⭕️White Stork in Albania

White Stork (白鸛)
Albania (2003)
3rd May, 2012. Tirana

Actually I don't have hope it come back as the country have many poor records to stamp collector. But it still came back, many thanks to the post office. It looks fine although the postmark not clear enough, at least most of detail still readable. White Stork, I don't need have more description of the bird, it commonly to be found in southern Europe, and of course includes Albania.

⭕️Old sheetlets cancelled on recent days

For some collectors, they don't wish the old stamps used in modern days' mail due to their logic is it looks oddly and unreasonable. However, once the stamps still have their value, and post offices accepted. Why do they ignore them outside their collection? Here is an example of Solomon Islands.

I bought two souvenir sheets in the stamp fair on February, as I missing them and they are selling in bargain price. So I try to affixed them on envelope and card then send to Solomon Islands Philatelic Bureau. As my wish, they done and return to me after a while. The first sheet issued on 1982 to commemorate the stamp exhibition in Australia, features four common birds to be found in Solomon Islands and Australia.

From left to right :
12c : Little Pied Cormorant (小斑鸕鷀) ; 18c : Pacific Black Duck (加姆島野鴨)
35c : Nankeen Heron (棕夜鷺) ; $1 : Oriental Dollarbird (三寶鳥)
Solomon Islands (1984)
2nd April, 2008. Honiara

Second sheet was issued on 1996. I owned block of 4 of whole set stamps for a long time but missing the sheet. Sadly, the sheet colour looks fade out and no attractive. I decided tear the stamp out and becomes below maximum card.

Massena's Lorikeet (馬仙納氏吸蜜鸚鵡)
Solomon Islands (1996)
2nd April, 2008. Honiara

European Bee-eater

European Bee-eater (黃喉蜂虎)
Spain (2008)
4th May, 2012. Horcajo de los Montes, Ciudad Real

Once again the redo maxicard. European Bee-eater seems common in southern Europe and sub-Sahara area during migratory seasons. In Spain, the European Bee-eater easy to be found in Extremadura and Castile–La Mancha. Tablas de Daimiel National Park is one of birdwatching place in the province of Ciudad Real, Castile–La Mancha.

Horcajo de los Montes is only a small town in Ciudad Real, with population 1,000. Probably is the nearest town to Tablas de Daimiel National Park.

Africa Hoopoe

Africa Hoopoe (非洲戴勝)
Namibia (2002)
18th April, 2012. Windhoek

What is different between Africa Hoopoe and Eurasian Hoopoe (戴勝) ? Some website consider that the colour of the features, Africa one is darker than Eurasian one. However it really hard to identify as Eurasian Hoopoe is a migratory bird which fly to sub-Sahara area during winter.

The stamp issued by Namibia marked the bird as Africa Hoopoe. The illustration of the bird really in dark brown, but two of identify website still cataloged it as Eurasian Hoopoe !

Newly immigrated animal species of Åland

L : Whooper Swan (大天鵝) ; R : Great Cormorant (普通鸕鶿)
Åland (2005)
26th April, 2012. Lemland

After Finland turned into Euro-zone, Åland, which is a state of Finland began to issue new stamps for suitable in Euro currency. Above stamps features three new immigrated birds to be found in Åland is a set of new definitive to its small islands.

Not so surprise, as Åland in the middle of Baltic Sea, it is a important stop of migratory birds from North Pole to southern countries during migration. Two places of Åland is the best to birdwatching, Herröskatan of Lemland is in the east of Åland, there has couple of wooden birdwatching towers in the bank of the Herröskatan for observers. Another good place to birdwatching is Jomala Torpfjärden.

Great Cormorant (普通鸕鶿)
Åland (2005)
26th April, 2012. Lemland

Cactus Wren

Cactus Wren (棕曲嘴鷦鷯)
USA (1982)
1st May, 2012. Cortaro, Arozina

After introduction of the state bird of Alabama - Northern Flicker (北撲翅鴷). This time, the second one to be shown is the state bird of Arozina, Cactus Wren. It is a common largest wren to be found in south-west of United States and most of range of Mexico. The inhabit place is desert ; ants, beetles, grasshoppers, and wasps are its diet. Saguaro (巨人柱), the largest cactus (仙人掌) in the world, is one of ideal inhabit plant to Cactus Wren. The bird often found around yucca and mesquite.

Saguaro also is a state flower of Arozina.

Jackass Penguin

Jackass Penguin (非洲企鵝)
Namibia (1997)
18th April, 2012. Windhoek

Jackass Penguin is the only one penguin species to be found in Africa continent. Most of them inhabiting in Namibia and South Africa, one of attractive popular birdwatching place is Boulders Beach which is open to public.

The other name of the penguin called Black-footed Penguin, as their legs in black colour. They also have black strip and spots on the chest, the patten is unique to each penguin like fingerprints of human. In 1910, the penguin with 1,5million population while only leave 10% of them in recent years. The reasons are the eggs be stolen and the damage of inhabit places.

Now the penguin listed as Endangered class in IUCN list. This stamp set of Jackass Penguin is one of earliest issue of this species.

Nordic 2012

Black-headed Gull (紅嘴鷗) / Lesser Black-backed Gull (小黑背鷗)
Åland (2012)
21st March, 2012. Mariehamn

In each year, eight northern European countries choose one theme for their common issue - Nordic series in each year, the fishermen have been chose in 2012 and only sheetlet of Åland features seabirds, probably Black-headed Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull, are common in the Baltic Sea and north Atlantic Ocean. However, unfortunately but just a mirror mistake, the postcard is features Common Gull (海鷗).

90 Years of Burgenland

White Stork (白鸛)
Austria (2011)
21st October, 2011. Pinkafeld

Burgenland is the easternmost state of Austria, in the borders of Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia. It founded on 1921, before World War I, the most area of Burgenland owned by Hungary, but according to Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919) and Treaty of Trianon (1920), Burgenland despite to Austria. Although it was objected by Hungary, only people who live in Oedenburg support the area still leave in Hungary in the poll of Oedenburg, 14 to 16 December of 1921, while others build a new state of Austria.

The stamp features a family of White Stork, in European area, it is common to see White Stork builds their nest at the top of clock-tower, church or somewhere is the highest point of building.

Protection of wetlands

Faeroe Common Snipe (法羅田鷸)
Iceland (2011)
12th April, 2012. Reykjavik

So pity of this maxicard, the background is too dark cause not easy to find the postmark. However the stamp issued by Iceland seem want to specially remind people the natural conservation only. Faeroe Common Snipe, a subspecies of Common Snipe was selected on the stamp, it is common to Iceland, and can be found on the southern coastal regions of the country during summer.