Collared Sunbird

Collared Sunbird (環頸直嘴太陽鳥)
South Africa (2012)
15th March, 2013. Upington

Collared Sunbird is quite normal and easy to find in sub-Saharan Africa, excluding the area of south-west Africa. Two or three eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree. It is a seasonal migrant within its range. It only 9-10 cm long. They have short thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to nectar feeding. The adult male has glossy green upperparts and head with a yellow belly and narrow purple breast band. The female is a duller green above and entirely yellow below.

⭕️Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill (玫瑰琵鷺)
Costa Rica (2010)
24th August, 2010. Costa Rica

Except the envelope show in last post, the envelope also includes one maxicard. Perhaps it is watered postmark, this is not good effect on the shire postcard as above example. Roseate Spoonbill now is one of endanger species to America, it appears on Florida to almost all Latin and South American countries.

⭕️National parks fauna of Costa Rica

From left to right : 

Green Vine Snake (藤蔓蛇) ; Spectacled Owl (眼鏡鴞) ;
Green-crowned Brilliant (綠頂輝蜂鳥)
Costa Rica (2007)
17th August, 2007. Costa Rica

Unfortunately, it is not a good cover due to the shame Hongkong Post affix a terrible label overlapped the beautiful postmark, as I known the post office happy to find the first day postmark for stamp collector. So even it is not a first day cover, it looks beautiful and excellent, if not has this shame green label.

Costa Rica has a rich biodiversity of its country, so it is easy to find thousand of species. 3 variety species as above are endemic species to Central America, they looks beautiful and attractive.

The cover, as well as the Morocco one shown as before, was gone through Japan. They are very care to affix their label on the back of the envelope as below.

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.

Black-winged Stilt in Senegal

Black-winged Stilt (黑翅長腳鷸)
Senegal (2010)
16th January, 2013. Dakar

If you remember the card shown in February features Bosnia stamp, you can remember that it is a Black-winged Stilt, this time although it is same bird, it is a Senegal stamp - a small interesting country in west Africa. No surprising of that as Black-winged Stilt is a very common resident bird to be found in Old World - from Europe to south Asia and Africa, except Sahara Desert of course.

So pity the postmark not clearly enough, but please note that the month textplate is in hand-writing style, instead of ordinary steel textplate.

Grey Partridge

Grey Partridge (灰山鶉)
Estonia (2012)
27th April, 2010. Tallinn

Missed two years of Estonia, I am happy to welcome it come back to my collection. As before, it still 'Bird of the year' series and Grey Partridge to be selected as bird of the year. Of course it appears on the stamp.

Grey Partridge is quite common the northern Europe to middle-Asia, sometimes can be found in Xinjiang, the far north-west of China. But it have been specially introduced to Canada and USA for game bird, thus now quite common in North America.

This cover specially thanks to philatelic office of Estonia, their staff are professional and kindly help senior collector, I am regards their works.

National parks of Albania

Eastern White Pelican (白鵜鶘)

Albania (2003)

4th February, 2013. Tirana

It is another mail from Albania, the issue also released on 2003 illustrated 3 national parks of this South Europe country. As the illustration, the country to be seen snow weather in during winter time - at least in Bredhi i Drenoves National Park, is situated 10 kilometres from Korça, on the side of the Morava Mountain.

Pisha e Divjakes National Park is a part of the complex called Lagoon of Karavastaja, where is important breeding area of Eastern White Pelican. Bredhi i Hotovës National Park, is a national park in southern Albania, in the region of Frashër, 35 km north-east of Përmet. The park has an area of 1,200 hectares. It takes its name from the Hotova Fir which is considered one of the most important Mediterranean plant relics of the country.

Domestic birds of Albania

Clockwise from left :
White Stork (擬游隼) ; Golden Eagle (金雕)
Eurasian Eagle-owl (鵰鴞) ; Eurasian Capercaillie (松雞)
Albania (2003)
4th February, 2013. Tirana

After the maxicard shown last year, here is the complete sheetlet on the cover. Thanks Hu for the special help of the sheet and another mail to be shown next post. The sheet illustrated couple of local birds of Albania, as well as south Europe. Except those four species on the stamps, the frame also includes Common Pheasant (雉雞), Dalmatian Pelican (卷羽鵜鶘) and Mute Swan (疣鼻天鵝).

Unfortunately as the sheet illustrated in dark colour, the postmark is not clear enough show on the sheet. 

Joint emission - Morocco and Qatar

Peregrine Falcon (擬游隼)
Morocco (2012)
21st January, 2013. Harhoura, Temara

Last year, Morocco and Qatar joint issued a stamp features their national flags and a bird - Peregrine Falcon. In here is not necessary to make description again on the falcon, as it seems easily to be found in desert area, the stamp also features a photograph of Sahara desert.

Above cover sent from Temara, an offshore city of Atlantic Ocean located in north-west of Morocco, it seems rarely to see a mail go through Japan before arrive Hong-Kong.

⭕️Woodpeckers of Malaysia

From left to right :

60sen : Banded Woodpecker (斑紅啄木鳥) ; 80sen : Common Flameback (金背三趾啄木鳥)
RM1 : Lesser Yellownape (黃冠綠啄木鳥)
Malaysia (2013)
13th January, 2013. Kulim

After 4 years, Malaysia issues bird stamps again. This time features 4 woodpeckers, 3 are individual stamps and 1 is in souvenir sheet form, those woodpeckers are local species - at least in whole Malaya Peninsula.

The souvenir sheet was specially printed in embossed process to make the woodpecker looks more reality. However the face value shame in RM5. White-bellied Woodpecker is a migratory bird which breeds in Korea and Japan in winter.

White-bellied Black Woodpecker (白腹黑啄木鳥)

Malaysia (2013)

13th January, 2013. Kulim