St. Margrethen and Kaltbrunn

Common Tern (普通燕鷗)
Switzerland (1992)
26th April, 2011. St. Margrethen

This time, did not do any stupid as last Philippine maxicard. The card photographed real Common Tern and the stamp illustrated same species, although it is a commemorative stamp in 19 years ago ! For me it is not a big problem due to I only collect bird theme stamps.

The maxicard postmarked in St. Margrethen, it is a border town of Swiss near Austria. Not far away is Austrian village In der Schanz and Lac Bodensee, as shown in the map of stamp. There is a small wetland attract couple of migratory birds in each year, Common Tern is one of common visitors of the area.

Not far away from St. Margrethen, Kaltbrunn also in the Canton of St. Gallen. Is a town in the mountain area, nearby the town there has a protected area called Kaltbrunner Ried. It seems a small wetland to wild animals and birds. As this, the postmark which used in Kaltbrunn is feature a sight of the wetland. Two birds on the postmark probably like Black-headed Gull (紅嘴鷗).

Common Cuckoo (普通杜鵑)
Switzerland (2006)
6th December, 2011. Kaltbrunn

Hunting resorts in Burkina Faso

From left to right :
100F : African Leopard (非洲豹) ; 200F : Long-legged Sahel (撒河爾羊)
75F : Spur-winged Goose (距翅雁)
10F : West African Lion (塞內加爾獅) ; 25F : Mallard (綠頭鴨)
Burkina Faso (2008)
24th February, 2011. Ouagadougou

If you ask people what is the attractive activity in Africa, most of them will tell you wild animal safari is one of most popular activity. I think no one would argue with the famous places to have safari are Kenya and Zambia, where are having roomy national parks and rich biodiversity environment with variety wild life animals. However in West Africa, the sub-Sahara area, is another world to discover what is Africa. Burkina Faso is a country of this area mostly attracted Francophone and European tourists.

After a year of last mail from Burkina Faso, in mid-February they sent me another mail features a set of Hunting resorts and a maxicard as below. But, when you observed the stamps, will you hunt them for interest ? Anyway, houses in the selected five resorts are built with local features, and seem 'comfortable' to tourists.

Maxicard
Mallard (綠頭鴨)
Burkina Faso (2008)
24th February, 2011. Ouagadougou

Eggs

From left to right :
20Kr. : Eurasian Golden-Plover (歐金斑鴴) ; 12Kr. : Islandic Oystercatcher (冰島蠣鷸)
7,50Kr. : Faeroe Common Snipe (法羅田鷸) ; 5Kr. : Whimbrel (中杓鷸)
Faroe Islands (2002)
25th August, 2011. Mi∂vàgur

It was rare to see stamps show bird eggs in all bird issues, the last time presented here was the definitive issue of the Bahamas, the cover features egg of 8 different species. Here, is another example from the Faroes, shown 4 different eggs and their chicks. All of 4 are common and have been appeared on the Faroese stamps before.

Voyageurs National Park

Great Northern Diver - Voyageurs National Park (普通潛鳥, 探險家國家公園)
United States (1999)
1st April, 2011. Ranier, Minnesota

Voyageurs National Park is a woodland area located in the border of United States and Canada, it was established in 1975 to commemorate the voyageurs from Europe. It has 461km² wilderness area be protected.

Above old aerogramme is one of the very last aerogrammes issued by USPS and after that the product line did not continuous. For decorated photos are related to the wild animal and sights of national park. Imprinted stamp is Great Northern Diver which is a very common loon in northern United States and Canada, and also it is a state bird of Minnesota. The bird breeding in the state and nearby areas, then migrate to south for winter.

Another sights in the aerogramme are aurora and Lake Kabetogama.

Jeremy Paul

Pheasant (雉雞)
Isle of Man (2009)
1st September, 2009. Douglas (First day postmark)

Jeremy Paul is a famous British wildlife artist born in 1954, he was travelled or lived in Spain, England, India, Africa and other remotest places include Antarctica and the Arctic. He now living in Isle of Man with his family, and has been held many exhibition related to his work. Since 1997, he was invited by the post office of Isle of Man, to illustrate couple of wildlife theme stamps of the post office, which are issued on 1997 (Owls), 2004 (Robins - Winter's friends), 2006 (Manx bird atlas) and 2009 (Country file by Jeremy Paul). The further issue, Christmas stamps of 2011 will also illustrate by him.

For more details of Jeremy Paul can visit his own site : http://www.jeremypaulwildlifeartist.co.uk/

⭕️Children's health 2011

North Island Brown Kiwi (北島褐鷸鴕)
New Zealand (2011)
6th July, 2011. Whanganul

Takahe (南秧雞)
New Zealand (2011)
6th July, 2011. Whanganul

Kakapo (鴞鸚鵡)
New Zealand (2011)
6th July, 2011. Whanganul

At the same day of Niue's issue, New Zealand Post issued their long-term charity series. This time, it features three endangered flightless species which are endemic to small areas of New Zealand. In the meantime, post office issued a irregular souvenir sheet in Takahe shape.

North Island Brown Kiwi only endemic to variety areas of North Island, and also some offshore islands near North Island. The species was a subspecies of Common Kiwi (大奇威鳥) before 2000. Afterwards it separated into 3 species include Okarito Kiwi (歐卡里托鷸鴕), which named in 2003. North Island Brown Kiwi is the first time appeared on stamp and now population about 5.000 birds.

Takahe, formally called South Island Takahe, to divide North Island Takahe (短翅水雞) which has been extincted in New Zealand. In 1898, the biologist assumed South Island Takahe was extincted, but it be rediscovered in the Murchison Mountains on 1948. Now only near 230 birds remain inhabiting in some off-shore islands of South Island.

Kakapo also has its own interesting story, it has been shown in 2009, a WWF issue of New Zealand.

40th anniversary of the convention on wetlands

40th anniversary of the Convention on Wetlands
(拉姆薩濕地公約40週年)
Belarus (2011)
15th November, 2011. Kobryn Brest Reg.

In 2/2/1961, 18 initial signatory nations signed a convention in Ramsar, Iran which related to protect important wetlands in the world. The former-USSR is one of signatory nation, and of course the convention also effected to Belarus. After its 40 years, total 160 countries and areas are the signatory nations which includes the newest member Laos.

A special envelope illustrated couple of Mallard (綠頭鴨) to commemorate this event by Belarus Post. Although Belarus is a small country in eastern Europe, it has Sporovsky, Pripyat, Prostyr, Zvanets, Olmanskie Marsh, Yelnya", Osveysky, Kotra and Berezina Biosphere Reserve etc. valuable wetlands to keep the country biodiversity.

Extra make-up rate stamp is illustrated Burbot (江鱈), which is a classics river fish to be found in cold areas of higher than Latitude 45º N, Asia and Europe.

Archaeopteryx

Archaeopteryx (始祖鳥)
Germany (2011)
11th August, 2011. Rehburg-Loccum

Archaeopteryx was decided as original bird but it subsequently classify as Archaeopterygidae (始祖鳥科) under Reptilia (爬行綱) on 1871, after 10 years of the discovery of first fossil in Germany. Archaeopteryx lives in Late Jurassic Period (晚侏羅紀) around 155 million to 150 million years ago mostly inhabits in Europe, when there were islands nearest Equator. Now 11 fossils are discovered and store in individual museum.

The pictorial postmark illustrated what does Archaeopteryx look like, Rehburg-Loccum and Eichstätt are the places in Germany discover fossil of Archaeopteryx.

Thanks to Wolfgang who sent me these two first day covers with special pictorial postmark.

Archaeopteryx (始祖鳥)
Germany (2011)
11th August, 2011. Eichstätt

Archaeopteryx (始祖鳥)
Germany (2011)
18th November, 2011. Solnhofen

Cape Parrot

Cape Parrot (海角鸚鵡)
South Africa (2011)
20th July, 2011. Tshwane

In 2010, South Africa continues to issue their popular domestic bird series stamps, it was fifth in the series and as before, each set features five species. This time, five forest birds are the actors and I only selected Cape Parrot for my collection. According to the stamps quite expensive, I gave up to collect whole set of stamps, even they seem beautiful enough.

Originally Cape Parrot has three sub-species separately endemic to South Africa (Cape Parrot / Poicephalus robustus robustus (海角鸚鵡)) ; middle of Africa (Grey-headed Parrot / P. r. suahelicus (灰頭鸚鵡)) and West Africa (Brown-necked Parrot / P. r. fuscicollis (啡頸海角鸚鵡)), however after reclassified they were become three individual species and the scientific name of Cape Parrot becomes Poicephalus fuscicollis. Now this species probably endemic to south-east of South Africa and border of Mozambique.

Owls of Taiwan

From left to right :
NT$25 : Collared Owlet (鵂鶹) ; NT$10 : Tawny Owl (灰林鴞)
NT$5 : Oriental Scops-Owl (東方角鴞)
NT$5 : Northern Long-eared Owl (長耳鴞)
Taiwan (2011)
8th August, 2011. Sinyi, Nantou

Taiwan again to issue bird stamps in this year. So disappointing, the stamps don't respond my demand as they seem missing something. Also, so pity that the original first day cover was lost and above one is redone after one month of day of issue.

Four species not very attractive but all of them illustrated endemic subspecies, except Collared Owlet. As the stamps printed in recess procedure, it is hardly to identify and make confusing to birdwatchers.