damaged by someone in Hongkong who affix couple of 'Hongkong Postage Paid' label on the cover. Above image shown the labels removed - none of one stamp in good condition. I reported it to my delivery office but officer doesn't have idea of this situation. However, if no label overlapped, this mail is postage insufficient according to the handwriting T 1,90/1,40.

Ruff, is a beautiful wading bird to be found in Europe and Africa, when the bird migrates in winter. Males specially with blacked or white-coloured head tufts which is attract females, as its special look, in 16th to 17th century nobles kill them for woman wearing or decoration of the clothes, as a result the population has been decreased in this period. Ruff normally breeds in northern Eurasian area, but migrates to sub-Sahara area, South Asia or South Australia in winter. However some of ruffs are resident in Europe for whole year.

Until 18th century, nobles forgave to use head tufts for decoration, population of ruff increased back to normal range.

Definitive stamps of the Philippines

First row from left to right :
1 peso : Mugimaki Flycatcher (鴝姬鶲) ; 2 pesos : Narcissus Flycatcher (黃眉姬鶲)
3 pesos : Turquoise Flycatcher (菲律賓銅藍鶲) ; 5 pesos : Brown Shrike (紅尾伯勞)
8 pesos : Apo Myna (阿波王椋鳥) ; 9 pesos : Philippine Serpent Eagle (菲律賓蛇老鷹)
10 pesos : Blue-crowned Racket-tail (藍冠扇尾鸚鵡)
Second row : Black-naped Oriole (黃鸝)
The Philippines (2008, 2009)
7th October, 2010. Manila

In 2008 and 2009, Philippine postal administration issued two sets bird definitive stamps, most of species are same but the designs are vary. Before, I had shown them here and now have another one. Thanks Myron again of this mail, although some stamps on this mail are duplicated with last mail.

Above 8 species, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Narcissus Flycatcher and Turquoise Flycatcher are common in old world flycatcher family to Far-East, from the range of Japan to Indonesia. Except Turquoise Flycatcher is a resident, those of them are migratory birds which breed in eastern coast of China, Japan and Taiwan ; and stay in Philippine for winter. They mostly habit in the forest and woodland at low elevations, sometimes to be seen them in the park when migrating.

Philippine Serpent Eagle is endemic birds of prey to the Philippines, it is commonly to be found in most major islands of this nation, except Palawan. It habits most of primary or secondary forests and sometimes in cultivated lands with scattered trees.

Siberian Crane

Siberian Crane (西伯利亞白鶴)

Iran (2007)

1st August, 2010. Tehran (Philatelic Bureau)

Siberian Crane, as known as Snow Crane mostly to be found in Far East region of Russia, breeds in Sakha Republic and Siberia while migrates to Fereidoonkenar and Isfahan of Iran ; Keoladeo National Park of India and south of Yangtze River of China for winter. It almost in white and brown but with blackish long bill, about 140cm tall and can be near 10kg weight. The population decreased quickly with unknown reasons in recent years, but scientist thought that construction of Three Gorges Dam in China is one reason caused they lost habitat.

This year is 50th anniversary of World Wide Fund of Natural. To celebrate this event, many countries and areas planned to issue stamps feature related foundation people and endangered species, until now confirmed Swiss, Great Britain and Macao issue the theme during 2011.