Last day of Mayotte stamps

Eastern Cattle Egret (牛背鷺)
Mayotte (1998)
31st December, 2011. Mtzamboro

In last post of Mayotte, I have introduced that the last issue of Mayotte is December 31. Although it was not a bird stamp, I still obtained the postmark on this day from Mtzamboro, the northwest-most post office in Mayotte. After this day, begin from January 1, 2012. French stamps will be used on this 101th overseas department, as well as Reunion or Guadeloupe.

Icterine Warbler

Icterine Warbler (綠籬鶯)
Latvia (2011)
10th October, 2011. Riga
20th October, 2011. Hong-Kong

Thanks Oleg again, I received the second series of Latvian bird issue just after few days of first issue. Icterine Warbler is the first time appears on the stamp world, it breeds in middle and sub-northern Europe and migrates to sub-Sahara area during winter. Icterine in English means yellowish colour but the Chinese name using green as the description.

It mostly to be found in woodland, also parks and gardens in the city, and near water of course. It is easy to find them in breeding seasons. In the same series, there has another stamp feature Short-toed Snake Eagle (短趾雕).

Fauna series of Slovenia

From left to right :
A : Eurasian Curlew (白腰杓鷸) ; B : White-backed Woodpecker (大赤啄木)
C : Ortolan Bunting (圃鵐)
Slovenia (2011)
5th October, 2011. Službeno, Maribor

After 14 years, fauna series appears again in Slovenia issue program of 2011, the first issue was domestic birds. Not like last fauna bird issue, they are individual format instead of block of 4. And this time also issued a souvenir sheet - White Stork (白鸛). Special thanks to philatelic service of Slovenia Post, they provided excellent service of this issue, as sent the stamps as above cover.

White-backed Woodpecker (大赤啄木)
Slovenia (2011)
23rd September, 2011. Ljubljana

⭕️Aerogramme of St Lucia

St. Lucia Parrot (聖盧西亞亞馬遜鸚鵡)
St Lucia (2004, aerogramme 1992)
2nd June, 2011. Castries

After years, I received another mail from this small islands country again. This time is an aerogramme features panorama of the Port of Castries, but the picture probably taken in 80's year of last century. The most interesting and attractive thing to me is, the imprinted stamp is St Lucia Parrot and Mount Gimie. The national bird of St Lucia and the highest mountain of this country. For make-up postage (perhaps do not need), two coil stamps affixed on the aerogramme, they interestingly feature the national symbols again !

St Lucia Parrot is an endemic parrot to St Lucia, sadly the population of the parrot was decreased from 1000 in 1950s to 150 in 1970s. Later on the governor took an action to conserve this national bird and now the population turned back to more than 350 parrots.

Wild birds of sub-Saharan Africa - Eritrea (2)

African Darter (紅蛇鵜)
Eritrea (1997)
16th December, 2010. Asmara

Continues to show items from Eritrea, a maxicard features African Darter, it is rear to use grey-scale postcard in my collection, and it was published in 1958. Darter also a common waterbird in sub-Sahara area, as known as Snake Bird, it breeds closely to the colonies of Pygmy Cormorant (侏鸕鶿) and African Sacred Ibis (埃及聖鷺). And of course, its diet is fish but as the body of darter doesn't have oil, the feather waterlogged after diving for fish.

Escola Básica Integrada de Arrifes

Braga festival masks (布拉加節日面具)

Portugal (2005)

31st May, 2011. Arrifes, Ponta Delgada

On late May, a commemorative postmark to mark the event of celebrate of 25th anniversary of EBI in Arrifes, a civil parish in Ponta Delgada, Azores. The illustration of the postmark chose Azores Buzzard (亞速爾鵟) as it is only one resident bird of prey in Azores, which is endemic subspecies of Common Buzzard (鵟). However as the illustration was too graphical, it hardly to identify and dislike buzzard, except from the Portuguese description 'O Milhapre'.

More Azores Buzzard can be found in the site Pictures and voices of European and Finnish Birds.

Herring Gull or Yellow-legged Gull (2)

Thin-Lipped Grey Mullet (薄唇鯔)
Portugal (2011)
7th December, 2011. Póvoa do Varzim

In the end of the last year, Póvoa do Varzim held a philatelic exhibition and of course having variety postmarks use on each days. Póvoa do Varzim near the coastline of Atlantic Ocean, there is suitable for fishing and related industries, the city attracts thousands of seabird whole years. So one of 5 postmarks features Yellow-legged Gull (黄腿鷗), it is one common bird to be found on the beach, piers and fish markets. Although postmark shown Larus argentatus, is the scientific name of Herring Gull. Now two species are individual and southern one as Larus michahellis.

It is hard to identify Yellow-legged Gull and Herring Gull, but their inhabit places are different, Yellow-legged Gull near coastline of southern Europe while Herring Gull is the north. The important differences are the back of Herring Gull is darker and the legs of Yellow-legged Gull is in yellow colour. The Åland's aerogramme shown the Herring Gull.

Herring Gull (銀鷗)
Åland (1996)
16th February, 2012. Sviby, Mariehamn

The stamp on the cover issued on 2011, comes from the Migratory Fishes set. This beautiful issue features 6 common migratory fishes to be found on the coast of Portugal or nearby Atlantic Ocean. Below attractive cover is an example of this stamp set.

From left to right :
0,32 € : European River Lamprey (七鳃鳗) ; 0,47 € : Allis Shad (西鯡)
0,68 € : European Flounder (川鰈) ; 0,80 € : Thin-Lipped Grey Mullet (薄唇鯔)
Portugal (2011)
1st April, 2011. Cuba

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.