⭕️Récifs d'Entrecasteaux

From top to bottom :
110F : Austropacific Masked Booby (藍臉鰹鳥/西太平洋亞種)
150F : Eastern Reef Heron (太平洋岩鷺)
New Caledonia (2013, 2012)
31st May, 2013. Noumea (Philatelic Office)

The Great Barrier Reef has appeared in news reports from time to time in recent years, except global warming, transitional fishing, environmental pollution cause aggravate of coral bleaching; transitional tourism damage to ecology are also topics in the news. It has attracted the attention of environmentalists around the world, and has also attracted tourists to Australia to explore one of the attractive places in this country. Since it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, it seems that it has not been properly protected. UNESCO recommended that it be listed as a List of World Heritage in Danger in 2015, 21 and 22, but it was successfully stopped by Australia every time. However, the damage to the barrier reef has not stopped, and large-scale bleaching will occur again in 2024.

There are three large barrier reefs in the world that are included in the World Heritage Site list, two of which are located in Oceania in the southwest Pacific Ocean, namely the Great Barrier Reef of Australia and the New Caledonian Barrier Reef; the last one is the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS) in the Caribbean Seas of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala respectively, this barrier reef was registered as World Natural Heritage Site in 1996 but listed as a List of World Heritage in Danger from 2009 to 2018.

This time I will only introduce New Caledonian Barrier Reef, which occupies the entire long and narrow waters of north-central New Caledonia, extending north from the northeast of the main island (Grande Terre) to Belep (archipel des Bélep). It also includes Isle of Pines (Île des Pins) and Ouvéa and Beautemps-Beaupré atolls (Ouvéa et Beautemps-Beaupré) which are in the 40 kilometres southeast of the main island, and 223 kilometers north of the main island Entrecasteaux Reefs (Récifs d’Entrecasteaux). New Caledonian Barrier Reef is the longest of 3 heritage site barrier reefs, but it is second only to the Great Barrier Reef. Compared with the Great Barrier Reef, her attention seems to be as low as that of the French territory in the Pacific, so much so that it was only listed as a World Natural Heritage in 2008. Off-topic, New Caledonia held four independence referendums in 1987, 2008, 20 and 21, but in the end it still chose to stay in France as an overseas collective. However, the turmoil caused by the election reform in 2024 made New Caledonia upgrade to an independent country in 2025. but she is still attached to France.

The New Caledonian Barrier Reef registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008, was soon planned to issue stamps in time for December of the same year. The semi-irregular souviner sheet introduced six sites that make up the barrier reef. From north to south they are Entrecasteaux Reefs and North East Coast (Zone côtière Nord-Est) which are far from the main island; North Lagoon District (Grand Lagon Nord), West Coast District (Zone côtière Ouest) and South Lagoon District(Grand Lagon Sud) located on the main island, also Ouvéa and Beautemps-Beaupré atolls to the east of the main island, the main picture of stamps are 6 species in the area.

Since 2009, the post office of New Caledonia has issued a stamp every year with New Caledonian Barrier Reef, although the species on these 6 stamps are the same as those on the 2008 souviner sheet, all of their background also depicts the attractive natural characteristics of the area meanwhile. Since I am only interested in bird stamps, I only bought one of these 6 full series of Entrecasteaux Reefs issued in 2013 and the Mangroves stamp of the previous year. Entrecasteaux Reefs is an uninhabited deep-water reef 223 kilometres north of the main island of New Caledonia. To be precise, this coral reef, also includes the west coast of the main island and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia belong to the Coral Sea (Mer de Corail) area, total area is 479,1 km² to be second largest sea in the world. Except Australia and New Caledonia, the surrounding area of the sea also touches Oceania countries such as Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuvatu, and there are many uninhabited islands now under the jurisdiction of the Norfolk Islands. The Entrecasteaux Reefs was discovered by amiral Antoine Bruni d’Entrecasteaux in 1792 and was later named with his name. Although it is uninhabited, the shore was covered with mangroves and birdshits as it was on the migration path of migratory birds. In recent years, the mangroves on the main island have been destroyed by human activities, and sediments have flooded the coral reefs.

New Caledonian Barrier Reef has recently become an emerging tourist destination, attracting only tourists from France and nearby countries because of its low popularity and few direct flights. The animals here like Dugong and Green turtle are endangered species, Fortunately the humpback whale, 2 stamps on the above envelope shown Austropacific Masked Booby and Eastern Reef Heron are least-concern species

Falcoaria

From left to right :
I 20g : Golden Eagle (金雕) ; E 20g : Eurasian Sparrowhawk (北雀鷹)
A 20g : Northern Goshawk (蒼鷹) ; N 20g : Peregrine Falcon (擬游隼)
Portugal (2013)
23rd March, 2013. Salvaterra de Magos

Falconry is the hunting of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. There are two traditional terms used to describe a person involved in falconry: a falconer flies a falcon; an austringer (German origin) flies a hawk (Accipiter and some buteos and similar) or an eagle (Aquila or similar). In modern falconry the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) and the Harris hawk are often used. The words "hawking" and "hawker" have become used so much to mean petty traveling traders, that the terms "falconer" and "falconry" now apply to all use of trained birds of prey to catch game.

In early English falconry literature, the word "falcon" referred to a female falcon only, while the word "hawk" or "hawke" referred to a female hawk. A male hawk or falcon was referred to as a "tiercel" (sometimes spelled "tercel") as it was roughly one third less than the female in size. Many contemporary practitioners still use these words in their original meaning. The practice of hunting with a conditioned falconry bird is also called "hawking" or "gamehawking".

White Stork in Switzerland

White Stork (白鸛)
Switzerland (2013)
7th May, 2013. Bern

In 1949, Switzerland’s white stork population disappeared, leaving a landscape totally devoid of bill clattering. Max Bloesch (1908–97), known as the “Father of the Storks”, successfully reintroduced these long-legged birds to Altreu (Canton Solothurn). Today, some 300 breeding pairs circle the skies between the plain of the River Orbe and Canton St. Gallen’s Rhine Valley.

These two first day covers and maxicards are feature the postmark of Bern and Selach. Where are the official first day cancellation and the reintroduced place of White Storks. And the last, a pair of cover and maxicard feature postmark of Brittnau, which the postmark illustrated a pair of White Stork.

It is the 500th post of Philatelic of birds, after 5 years of its open.

White Stork (白鸛)
Switzerland (2013)
7th May, 2013. Selach

White Stork (白鸛)

Switzerland (2013)

7th May, 2013. Bern / Selach

White Stork (白鸛)

Switzerland (2013)

5th July, 2013. Brittnau

Papyrus Gonolek

Papyrus Gonolek (穆富氏黑伯勞)
Burundi (2011)
11th June, 2013. Bujumbura

Papyrus Gonolek is a species of bird in the Malaconotidae family. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. It has specialised habitat requirements, being restricted to papyrus swamps. Not yet a threatened species, it has become rare due to habitat loss and pollution.

The cover is the last of WWF 50th anniversary series, total are 11 covers collected.

Svalbard

Aurora (極光)
Norway (2001)
22nd May, 2013. Barentsburg, Svalbard
(Postmark features Rock Ptarmigan (岩雷鳥)

Do you remember a cover from Svalbard on two years ago ? It cancelled with a special postmark features an animal to be found in North Circle, here is an other example from Svalbard. Barentsburg is second largest settlements in Svalbard, but there almost are Russian and Ukrainians.

Except the cancellation, the cover features 4 seal related to Barentsburg, however they are illustrated variety looks of Nordic Bear. 

Mantaritsa nature reserve

Eurasian Capercaillie (松雞)
Bulgaria (2013)
23th May, 2013. Sofia

Once again, Bulgaria issued a nice pre-paid envelope which the imprinted stamp as well as their newest souvenir sheet. The sheet is commemorated Mantaritsa nature reserve, the nature reserve is located at the territory of municipality of Rakitovo, not far away of Batak dam and Tsigov Chark resort. There are kept most magnificent coniferous forests in Bulgaria. The vegetation is impassable for the most part, and resembles a jungle. The most common trees in the reserve of Mantaritsa are spruces, fir and pine, which are about 130-150 years old.

The illustration shown the pine forest and Capercaillie respectively.

Secretarybird

Secretarybird (蛇鷲)
Uganda (2012)
30th April, 2013. Kampala
3rd May, 2013. Sorting Centre, Kampala

The last cover features Secretarybird was come from Eritrea, however it doesn't look good as the cover features 3 species. Here is the new one, it is more beautiful and attractive, the latest WWF issue of Uganda. As before, 4 stamps illustrated different activity of Secretarybird. Although the stamps coordinated by Stamperija, it still collectable to all bird theme stamp collector.

Please specially take a look of the airmail label, it features the logo of Uganda Airlines, but it closed for 20 years. The logo of the airline is Grey Crowned-Crane (灰冠鶴), which is a national bird of Uganda.

Birds of Southern Pacific (1)

From left to right :
70¢ : Friendly Ground-dove (睦雞鳩) ; 50¢ : Swamp Harrier (沼澤鷂)
Tonga (1998)
9th May, 2013. Nuku'alofa

Actually I forget how many pacific birds I have been introduced here, so from this time, I reset it as 1, then follow it in future. Tonga is in the Southern Pacific, it is famous in the world as it is the first country go into new day, thus as a result, it also the first country go into next year. In each year many tourists visit this islands to celebrate new year.

Back to the birds, the recent definitive stamp sets of Tonga are bird theme, it is good news to the theme collector or sadly to collector - a lot of new species may featured on stamps but mostly in high value.Friendly Ground-Dove is dove to be found in west or southern pacific, and widely on Malaya Peninsular. Swamp Harrier also to be found in west or southern pacific and Malaya Peninsular, and some records in Australia.

Those two birds are endangered species.

National bird of Lithuania

White Stork (白鸛)
Lithuania (2013)
6th April, 2013. Vilnjus

White Stork is common bird in Europe, when I was introduced this species in here. After Albania, Latvia, Italy, Macedonia, Portugal and Austria, it is the seventh country to show their White Stork stamp here. In each summer, White Stork will be migrated from sub-Sahara area to Europe, for their next generation. The males mostly come first to find back their nest and females arrive in following dates. When October, the weather of Europe becomes cold, those White Storks with their chick will migrate back to sub-Sahara area, which are large groups across Mediterranean Sea.

White Stork also is a national bird of Lithuania, of course it is easily to obverse this species through out the country, and its neighbourhood countries.

White Stork (白鸛)
Lithuania (2013)
6th April, 2013. Vilnjus

Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck (長尾鴨)
Åland (2013)
19th February, 2013. Mariehamn

In 2013, Åland Post continoues their Frama series Old Wooden Decoys, the second one is Long-tailed Duck, which also is common bird in the Baltic Sea. as well as Common Eider or other game birds to be more succeeded on the hunting, hunters mostly use wooden decoys which are similar to real species to attract the game closer to hunter. Above first day cover, as the first one illustrated a hunter and how the wooden decoy works.

The registration fee of Åland increased again, supplementary postage label valued €6,85 is instead of €6,10 in last year.