Iran's owls

From left to bottom :
1100Rls. : Spotted Owlet (斑腹小鴞) ; 600Rls. : Northern Long-eared Owl (長耳鴞)
1600Rls. : Pallid Scops-Owl (縱紋角鴞) ; 2200Rls. : Brown Fish-Owl (褐漁鴞)
Iran (2011)
14th December, 2011. Tehran (Philatelic Bureau)

This stamp set also celebrated 50th anniversary of WWF but it stored in my album for a long time, few months ago I decided to obtain cancellation and finally get a nice FDI postmark. Four species are selected as endemic species to middle-asia area.

The big problem is, who knows what the red-postmark read?

Brahminy Kite

Brahminy Kite (栗鳶)
Indonesia (2008)
20th April, 2013. Palmerah, Jakarta Barat

Unfortunately it is not a good cover as two postmarks are not clear, it is hard to identify where did it send. Actually I don't collect souvenir sheet due to it just for stamp collector and it seems oddly to be used on any envelope, anyway I do say thanks to the sender.

Brahminy Kite has been shown in last post of Indonesia, but the sheet more clear to show the species in flying motion.

Purple Martin pre-paid envelope

Purple Martin (紫崖燕) ; stamp : Tufted Puffin (花魁鳥)
USA (2012, stamp: 2013)
11th April, 2013. Seattle

In each year, USPS issues a pre-paid envelope (a.k.a. stamped envelope) for their clients, who wish to print their address or company name on the envelope, from 2012 is bird series, the first one is Purple Martin which illustrated by Matthew Frey. Purple Martin is the largest swallow in North America, it is to be ordinary found in whole United States and northern part of Mexico. However the birds which live in northern part will be migrated to Amazon basin area.

Tijuca national park

L : Green-headed Tanager (綠頭唐加拉雀)

R : Violet-capped Woodnymph (紫頂妍蜂鳥)

Brazil (2011)
13th April, 2013. Ajuricaba, Manaus

Tijuca national park, as well as the Tijuca Forest is a mountainous hand-planted rainforest in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the world's largest urban forest. It is home to hundreds of species of plants and wildlife, many threatened by extinction, found only in the Atlantic Rainforest. In 1961, Tijuca Forest was declared a National Park. The Forest contains a number of attractions, most notably the colossal sculpture of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado mountain.

Nature reserve in southern nations

 

 

€0,20 : Gentoo Penguin (巴布亞企鵝) ; €0,60 : White-chinned Petrel (白額鸌)

French Australia and Antarctica Territories (2012)
10th January, 2013. Europa Island

Not only Antarctica, French Australia and Antarctica Territories also controls some islands in Indian Ocean, Europa Island is a part of Scattered Islands, where are islands nearby Madagascar. Europa Island is a 28 km² low-lying tropical island in the Mozambique Channel, it does not have inhabitant but has one airport but is a bird paradise in Indian Ocean.

The chop on the back cover shown the outline of Europa Island and its famous animals, five stars belong to the five islands of Scattered Islands.

⭕️Vultures of Israel

From left to right :
Lammergeier (鬍兀鷲) ; Lappet-faced Vulture (皺臉禿鷲) and Egyptian Vulture (白兀鷲)
Griffon Vulture (黑白禿鷲)
Israel (2013)
2nd April, 2012. Qazrin

After three years - perhaps two, as one cover has been lost in 2011, a new Israel cover comes into my collection. But I little bit upset that the first day cover features 4 species are very common in my collection, the only main features is they are first time appears on Israel stamps.

This nice first day cover with illustration shown how do those vultures eating their quarries, please note the illustrator also drawn couple of other birds which competing the quarry with vultures.

Hwamei

Hwamei (畫眉)
China (2011)
14th December, 2012. Tianhe East, Guangzhou

Hwamei, is an endemic bird to South-east China area, as its sing, people in this area mostly like to be fed them as a pet, the bird is very common to see in local bird markets. Above traditional drawing was reproduced from the original drawing Greetings with Southern Branch in Qing dynasty, is related to a Hwamei singing in southern springtime.

⭕️Macaws

From left to right :

Scarlet Macaw (緋紅金剛鸚鵡) ; Military Macaw (軍艦金剛鸚鵡)
Yellow-crowned Gonolek (非洲黑鵙)
Guyana (1993/2002)
18th March, 2013. Philatelic Bureau
19th March, 2013. Georgetown

Macaw is a type of parrot lives in New World, which native from Central America to South America, especially in rain forest. They mostly in large size and having colourful feather, for example as below maxicards, Hyacinth Macaw in blue colour and the eyes with yellow frame ; Red-and green Macaw is in reddish head and green body. Those sharp colour with long tail attracted many people be their pets. As result, many native macaws are caught for illegal animal trade and their quantity decrease immediately.

Guyana is in the north-east of Amazon Forest, the country to be found couple of macaw species. Here are 4 of them shown above covers and maxicards are examples.

Hyacinth Macaw (紫藍金剛鸚鵡)
Guyana (1993)
18th March, 2013. Philatelic Bureau

Red-and-green Macaw (綠翅金剛鸚鵡)
Guyana (1993)
18th March, 2013. Philatelic Bureau

Loons and grebes

From left to right :
Red-throated Loon (紅喉潛鳥) ; Horned Grebe (角鸊鷈)
Great Crested Grebe (鳳頭鸊鷉) ; Black-throated Loon (黑喉潛鳥)
Åland (2013)
5th April, 2013. Mariehamn

After many years, Åland issued new WWF stamps again, this time feature 4 loons and grebes commonly to be found in this small islands. I decided order a FDC from the philatelic bureau, but sadly the shame Hongkong Post once again damaged this beautiful (and quite expensive) FDC.

⭕️Birds of Montserrat

Antillean Common Gallinule 黑水雞 (安的列斯群島亞種)
Montserrat (2009)
21st March, 2013. Brades

I think most of people don't know where is Montserrat, however if you collect stamp, you may known that there is a British Overseas Territory in the Leeward Islands. And of course not only the geographic detail, most of people known that the territory joint with IGPC issues huge of quantity of stamps to earn money from philatelists. However in today, which country don't issue money for money?

These two maxicards feature the 2009 Birds of Montserrat stamps, the stamps not in good quality as only printed in Taiwan, but they look fine, at least in my opinion. Above species indicated in stamp is Common Moorhen, which is commonly to be found in the world, however some American biologist split sub-species in New World into individual species in few years called Gallinule. So Antillean Common Gallinule now is a sub-species to Common Gallinule.

Western Cattle Egret (黃頭鷺)
Montserrat (2009)
21st March, 2013. Brades