Pierre Bignon

Gentoo Penguin (巴布亞企鵝)
French Australia and Antarctica Territories (2011)
18th February, 2013. Port-aux-Français, Kerguelen

However, very sorry it is impossible to find biographic of Pierre Bignon, only known he was born in 1921 and died on 1990. He seems a scientist always research in Antarctica area, so the stamp illustrated Gentoo Penguin but his portrait on the tag.

Gentoo Penguin breeds on many sub-Antarctic islands. The main colonies are on the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Kerguelen Islands; smaller populations are found on Macquarie Island, Heard Islands, South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. The total breeding population is estimated to be over 300,000 pairs. Nests are usually made from a roughly circular pile of stones and can be quite large, 20 cm high and 25 cm in diameter. The stones are jealously guarded and their ownership can be the subject of noisy disputes between individual penguins. They are also prized by the females, even to the point that a male penguin can obtain the favors of a female by offering her a nice stone.

Birds of Germany

From left to right :
58+27c : Goldfinch (紅額金翅雀) ; 90+40c : Eurasian Bullfinch (紅腹灰雀)
145+55c : Blue Tit (藍山雀)
Germany (2013)
8th August, 2013. Berlin

Finally, I got a cover from Germany with features real bird issue. Three species are selected for the stamps but they are quite ordinary to European area. It seems not necessary to make any descriptions again to these three species, however I received another cover which sent by an eBay seller, it is so pity that the postmark not in good condition but the stamps cancelled on August 6, two days before day of issue. Is it situation ordinary in Germany ?

From left to right :
145+55c : Blue Tit (藍山雀) ; 58+27c : Goldfinch (紅額金翅雀)
90+40c : Eurasian Bullfinch (紅腹灰雀)
Germany (2013)
6th August, 2013. Herten

Goldfinch (紅額金翅雀)
Germany (2013)
8th August, 2013. Walsorde

Eurasian Bullfinch (紅腹灰雀)
Germany (2013)
8th August, 2013. Berlin

 

Blue Tit (藍山雀)
 Germany (2013)
8th August, 2013. Berlin

Owls of Thailand

From left to right :
Collared Scops Owl (領角鴞) ; Collared Owlet (鵂鶹)
Barred Eagle-Owl (馬來雕鴞) ; Barn Owl (倉鴞)
Latvia (2013)
29th August, 2013. Bo Sang, Chiang Mai

Thailand is a paradise for bird lovers. Especially the many natural parks offer plenty of opportunities for birdwatching. The following is an alphabetical list of more than 900 bird species in Thailand*. Many of these can be found in and around Chiang Mai. Favorite spots for birding near Chiang Mai include Doi Inthanon (the highest mountain of Thailand: 2565 m) and Doi Chiang Dao (2175 m).

Above 4 species on the stamps are quite ordinary to be found in Chiang Mai, and near round mountain areas, however they are not endanger species.

SEPAC 2013

Yellow-legged Gull (黄腿鷗)
Monaco (2013)
5th June, 2013. Monte-Carlo

This year, the stamps issued by the postal administrations that are members of SEPAC (Small European Postal Administrations Cooperation) will feature "animals" as their joint theme. Gull is chosen as Monaco stamp, a very common marine bird in this small country. The species depicted on the stamp is the Yellow-legged Gull which is characteristic of the Mediterranean.

Above is the maxicard shown the gulls waiting at pier, once the fishing boats come back, they can fly to see what they can eat as fast as they can, this shot is normally to be found in Southern Europe.

Yellow-legged Gull (黄腿鷗)
Monaco (2013)
5th June, 2013. Monte-Carlo

The Red Book of Lithuania

From left to right :
2,15Lt : Aquatic Warbler (水棲葦鶯) ; 2,90Lt : Tawny Pipit (平原鷚)
White-tailed Eagle (白尾鷲)
Lithuania (2013, 2011)
18th September, 2013. Vilnius

In September 2013, Lithuania Post continues to release two new stamps from the series 'The Red Book of Lithuania' after 2011.

The Aquatic Warbler is the only species of European passerine birds included into the list of globally endangered species. The Aquatic Warbler breeds in the territories stretching from the western France to the River of Ob. In the north, the habitats cover the southern part of the Baltic Sea Coast, southern Finland, and the upper reaches of the Rivers Volga and Kama. In the south, the habitats embrace the upper reaches of the River of Belaja, northern Ukraine, the Balkans, and the lower reaches of the River of Rona.

The Tawny Pipit prevails in the temperate climate zone of Europe, in part of Asia, and north-western Africa. This migrant bird spends winters in Africa and Indian subcontinent. In Lithuania, it is found in the Curonian Spit and the coast of the Baltic Sea as well as in the south east of the country.

The stamp on the far right, issued on 2011, is White-tailed Eagle.

Biodiversity hotspots in India

From left to right :
25rp : Bugun Liocichla (布坤藪鶥) ; 5rp : Nicobar Megapode (尼柯巴塚雉)
5rp : Hoolock Gibbon (白眉長臂猿) ; 5rp : Venated Gliding Frog (橙腹樹蛙*)
India (2012)
11th September, 2013. Bangalore International Airport

A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans. The concept of biodiversity hotspots was originated by Norman Myers in two articles in “The Environmentalist” (1988), & 1990 revised after thorough analysis by Myers and others in “Hotspots: Earth’s Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions”. In India there has two biodiversity hotspots, one is Indo-Burma, and other one is Western Ghats.

Indo-Burma is a biodiversity hotspot designated by Conservation International, which extends from eastern India and southern China across Southeast Asia, and includes Australia, but excluding the Malay Peninsula. The Conservation International hotspot includes all of the World Wildlife Fund's Indochina Bioregion, but also includes the Meghalaya subtropical forests, which the WWF includes in its Indian Subcontinent Bioregion.

Eagle's Nest Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area of India in the Himalayan foothills of West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh. It conjoins Sessa Orchid Sanctuary to the northeast and Pakhui Tiger Reserve across the Kameng river to the east. Altitude ranges extremely from 500 metres (1,640 ft) to 3,250 metres (10,663 ft).

Those 2 bird species appears on the stamps are endemic to Indo-Burma or Eagle's Nest Wildlife Sanctuary.

Biodiversity SOAR of Ireland (2013)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (大斑啄木鳥)
Ireland (2013)
1st August, 2012. Dublin

As last few years, Ireland An Post continues to issue Biodiversity definitive SOAR this year and it is the fourth series of 2013, eight labels issued cover variety family as well as before. The two birds chose as Great Spotted Woodpecker and Black-legged Kittiwake.

The Great Spotted Woodpecker can be found in both broadleaved and coniferous woodlands and forests and recently has been spotted in gardens and parks. They feed on seeds, invertebrates, and occasionally bird eggs and nestlings. During spring they can be heard ‘drumming’; a sound produced by rapidly pecking on a dead branch or other resonant object.

The Black-legged Kittiwake is a small, cliff-nesting gull, named for its loud, nasal ‘kitti-wake’ call. Its short legs are usually black, helping to distinguish it from the Red-legged Kittiwake. The hind toe of each foot is reduced to a mere bump, meaning it has only three functional toes instead of four, giving the Black-legged Kittiwake its scientific name, tridactyla, which means ‘three-toed’.

Black-legged Kittiwake (三趾鷗)
Ireland (2013)
1st August, 2012. Dublin

Great Spotted Woodpecker (大斑啄木鳥)
  Ireland (2013)
1st August, 2012. Dublin

⭕️Ducorps' Cockatoo

Ducorps' Cockatoo (杜氏鳳頭鸚鵡)
Solomon Islands (2013)
21st June, 2011. Honiara

The Ducorps' Cockatoo, also known as Solomons Corella or Broad-crested Corella, is a species of cockatoo endemic to the Solomon Islands. This small white cockatoo is larger than the Tanimbar Corella yet smaller than the Umbrella Cockatoo. The species is common across most of the Solomons, absent only from Makira in the south. It inhabits lowland rainforests, secondary forests, cleared areas and gardens. The Solomons Cockatoo nests in tree cavities. The eggs are white and there are usually two in a clutch. The eggs are incubated for about 25 days and the chicks leave the nest about 62 days after hatching.

The northern common cuscus, also known as the grey cuscus, is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family native to northern New Guinea and adjacent smaller islands, but is now also found in the Bismarck Archipelago, south-east and central Moluccas, the Solomons and Timor, where it is believed to have been introduced in prehistoric times.

Two species are not endanger species but appear on the stamps.

Northern Common Cuscus (灰袋貂)
Solomon Islands (2002)

Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park

Nationalpark Wattenmeer (下薩克森瓦登海國家公園)
Germany (2013)
1st July, 2013. Berlin

The Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park was established in 1986 and embraces the East Frisian Islands, mudflats and salt marshes between the Bay of Dollart on the border with the Netherlands in the west and Cuxhaven as far as the Outer Elbe shipping channel in the east. The national park has an area of about 345,800 hectares. The National Park organisation is located in Wilhelmshaven. Since June 2009 the Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea and the Dutch Wadden Sea.

The first day cancellation illustrated Common Gull (海鷗), an ordinary seabird of North Sea.

New bird series of Latvia (2)

From left to right :
Left : European Bee-eater (黃喉蜂虎) ; right : Long-tailed Duck (長尾鴨)
Latvia (2013)
24th July, 2013. Riga
31st July, 2013. Riga

As well as last year, I contacted philatelic office of Latvia Post again, they issued the forth issue of new bird series. Here is the first day cover and maxicards shown the two species European Bee-eater and Long-tailed Duck.

The European Bee-eater breeds in southern Europe and in parts of north Africa and western Asia. It is strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, India and Sri Lanka. This species occurs as a spring overshoot north of its range, with occasional breeding in northwest Europe. This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly-coloured, slender bird. It has brown and yellow upper parts, whilst the wings are green and the beak is black. The Long-tailed Duck is a medium-sized sea duck. It is the only living member of its genus, Clangula; this was formerly used for the goldeneyes, with the Long-tailed Duck being placed in Harelda. An undescribed congener is known from the Middle Miocene Sajóvölgyi Formation of Mátraszõlõs, Hungary. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

European Bee-eater (黃喉蜂虎)
 Latvia (2013)
7th June, 2013. Riga

 

Long-tailed Duck (長尾鴨)
Latvia (2013)
7th June, 2013. Riga