Cobb's Wern

Cobb's Wern (科氏鷦鷯)
Falkland Islands (2009)
20th August, 2010. Stanley
31st August, 2010. Hongkong

Cobb's Wern, as known as Rock Wern in locals is a small brownish bird endemic to Falkland Islands, formally it was sub-species of House Wren (鶯鷦鷯), but it separated later as independence species. It mostly nesting Tussac Grass near the coast with hollow ball shape, which only to be found in South America and Falkland. The bird may breeds three to four eggs during October to December in each year. According to the small restricted area, under 2,000 pair recorded in recent years and being to be a endangered species.

Piping Plover

Piping Plover (笛鴴)
Barbados (1999)
5th May, 2010. St Lucy
6th May, 2010. Bridgetown (Registration Branch, GPO)

Piping Plover is a small size plover as little as House Sparrow (麻雀), it looks sand colour ; the legs of adult plovers in orange colour, and also with black brand between two eyes. During the breeding period, birds will have one more ring in the neck. Piping Plover mostly breeding in the coast of Five-lake zone, Canada ; also the Atlantic coastlines of Canada and the United States. In winter, they will migrate to south as far as Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean islands.

Above WWF series stamp issued by Barbados on 1999 shown the plover's eggs, juvenile, males and females respectively. The background illustrated they mostly appear on the bank or waterfront. In Barbados, only few (not more than 100 populations) Piping Plover to be found in each year during migratory seasons, they mostly live in north and east side of the country. This cover, was sent from St Lucy post office where is the northernmost parish of Barbados.

Saddle-bill Stork and Black-cheeked Lovebird

FrontK200 and K900 : Saddle-billed Stork (鞍嘴鸛)
K300 and K500 : Black-cheeked Lovebird (黑頰情侶鸚鵡)
Zambia (1996)
30th March, 2010. Kansenshi, Nodla
30th March, 2010. Nodla
31st March, 2010. Lusaka

Do you remember a cover from Malawi features a WWF stamp set of Nyasa Lovebird (尼亞情侶鸚鵡) ? It was a great and lovely stamp set in WWF series. Until now, only two stamp sets in WWF series are featuring species in Agapornis (情侶鸚鵡) genus, Malawi one is the second and the first one issued by Zambia on 1996 which shown as above. Above illustrated cover affixed whole set of stamps sent from Nodla, so you can find all two species in the stamp set. As well as last two Zambian mails, this cover be regraded by Mr. Ramsey, many thanks for his great help.

Saddle-billed Stork is a great stork widely to be found in sub-Saharan area, from Sudan to South Africa. Height 1,5m and the wings can be width 2,7m, except head, neck, back and tail in black colour ; black legs with pink knees, and huge reddish with black bar bill, it almost in white. The bird mostly lives in tropical marshes and wetlands, nesting in branch with deep and wide nest. Black-cheeked Lovebird is mainly in green with blackish head and reddish bill, it is endemic to Victoria Waterfall area of Zambia, as it habits in relatively small range area caused the bird easy be effected by habitat change, now it listed as vulnerable in ICUN list. Same as most lovebirds, it also is a popular pet over the world, in wild area it mostly inhabits woodland.

Above cover was sent from Kansenshi, where is a town in south-west of Nodla. Below is the back side of above envelope demonstrated how the mail processing in Zambia. And also a maxicard features Black-cheeked Lovebird, thanks Andrew of Zambia and Yoram of London, who had exciting safari trip on late-May.

Back
MaxicardBlack-cheeked Lovebird (黑頰情侶鸚鵡)
Zambia (1996)
31st May, 2010. Nodla

Black-faced Spoonbill, again

Black-faced Spoonbill (黑面琵鷺)
Korea, DPR of (2009)
21st January, 2010. Pyongyang

After a year, I would show again Black-faced Spoonbill here, this is the second post about this endangered species. The last post, shown together with an envelope from Hongkong to Vandas Nova of Portugal and a prepaid envelope sent from Chigo of Taiwan. In 2009, North Korea was issued a series of stamps and products illustrate Black-faced Spoonbill, and also they are one of series of WWF theme. Above aerogramme is the example of the series.

Korea Peninsula and part of north-eastern China is the breeding places of Black-faced Spoonbill, and they will migrate to south for winter. Mostly they stay in south of Taiwan, south-east China especially Hongkong and farther south to Vietnam. As the change of inhabit places, population has been decreased in 80's years of last century. After large range of conversation, quantity is increasing back in these few years.

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher (斑鶲)

Isle of Man (2000)

26th January, 2010. Douglas

After two years, another request mail from Isle of Man Philatelic Bureau. Same as last mail, another stamp which comes from same WWF issue has been used, the only different is this is maxicard. The card specially printed in black and white colour shown the bird standing on the dead branch. Spotted Flycatcher is very common in Europe and also western Asia as there is breeding place of them. In winter, it migrates to Africa and south-west Asia.

Crabs of Cocos (Keeling) Islands

From left to right :
5c : Little Nipper (葛氏陸方蟹) ; 5c : Purple Crab (兇狠圓軸蟹)
45c : Smooth-banded Ghost Crab (平掌沙蟹)
45c : Horn-eyed Ghost Crab (角眼沙蟹)
Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2000)
21st December, 2009. Cocos Keeling Island

These four crabs are widely to be found in west Pacific area, however they are not normally appear on Cocos (Keeling) Islands, where are the islands located in the east of Indian Ocean. Little Nipper widely to be found in Indian Ocean and west tropical Pacific Ocean, it looks puprle and black. Purple Crab is a large crab, mostly lives in the islands of Samoa, French Polynesia to East Africa, also to be found in Taiwan and Hoinam. It is in purple-reddish colour or purple-greyish colour. Smooth-banded Ghost Crab and Horn-eyed Ghost Crab widely live in the coastlines of east Asia, from southern-Japan to islands of south Pacific, they also live in Red Sea and South Africa.

Beach Thick-knee

Beach Stone-curlew (澳洲石鴴)
Vanuatu (2009)
25th November, 2009. Port Vila

In 2009, there have 20 of stamp sets included in WWF series, and 8 series related to birds. However due to many situations and unexpected reasons, I only ordered stamps issued by Sao Tomé e Príncipe, Malawi, North Korea and Vanuatu ; and other four will be purchased in future. In here I would show third one issued by Vanuatu, an official first day cover by Vanuatu Post. The last one, an aerogramme issued by North Korea, to be shown on early April.

Beach Stone-curlew is a large sea bird to be found in coastlines of South-east Asia and southern Pacific countries. Mostly visible from the range of the Philippines, India, Myanmar, Malaya Peninsula, Indonesia to those islands in south Pacific include Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. The bird was easily to be found in above area but after the over development, the population decrease due to the damage of inhabited area. Now it listed as Threatened species in IUCN list.

Thanks Vanuatu Philatelic Bureau to send me this nice first day cover, in the meantime there have another first day cover received, which is a beautiful stamp set Frangipani (赤素馨花).

Nyasa Lovebird

Front
Nyasa Lovebird (尼亞情侶鸚鵡)
Malawi (2009)
14th December, 2009. Chichiri Central (Stamp Bureau)
14th December, 2009. Chichiri, Blantyre
15th December, 2009. Lilongwe

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, it is a big festival of couple. If find one species related to this festival, I think lovebird is the most suitable bird for couple. Most of people thought that a pair of birds is better than one if people breed lovebird at home as the habit of wild life lovebird mostly appear as couple until die.

There have 9 species in Agapornis (情侶鸚鵡) genus, all of them are to be found in sub-Sahara area of Africa. Nyasa Lovebird is one of nine and is the smallest parrot in Africa, also it is endemic to Malawi, Mozambique to Zambia areas. Nowadays less than 20,000 birds recorded and most of them inhabits Liwonde National Park, a conservation area located on the upper Shire River plain of Malawi. Due to the agricultural purposes of this area, the lovebird being restricted, and the bird does not have ability to find their inhabit place outside the national park. Nyasa Lovebird does not like captivity, so it is hard to breed humanly. The bird is not common in pet market, however still have many people feed them at home.

Actually I am very fancy to lovebird, beside it is a parrot, the colourful feather and its sound are very attractive to me. Unfortunately the environment of my home is not suitable to pet any birds. This Nyasa Lovebird's cover is the first in my collection, hope I can collect all 9 species covers and cards in future.

Back